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

DATE: THURSDAY, October 19, 1995                   TAG: 9510190021
SECTION: CURRENT                    PAGE: NRV-5   EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY 
SOURCE: PAUL DELLINGER STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: PULASKI                                LENGTH: Medium

COMPUTER TURNS OUT TO BE FRIEND TO SOME PULASKI TAX DELINQUENTS

Who says computers have no souls? The ones in Pulaski's finance office are giving some delinquent taxpayers a slight break on their penalties.

Before May 1993, the town of Pulaski had been charging a flat 10 percent penalty on unpaid tax bills. Then Town Council changed the penalties structure so the 10 percent applied only to unpaid taxes totaling more than $100. People with overdue taxes that ranged from $10 to $100 were charged a flat $10 penalty.

But council learned Tuesday that the real-estate program in the town's new computer system cannot make those minimum penalty calculations. (Well, it could, but the cost of customizing the software would be more than the amount of penalties it would bring in.)

So council voted to return to the 10 percent penalty on unpaid taxes, just in time for Dec. 5 tax tickets to be sent out.

Despite the impending tax season, Mayor Andy Graham and council members were in a festive mood Tuesday over the Virginia Municipal League Achievement Award presented to town officials earlier this month.

Graham said the league had nearly 100 entries for six awards to municipalities of varying sizes. Pulaski won for towns with populations between 5,000 and 10,000 for its economic development initiatives, including the recycling of a grant it had obtained to lend to a local business. The town turned it into a permanent loan fund for new or expanding enterprises. Other achievements included the organization of a Pulaski Economic Development Board and the restoration of a former train station.

Council also approved a Junior Firefighter program to get young people between the ages of 16 and 18 involved in the town's Fire Department activities, and perhaps create a pool of future volunteers.

The Junior Firefighter activities would be limited mainly to cleaning and readying equipment for use by firefighters. Participants would need permission from a parent or guardian to join, and would be under the supervision of a department officer.

Council reappointed Gene Nuckols to its Board of Zoning Appeals, and canceled its first regular meeting of November because the date falls on Nov. 7, Election Day.

by CNB