ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1997, Roanoke Times
DATE: Thursday, January 9, 1997 TAG: 9701100104
SECTION: BUSINESS PAGE: B-6 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: MATT CHITTUM
Botetourt County had its seventh consecutive record year for building permits in 1996, claiming significant progress toward its goal of balancing the tax base between residential and commercial sources, County Administrator Jerry Burgess said Wednesday.
Building permit values topped $50 million for the first time, Burgess said, coming in at $50,321,772. Almost half was for commercial and industrial projects, a significant increase, he said.
The number of permits for new homes dropped from 249 in 1995 to 226, but the average value of the homes being built rose to about $100,000. The total value of permits in 1995 was $49 million, but Burgess said that included building one middle school and renovating another. Without those projects, the increase was more like $10 million, he said.
Five years ago, 90 percent of the county's tax base was from residential sources, Burgess said. He said the county's mission is to relieve the burden on residential tax sources by increasing the amount of industry in the county.
Total new industrial investment in the county since 1993 is $305 million, Burgess said.
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