Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SATURDAY, March 11, 1995 TAG: 9503130049
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: JOEL TURNER STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
``It seems like we would be price-fixing if we get together and decide we'll have equal salaries,'' Nickens said.
Nickens said he believes there is a legal issue in Roanoke Mayor David Bowers' proposal for uniform salaries that ought to be considered.
But City Attorney Wilburn Dibling doesn't see any legal impediments to Bowers' proposal, saying that antitrust laws apply to conspiracies to fix prices in products and goods.
Dibling said governments are exempt from most antitrust regulations. County Attorney Paul Mahoney could not be reached for comment.
Bowers' proposal appears to have little support in the county, although Supervisor Lee Eddy said he believes it deserves study.
``It would be unfortunate to reject it out of hand. I think a comprehensive look would be in order,'' Eddy said.
Roanoke, Roanoke County and Salem governments get whipsawed over salaries as they face pressure each year to raise them, he said. Over a period of four or five years, he said, salary scales could be coordinated.
But the county School Board has decided to proceed with plans for salary raises for county teachers despite Bowers' plea.
Under the county's proposed scale for next year, the salaries for about two-thirds of the steps would be higher than those approved by the Roanoke School Board this week.
In some cases, salaries for county teachers would be more than $1,000 higher than their counterparts in the city. On the other hand, the salaries for some city teachers, including beginning teachers, would be higher than those in the county.
Salem teachers have the highest salaries in the valley - $2,000 to $3,000 higher than their counterparts in Roanoke and Roanoke County. Bowers did not include Salem in his proposal.
Superintendent Wayne Tripp said Friday that Salem isn't interested in such an arrangement.
``No, definitely not,'' he said. ``We want to maintain our independence and not get into a pact like that.''
Salem ranks near the top of school divisions in the state in several salary categories, ranking sixth in beginning salary and eighth in pay for teachers with 20 years of experience.
``We have made salaries a priority, and we want to continue to do so,'' Tripp said.
If any such salary arrangement for teachers in the valley is to be effective, it would have to involve Salem, said Fuzzy Minnix, chairman of the county Board of Supervisors.
``I am not totally against it, but I would want Salem to be a part,'' Minnix said.
``Still, I would hate to see us do anything that would hold down salaries for county teachers,'' he said.
Supervisor Ed Kohinke said he doesn't like the idea. ``It would deprive us of options, and I would not want our hands tied,'' he said.
Supervisor Bob Johnson said Bowers needs to provide more money for raises for city teachers rather than trying to hold down county raises.
Bowers' proposal was triggered by the city School Board's decision to raise salaries for teachers so they would be comparable to those in the county. He said the city and county should not be competing on teachers' salaries or other issues.
``As I have indicated, the real competition is Greensboro, Hampton Roads and Fairfax, not our good neighbors in Roanoke County,'' he said. ``The efficient way to run our government, in my opinion, is to initiate uniform, valleywide schoolteachers' salaries.''
County teachers believe it would be unfair for a pact on equal salary to include only the county and Roanoke.
``We're no less deserving than Salem teachers,'' said Richard Kelly, president of the Roanoke County Education Association.
``We don't need to get into a bidding war,'' he said, ``but we need to be paid what we deserve.''
by CNB