ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1997, Roanoke Times
DATE: Wednesday, February 26, 1997 TAG: 9702260054
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV-1 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
DATELINE: RADFORD
SOURCE: LESLIE HAGER-SMITH STAFF WRITER
It was all pretty routine until School Board Chairman John W.L. "Chip" Craig rose to his feet Monday night at the Radford City Council meeting. That's when an hour-long exchange ensued over council's recent withholding of funds for repaving the bus parking lot behind the School Administration Building.
Councilwoman Polly Corn initiated the motion to deny the $13,982 at council's Jan. 27 meeting. Her motion at that time passed 4 to 1, with Councilman Dave Worrell, a former School Board member, speaking against it.
By Corn's accounting, it is the first time in her 11-year tenure on council that a School Board funding request was denied. Craig indicated Monday that the School Board would likely make adjustments elsewhere in the budget to fund the project, which they consider to be "of utmost importance."
And so, council's vote could be viewed as largely symbolic, except for the very real animosity it seems to have engendered between the normally cooperative council and the School Board.
School Board member Guy Wohlford, who served on City Council for four years, said Wednesday the vote reflected a change in the way council approaches the city School Board.
"In all the time that I'm aware of, relations have been good." Wohlford said in the past the two panels would "get together and talk and we'd reach consensus."
He said he couldn't understand why the council selected such a small-priced item to cut without having any specific need for $13,982.
"It really isn't their place to go through our budget with that fine a tooth comb. We're supposed to have enough sense to prioritize our needs," he said.
This winter, each time the lot was plowed, chunks of asphalt were heaped in banks along with the snow. The board members have been advised that if they fail to pave it, the lot will revert to gravel. That would make it costly to maintain and difficult to plow, Craig said.
Councilwoman Annyce Levy, a school nurse for 18 years, pointed out that Pulaski County has a gravel lot that seems to function adequately. Mayor Tom Starnes amplified her sentiments, "If you lose the lot, so what? What's it going to do to the educational system in the schools?"
At a Jan. 13 meeting, council gave preliminary approval to releasing the entire $405,408 carry-over from the previous year's school operating budget. A lengthy discussion at that meeting focused instead on roof repairs that would be paid for by a separate sum of $1.3 million in unspent capital improvement funds. A second reading is required to approve any appropriation ordinance, however, and it was during that step that the parking-lot funding was withdrawn from the operating budget.
School Board members had no hint that their request for the operating funds had been scrutinized and unfavorably received, according to Craig. Consequently, no board representatives were present on Jan. 27 to explain or defend the budget item.
"For future reference, " Starnes said, "never assume you are going to get funds until the appropriation ordinance has been approved."
"If I were a cynic, I'd say you just told me never to trust City Council," shot back Craig.
Superintendent Michael Wright, Craig and the rest of the School Board sat shoulder to shoulder and stonefaced, awaiting the public address portion at the end of the meeting. Some of them had apparently contacted council members in the interim.
Levy spoke of the "turmoil" she felt as she looked School Board members in the eye and said, "I don't ever want to be talked to the way I have in the last week by any of you." Corn agreed and reminded them that except for this one item, the schools had always received the funds they requested.
Wohlford said Wednesday he had called Levy on Monday, but that he "found it hard to believe any School Board member would speak harshly to a council member."
Council and School Board members will face each other once again at 7 p.m. March 17 when they meet for a work session on next year's school budget.
Staff writer Lisa Applegate contributed to this report.
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