ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Tuesday, May 21, 1996 TAG: 9605210117
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C-3 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: CHRISTINA NUCKOLS STAFF WRITER
Residents of West Roanoke County will meet with Salem city officials next month to talk about voluntary annexation.
The Catawba Coalition of Civic Leagues, which includes representatives from the eight civic leagues in the area, agreed Monday to sponsor the event. It is scheduled for 7 p.m. June 4 at the Glenvar High School Auditorium.
About 20 coalition members met Monday intending to vote on whether to endorse a voluntary annexation drive, but delayed any action on the issue because three of the leagues had not yet polled their members.
Also present at the meeting were Douglas Brinckman, an attorney advising the group on annexation issues, and Charles Landis, a Glenvar resident who has led the movement for a voluntary annexation drive.
Fliers distributed after the meeting indicated that the area being considered for annexation by Salem stretches from Virginia 419 at Hanging Rock west to the Montgomery County line, with Fort Lewis Mountain acting as the northern border and Poor Mountain as the southern border.
Coalition President Bob Crouse said the information meeting with Salem officials will allow county residents to ask questions about the impact an annexation would have on schools, taxes and utility services.
According to the fliers, Salem officials have agreed to attend the June 4 meeting. However, Councilman Carl "Sonny" Tarpley said, "I don't say we've agreed to attend. They've agreed to invite us."
Tarpley said he was informed of the meeting earlier Monday, but had not yet received an official invitation.
"As far as I'm concerned, we're just a guest to hear what they have to say," he said. "There is no solicitation on the part of the city of Salem. It's something that we would certainly listen to. ... Certainly the people of Glenvar have a community of interest with the city of Salem."
Tarpley said one concern is how the city would pay for an annexation that would include expensive industrial land.
Salem Mayor James Taliaferro could not be reached for comment Monday.
Catawba Supervisor Spike Harrison said annexation proponents have focused most of their attention on Taliaferro, whose term ends this summer. Harrison also speculated that Salem officials would not be interested in annexing the entire section of the county under consideration.
Coalition members met for two hours Monday at the Glenvar Library before disbanding without a vote on the annexation issue. The meeting was closed to the press, although several people not affiliated with the coalition did attend. Crouse identified them as prospective members.
Crouse and other coalition officials declined to give specifics on the civic leagues that have already voted on annexation.
"Some of the ones that reported seemed to say there was just a straw vote," Brinckman said. "I didn't hear anybody say they were opposed to it, but they said they needed more information."
The coalition pushed up its vote to June 24 to allow all leagues to poll their members.
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