ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Thursday, April 25, 1996 TAG: 9604250011
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV-1 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
DATELINE: CHRISTIANSBURG
SOURCE: KENNETH SINGLETARY STAFF WRITER
Christiansburg voters may have their hands full in Christiansburg's May 7 Town Council election, what with eight candidates on the ballot.
It's the largest group of contenders in Christiansburg that anyone can remember, and it's one of the biggest slates of candidates in the New River Valley this year.
And it's no wonder: local elections sometimes don't have many issues, but this time around in Christiansburg, there's plenty to talk about. Specific topics such as the town's proposed recreation center and the downtown's future have come up, as have more abstract issues such as communication between the town and its residents, economic development and managing growth.
With two incumbents running for three seats, in the wake of longtime council member Truman Daniel's retirement, at least one new person will be on council when terms start Sept. 1. Thus, in a town noted for long tenures in its government, this year's election could represent the beginnings of a changing of the guard.
The candidates are an eclectic mix who have their differences, but who also have a lot in common. All are men who live in different parts of the town and who are unanimous in their support of, say, more stops in town by the Two Town Trolley bus system that runs between Christiansburg and Blacksburg. Still, one candidate suggested the field could be broken down into four who represent the status quo and four who represent change.
LENGTH: Short : 36 lines KEYWORDS: POLITICS CITY COUNCILby CNB