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

DATE: FRIDAY, December 23, 1994                   TAG: 9412240044
SECTION: VIRGINIA                    PAGE: B4   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: ASSOCIATED PRESS
DATELINE: HALIFAX                                 LENGTH: Medium

S. BOSTON TO REVERT TO TOWN

South Boston on July 1 will become the first Virginia city to revert to town status, abandoning the designation it has held since 1960 for what officials hope is a chance to grow and save money.

South Boston reached an agreement this week with the Halifax County Board of Supervisors that sets the date and spells out changes to be made in elections and public schools for the soon-to-be-former city of 6,997.

The county and South Boston both will save money by consolidating many offices and services that cannot now transcend city-county jurisdictions, said City Manager Gary Christie. In the end, taxpayers will win, he said.

State law bars cities from annexing land in neighboring counties. Reversion will allow South Boston to expand its boundaries, Christie said.

According to the new agreement, South Boston will elect its new Town Council on May 2. And because residents of the new town will help elect the county board, Halifax will redraw voting districts to include the town in time for November's elections.

The county also will set voting districts for the new Halifax County School Board, which will be elected in November.

``That's real important to the townspeople, because we will be an equal partner. You want to be able to participate in those elections ... on an equal footing,'' Christie said.

County Administrator William D. Sleeper said Halifax will take over all schools in the county and town, as well as about $1.1million in debts from recent school improvements. The city now operates two elementary schools, while the county and city share the middle and high schools.

Halifax fought the reversion for four years, claiming that providing extra services for the new town would cost about $1million annually. The city says the county will gain about $1million a year in new town taxes, offsetting the new expenses.

The Virginia Supreme Court ruled in February that South Boston could revert to a town, but did not set a date. Christie said setting a date in the agreement ensures there will be no more court battles.

A three-judge panel is expected to approve the agreement by the end of the month, making South Boston the first city to revert to town status since the General Assembly enacted a law in the mid-1980s allowing it.

Virginia's cities are separate from counties, while towns pay taxes to counties and share many services with them.

by CNB