ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Thursday, April 25, 1996 TAG: 9604250020
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV-2 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
DATELINE: DUBLIN
SOURCE: PAUL DELLINGER STAFF WRITER
Councilman David Stanley is not up for re-election in Dublin this year, but Colbern Linkous is running against him anyway.
Linkous, speaking at the Pulaski County Chamber of Commerce candidates' forum Tuesday night for Dublin Town Council, said he wants to be in a position to block ideas such as giving up the town's charter, going to a countywide police force and demolishing the existing town hall for a park when the new Town Center municipal building is completed.
He did not name Stanley, who was among the dozen people attending the forum, but he and Stanley have disagreed over some of those issues. Stanley, after the forum, declined any response.
In 1991, Stanley had suggested forming a committee to study the feasibility of Dublin giving up its town status - "not do it, just study it." More recently, he suggested considering demolition of the old town hall when a new one is ready.
Council also considered merging its police force with the Pulaski County Sheriff's Office in 1991, but that matter was discussed in closed session and it was not known who proposed it. No action ever was taken toward carrying it out.
Linkous served on council from 1990 to 1994, and noted that town taxes were cut twice during that time.
All three incumbents whose terms expire this year are seeking re-election. One of them, Sam Gregory, was unable to attend the forum because of illness.
Dave Farmer, who has served on council for eight years, and Alden Hankla, who served on council several times before his current term, are running again. So is eight-year Mayor Benny Keister, who is unopposed.
All four candidates attending the forum said they thought the town police force was about the right size, for now. Linkous said he would like to see the town have its own police dispatchers again instead of relying on the Sheriff's Office for that.
All of them would also like to see the town annex the area around the Interstate 81 and Virginia 100 interchange where business is picking up, but Farmer noted that last year's boundary adjustment with the county - allowing the town to add the former Burlington Mills property acquired by the town, which is now an industrial park and future Town Center complex - included a penalty if the town annexed county territory within 15 years.
Linkous said he had not known that the boundary adjustment agreement included such a penalty. If he had known of it and been on council, he said, he would have voted against the agreement.
Dublin Town Manager Gary Elander said Wednesday the only penalties fall under a part of the agreement in which the town and county work jointly on utilities.
"Anything in the future, we want it to be a mutual approach," he said. "We have such a good history and a good relationship with the county."
LENGTH: Medium: 58 lines KEYWORDS: POLITICS CITY COUNCILby CNB