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

DATE: TUESDAY, February 28, 1995                   TAG: 9502280114
SECTION: VIRGINIA                    PAGE: C-4   EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY 
SOURCE: RICHARD FOSTER
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Short

SUPERVISORS OK MERGER

The Bedford County Board of Supervisors on Monday unanimously approved a plan to merge Bedford and Bedford County.

Bedford City Council, which also is expected to approve the proposal overwhelmingly, will consider it tonight.

If council formally adopts the proposal, which was approved by the General Assembly this month, the state Commission on Local Government will begin reviewing it next month.

Though the commission has up to six months to release a ruling on the plan, it probably will try to speed it along so it can be submitted to the local Circuit Court in time for a November referendum.

The commission has tentatively planned April 24 and 25 as public hearing dates on the consolidation plan.

If voters approve the referendum, the consolidated city would be the biggest city in land size in Virginia and the fifth-biggest in the United States. It also would mark the first time in more than 20 years that Virginia voters have approved a consolidation proposal.

by CNB