WHAT SHOULD THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY DO?

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

DATE: SUNDAY, January 5, 1992                   TAG: 9201060190
SECTION: EDITORIAL                    PAGE: D-3   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: By BRIAN WISHNEFF
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium
WHAT SHOULD THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY DO?
GOV. WILDER, as well as past governors, has done a good job of focusing public attention on the need to provide special assistance to rural Virginia. The work of the Lacy Commission and the governor's conference on rural economic development have resulted in a number of rural programs and projects.
This special attention for rural areas should be commended. It often takes a concerted effort to properly assess the needs of a specific group or geographic area.
Now, the same logic should be applied to the development of a state focus or strategy for urban Virginia. By urban Virginia, I mean our true central cities: Richmond, Petersburg, Lynchburg, Norfolk, Roanoke.
As the last best hope for the disadvantaged, Virginia's central cities have an increasing, disproportionate share of social services to provide. Additional funding from the state and federal government to assist is not forthcoming. Raising local taxes to a point that they become non-competitive with surrounding jurisdictions isn't going to work.
Therefore, Virginia's central cities must be able to expand their local tax base through continued development. A central-city strategy should be developed by the state to encourage this expansion.
As the General Assembly proceeds to develop such a strategy, it should consider:
1. Secondary education. Any strategy must recognize the special needs, and the additional costs, of educating children in our central cities. Without a sound local school system, other actions, in the long run, will not be as effective. Economically, this country and state cannot afford to lose this battle.
2. Higher education. Develop junior and senior state colleges in inner cities to absorb the projected 20,000 additional college students expected in Virginia in the next century. Let these colleges be administered by existing universities; i.e., Virginia Tech would administer one in Roanoke.
3. Convention industry. Virginia is missing the boat on convention business. Other states provide significant funding to their localities to build facilities; thus, Virginia's cities are at a competitive disadvantage. A zone around new public-assembly facilities could be established. Within the zone, 100 percent of the sales tax that's generated would be returned to the city to help pay for the facility.
4. Arts industry. The arts industry for central cities is not just a "nicety." A major ingredient in cities' ability to be a tourist and convention destination is the flourishing of the arts. One only has to look at Center in the Square's impact on Roanoke's city market to recognize this truth.
5. Dillon Rule. A new state committee has been set up by Wilder to consider relaxing this rule, which says Virginia localities can only do what the General Assembly allows them to do. If cities are to be more self-reliant, it only follows that they be given power that is flexible enough to succeed.
6. Commission: Establish a state commission, similar to the Lacy Commission that looked at the needs in Southwest Virginia, to make recommendations for a complete urban strategy. Such a strategy should be acted on by the 1993 legislature.

Brian Wishneff is chief of economic development for Roanoke city.

by Archana Subramaniam by CNB