ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Wednesday, May 1, 1996 TAG: 9605010025
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV-1 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
If May municipal elections in the New River Valley were a TV program, they probably would have been canceled for low ratings.
Based on turnouts in the last two municipal elections, most voters appear to tune out when it's time to choose the forms of local government - town and city councils - that affect some of the closest aspects of their lives: real estate taxes, local zoning, roads and utilities.
It is a phenomena that's seen statewide and leads to the periodic debate in General Assembly committees about moving town and city elections to November with other county, state and federal races.
That effort went nowhere again this year, when registrars and others argued in Richmond that switching spring elections to the fall would be an expensive, cumbersome procedure.
So for now, voters in the big and small towns and one city of the New River Valley can head to the polls again Tuesday.
Radford voters do better than many locales. Forty-three percent of registered city voters turned out for council elections in 1994. This year, though the two council candidates are unopposed, Radford residents have their first chance to elect two School Board members from three candidates. But turnout at a candidates forum last week was poor.
Blacksburg and Christiansburg - the valley's largest towns - haven't cracked the 20 percent turnout threshold in the last two cycles. That may change in Christiansburg next week because of the buzz generated by eight candidates (for three seats) and the controversy over the town's planned recreation center.
The four Blacksburg candidates for three seats lack such a compelling issue.
Pulaski and Dublin turnout has been better, with Pulaski in the 30 percent to 40 percent range the last two times.
The New River Valley's other municipal elections include in the town of Floyd, where two incumbents are running unopposed, and the small towns of Pearisburg, Narrows, Glen Lyn and Rich Creek in Giles County.
It's too late to register to vote next week if you haven't already done so. But if you are registered, here are the voting places for the larger locales:
Blacksburg:
* Town municipal building, 300 S. Main St.
* Blacksburg Recreation Center, 725 Patrick Henry Drive. Call the Montgomery County Registrar's office, 382-5741, with your Social Security number and address if uncertain of where to vote.
Christiansburg:
* Christiansburg Armory, 15 College St.
Dublin:
* Town Fire Department.
Pulaski:
* Town Fire Department, 117 N. Jefferson Ave.
Radford:
* East: Belle Heth Elementary School; 810 Second Ave.
* West 1: McHarg Elementary School; 700 12th St.
* West 2: Carter Street United Methodist Church; Second and Carter streets. If uncertain of where to vote, call the Radford registrar's office at 731-3639.
Compiled by staff writers Lisa Applegate, Paul Dellinger, Elissa Milenky and Brian Kelley.
LENGTH: Medium: 70 lines KEYWORDS: POLITICS CITY COUNCIL MAYORby CNB