Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SATURDAY, November 19, 1994 TAG: 9411210035
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: RICHARD FOSTER STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
After almost a year of haggling over everything from garbage collection to taxes, Bedford County and the city of Bedford have agreed on a consolidation plan that would protect the county from outside annexation and allow the city its own elected representation.
Under the plan, Bedford County would become the biggest city in Virginia. The current city of Bedford would become a "shire," a semi-independent body that retains the ability to tax citizens, provide services and annex land from the county.
"We think it's a win-win situation. This plan was designed so it would not significantly impact taxes in either jurisdiction," County Administrator Bill Rolfe said.
"It's an agreement that's suitable to both parties," said Bedford County Supervisor Gus Saarnijoki, who heads the county's consolidation committee. "It answers the city's requirements for consolidation."
The city had deemed a previous consolidation plan unacceptable. Under that plan, the city would have become a special service district, because it outspends the county 5-to-1 on services such as police, recreation and garbage collection. That would have meant a $1.3 million increase in annual city property taxes for residents to receive the same services they do now, according to an economic impact study commissioned by the city and released in June.
City Councilwoman Joanne Grahame, chairwoman of the city's consolidation committee, said the proposed merger would result in added benefits to the city. "We will hardly know the difference, actually. The city and the county will both end up making gains."
The shire, which would probably called Bedfordshire, would provide the same services to residents without a tax increase. It also would be able to annex county land by ordinance, allowing the shire to grow and save its taxpayers the costly legal fees that can ensue when an independent jurisdiction tries to annex another's land.
In turn, the new Bedford City would be protected from annexation by Lynchburg or Vinton.
Consolidation talks began this year when a Forest couple submitted a petition calling for the merger. The petition was submitted to protect Forest from possible annexation by Lynchburg if a state-imposed moratorium on annexation is allowed to expire in 1997.
The most notable shake-ups will probably be political. The new Bedford City would have a city council-city manager form of government. Its seven voting districts would be redrawn to include the shire, adding about 800 members to each district. Committee members have not determined whether special elections would be needed for council seats or whether current supervisors could change their titles.
At 770 square miles, the new Bedford City would dwarf Suffolk, which is Virginia's biggest city at 430 square miles.
An eight-member joint committee from Bedford's city and county governments was formed in April to discuss the merger. It has until February to draft a final merger proposal for voters to consider in a 1995 referendum.
Though a group of Bedford residents filed a lawsuit against the city and county governments last month alleging that the petition was illegally submitted illegally, the committee has announced it will continue preparing a merger plan for voters to consider in 1995.
If the General Assembly, and Bedford and Bedford County voters approve, the merger could take place as early as July 1996. The U.S. Justice Department and the Virginia Commission on Local Governments also must sign off on the plan.
The shire concept, allowed for in the Code of Virginia, has been considered before in consolidation plans, most recently in 1983, when Pulaski County residents voted down a proposal to change towns within the county into shires.
The joint consolidation committee, which meets in closed session, consists of two representatives from City Council, two county supervisors, the city manager and county administrator, and the city and county attorneys. It meets again Monday night, when it will discuss consolidating some services.
by CNB