ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1997, Roanoke Times
DATE: Wednesday, April 16, 1997 TAG: 9704160042
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV-1 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
DATELINE: RADFORD
SOURCE: LESLIE HAGER-SMITH THE ROANOKE TIMES
School officials go away disappointed.
Radford City Council voted Monday to raise the real-estate tax rate by 2 cents - a penny less than advertised - and to approve its $50 million 1997-98 budget.
The Monday vote followed public hearings on the budget and tax rates. Final action on both measures will take place April 21. The city's current real-estate tax rate is 68 cents per $100 of assessed value. If approved, Radford's increase will be the second major one this month in the New River Valley. Last week, the Montgomery County Board of Supervisors agreed to raise its rate by 2 cents to 72 cents.
The Radford tax increase drew no public comment, though Mayor Tom Starnes was asked to explain why it is necessary. This year's budget is balanced as proposed, he said, but council anticipates several other projects in the next year. Among them are improvements to the central business district, development of a Radford history museum and a new recreation facility.
Highlights of this year's budget package are a new pay plan for city employees; a cash infusion for the long-suffering Radford Department of Social Services; a special initiative to construct a downtown parking lot and central square; and improvements to library, senior center and park facilities.
Radford City Schools will get a $4.3 million slice of the pie. In previous action, council granted the School Board the same 3 percent increase given to other city agencies, plus enough additional to make an even $200,000 increase. However, that was less than a third of what the School Board wanted for special initiatives.
Council put most of the funds into two restricted accounts - one for technology and the other for debt service - making the schools' increase only $9,549 in discretionary funds.
In a final plea on behalf of the disappointed School Board, Superintendent Michael Wright said teachers would receive only a 2 percent pay raise this year instead of the hoped-for 4.5 percent increase. "I want to call that to the council's attention and let you know that we could use some help," he said.
School Board Vice Chairman Carter Effler concurred and later added that a restricted account of $74,507 for technology will be "useless" without the money to hire computer lab technicians. He hoped council would at least remove the designation "capital" from that line item, allowing the schools to use the money as they see fit.
Both men were noticeably restrained in their comments. Council members heard them out without remark. The contentiousness that has marked other recent encounters between the School Board and City Council was not present, nor was the board's outspoken chairman, Chip Craig.
In the end, council voted 4-1 in favor of the budget as proposed and a real- estate tax increase of 2 cents per $100 of assessed value. Councilman Dave Worrell, the School Board's strongest advocate on council, voted against the measure.
Council has a week yet to modify the budget, because final action is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. April 21. The restricted school funds are unlikely to change, however, because they are seen by some as a move to make the School Board more accountable for its spending.
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