Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: WEDNESDAY, February 1, 1995 TAG: 9502010054
SECTION: BUSINESS PAGE: B-8 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: JEFF STURGEON STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
A $200,000 request sent to Gov. George Allen comes up for a vote soon. The money would enable the council to issue the most complete report possible on the future economic development of the Roanoke and New River valleys and disseminate it to the widest possible audience, said Beverly Fitzpatrick Jr., the council's executive director.
Council organizers, who set up the group in 1993, thought at the time the work would be done by this summer. The council was expected to disband or be reorganized at that time. The state contributed $200,000 each of the last two fiscal years, and state funds run out June 30. Private donors contributed about $100,000 per year, Fitzpatrick said.
As it has turned out, nearly four times more than the expected number of citizen volunteers offered ideas to its 26 committees - 960 people in all. The council leadership was delighted, but the huge turnout drove up costs and slowed the process somewhat, Fitzpatrick said.
Without the money it seeks, the group's findings still can be released to the public as scheduled in June or July, Fitzpatrick said. However, ``it will keep us from being as thorough as we'd like.''
Fitzpatrick said he assumes private donations will continue if the state adopts either of two identical funding measures recently introduced by state Sen. Brandon Bell, R-Roanoke, and Del. Victor Thomas, D-Roanoke.
House Majority Leader Richard Cranwell, D-Roanoke County, a co-sponsor of Thomas' measure, predicted the council has a fairly good chance of getting the money.
``People have pretty well universally rejected the governor's proposed repeal of the [business receipts] tax and the $33 annual tax cut. We're going to free up about $148 million,'' Cranwell said. ``Everyone feels the New Century Council is something focused on economic development and growth for our region and for that reason has merit.''
Fitzpatrick said the council's largest cost is its staff of two full-time researchers and one part-time researcher. Salary and benefits for Fitzpatrick are paid by private donors.
by CNB