Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, March 29, 1990 TAG: 9003290314
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: B4 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: JOEL TURNER MUNICIPAL WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
Councilman Howard Musser said Wednesday the city's negotiators haven't decided whether they will meet with Robers.
"We are trying to determine whether this is a new negotiating team for the county and whether we should meet with him or what we thought was the county's team," Musser said.
"Our approach so far has been to deal with consolidation issues by having the negotiating teams handle them."
Supervisors Bob Johnson and Harry Nickens have been the county's negotiators. But they have opposed efforts by Robers and the two other supervisors, Steve McGraw and Lee Eddy, to seek changes in the plan, which has been approved by both City Council and the Board of Supervisors.
Robers, McGraw and Eddy voted Tuesday night to authorize Robers to meet with the city's negotiators - Vice Mayor Beverly Fitzpatrick Jr. and Musser - to discuss the proposed changes.
Musser said city officials had anticipated the county's negotiating team would represent the county.
Earlier this week, the city's team sent a letter to Robers saying that it would be willing to consider the suggested changes "as a courtesy to you." The city asked Robers to provide written justification for each of the proposed changes.
"Once we have received your written position papers, the city's negotiating team will be pleased to meet with the county's negotiating team," Musser and Fitzpatrick said in their letter.
Robers said Wednesday he hadn't talked with the city's negotiators and wasn't aware that they might be reluctant to meet with him.
He said that because Johnson and Nickens oppose the changes, it doesn't make sense for the negotiators to discuss the changes with the city.
The changes the three supervisors are suggesting are:
That the school board of the consolidated Roanoke Metropolitan Government have an equal number of representatives from the city and county, with a court-appointed tie-breaker. Under the plan, the school board would have nine members - five from the city and four from the county.
That residents of Mason Cove, Bennett Springs and the Catawba Valley be given the chance to become part of Salem if the consolidation plan is approved. Now, only residents who live west of Virginia 311 between Fort Lewis Mountain and Poor Mountain would get that chance, and only if a financial settlement is approved with Salem.
That residents of subdivisions along Virginia 24 and Hardy Road in East Roanoke County get a chance to vote on whether to become part of the town of Vinton if the consolidation plan is approved. Now the plan allows Vinton to expand to include those subdivisions without a vote.
That current city-county boundary lines not be used for the "urban" and "suburban" service districts in the consolidated government.
by CNB