Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: WEDNESDAY, March 14, 1990 TAG: 9003142561
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: B-1 EDITION: STATE
SOURCE: PAUL DELLINGER SOUTHWEST BUREAU
DATELINE: WYTHEVILLE LENGTH: Medium
Several supervisors said a stiff tax increase would be needed in 1990-91, even without spending more money to try to keep afloat the fishing lake, swimming pool and related recreational facilities.
The Board of Supervisors voted 5-2 to spend the lake money only if Rural Retreat Town Council approves a 20 percent match of $2,600, for total lake funding of $15,000. The county has spent about $250,000 subsidizing the lake over the past decade, usually on an 80-20 percent basis with Rural Retreat.
The money has always been enough to keep the facility going, but not enough to get it permanently on its financial feet. The Rural Retreat Lake Authority has said it would need $61,720 to do that.
A standing-room-only crowd attended the board meeting, about half in support of funding the recreational lake and the rest endorsing a request from Crossroads Shelter Inc. for a $50,000 supplement to the non-profit organization that helps transients, the homeless and those in substandard housing.
Wythe County also received another request to join the Mount Rogers Economic Development Partnership, which is being set up to recruit new industry for this part of Southwest Virginia. Every county and city in the Mount Rogers Planning District except Wythe has agreed to join and help fund the marketing organization at a $1-per-capita level each year for three years.
The board referred the Crossroads and Mount Rogers funding requests to its 1990-91 budget committee, and agreed on the lake funding only after debate.
Georgetta Wright gave the board a petition with 1,000 signatures in support of the project. Other endorsements came from the Wythe County Farm Bureau, Rural Retreat Woman's Club, and the Rural Retreat Lion's Club which spearheaded the fund drive in the 1960s to buy the land for the state to build the lake.
The facility belongs to the Virginia Commission of Game and Inland Fisheries, which leases it to the county.
"I think what we need to do is run the lake through this season, this summer, and then not let this happen again by putting some restrictions on it," said Supervisor Andy Kegley, who moved that the county approve funding.
Opposition came from board Chairman Bobby Williams and Supervisor Alan Dunford, who said the lake authority had been told last month to get an audit showing where the previous money had gone before further spending would be approved.
"Even if we advertised today, it would probably be after May 1 before an audit could be done," Kegley said, and that would be too late to use the money to do the necessary work to open the lake facilities this summer. "It boils down to closing them down if we don't do anything."
A Rural Retreat Lake Study Committee appointed by the board last month recommended, on a 7-2 vote, that the facility be kept open and funded sufficiently to maintain an acceptable condition. All nine committee members at the March 1 meeting voted to recommend that the board establish a countywide recreation department, which would include the lake.
***Correction Published Mar. 15, 1990 in State edition*** Correction A $5,000 supplement has been requested from Wythe County by Crossroads Shelter Inc. for its work to aid the homeless. Because of a reporter's error, an incorrect figure was given Wednesday in a story about the county board of supervisors.
Memo: correction