Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: FRIDAY, April 6, 1990 TAG: 9004041123
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV6 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: KIM ZEOLI SPECIAL TO THE ROANOKE TIMES & WORLD-NEWS
DATELINE: RADFORD LENGTH: Medium
City Council agreed Tuesday the school budget request should be cut to $3,397,835 with final approval coming later this month.
Wright presented council with a $3,560,338 budget request last week that was $513,183 over the 2.5 percent increase council allowed. The figure council gave Tuesday is $425,000 including the 2.5 percent.
Even with the cuts, council's share of the total school budget increased 14.3 percent over last year.
Teacher salaries is one area the council cut back. Wright proposed a 5.6 percent raise even though the state mandated only 5 percent. Council budgeted the state mandated raise.
The amount Wright asked for a state-mandated social worker was cut in half because council said a person could be hired part time instead of full time. State requirements didn't specify the job as full time, but Wright thought a full-time person would be beter.
Council also reduced the amount Wright proposed for a clerical position by $4,800. Wright said the higher salary was needed because this person would do more than clerical work. Council decided $16,000 would be adequate.
To come up with the $425,000 addition to last year's approved budget, Jess Cantline, director of finance, suggested the city enact a transient occupancy tax on motel rooms. Blacksburg and Montgomery County already have such a tax.
According to Cantline, city revenues could increase about $33,688 if Radford motels do the same business as last year. Council decided to enact a 2 percent transient occupancy tax on motel rooms.
The city will appropriate $74,321, which will cover the 2.5 percent school budget increase. The remainder of the increase, $316,819, will be transferred from electric fund reserves to the general fund to pay for it.
by CNB