
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: THURSDAY, March 29, 1990                   TAG: 9003290605
SECTION: EDITORIAL                    PAGE: A-16   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: 
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Short

HOLD MERGER UNTIL COUNTY CAN DOMINATE

"IF THE county government is so efficient and the school system so good, why did Salem elect to pull out?" asked G.H. Henning in his (March 14) letter to the editor.

Consolidation fears, explained Norwood Middleton in "Salem: a Virginia Chronicle" (page 6):

"It was . . . the possibility of consolidation of all Roanoke Valley governments that loomed in the background."

Salem achieved city status on Jan. 1, 1968. The consolidation proposal was rejected in 1969 by Vinton and Roanoke County.

Roanoke City has looked with hungry eyes for more than two decades at the surrounding lands, peoples, taxes outside its boundaries. Admittedly, there are advantages to consolidation to all involved, but what is the big rush? Let's wait until Roanoke County has grown to sufficient population size to dominate the consolidated government politically. (At the relative city/county growth rate, this should not take much longer.)

Then there will be little question that the consolidated Roanoke will benefit from the excellent way the county runs most of its community services, including the school system.

LINDA NELSON, M.D., M.P.H.\ ROANOKE

by CNB