
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: WEDNESDAY, November 9, 1994                   TAG: 9411090124
SECTION: VIRGINIA                    PAGE: A-9   EDITION: METRO  
SOURCE: DAN CASEY
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium

BOND PACKAGE PASSES EASILY

By a margin of greater than 4 to 1, Roanokers approved a $23 millionO package of largely "meat and potatoes" capital projects, a message that city government is moving in the right direction, according to local officials.

Widely expected to win, the referendum allows the city to proceed with a bond sale in January that will finance the purchase of classroom computers and renovations to city schools, sidewalk and bridge repairs, and the city's share of state road-construction projects.

The margin of victory, however, was greater than most other bond referendums put to voters in recent years.

The referendum swept all of the city's 32 precincts, and officials found the wide spread particularly gratifying.

"This is a resounding vote of confidence in Roanoke City Council, and in the future of the city," Mayor David Bowers said.

"I congratulate the citizens on their sound judgment, and I thank them for endorsing our continued civic progress," he added.

Almost one-third of the $23 million total - or $7.1 million - will go to schools, and most of that will be spent on modernization projects at older schools in the city. The first upgrade is scheduled for Jackson Middle School.

Another $5.2 million will be spent on repairs to aging bridges in the city, some of which cannot support large trucks or fire engines.

A total of $4.3 million from the bond sales will go to street and sidewalk improvements, while $2.3 million will pay for parts of the city jail annex, a new fire station for the planned Peters Creek Road extension and renovations at the Roanoke Civic Center. The city also is planning $1.6 million of the bond money for new storm drains.

The only glitzy items in the grab bag are $1.5 million for the first phase of the downtown linear park and an $813,000 grant to the Virginia Museum of Transportation, two ingredients of city tourism-development efforts.

The $23 million represents the amount the city can afford to borrow without increasing the property-tax rate.

"For me, it means the citizens have really assured continued progress," said City Manager Bob Herbert. "I'm pretty thankful."

With 32 of 32 precincts reporting.

Yes 19,858--81%

No -4,598--19%

Keywords:
ELECTION

Memo: ***CORRECTION***

by CNB