REASSESSMENTS MEAN HIGHER PULASKI TAX BILLS

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

DATE: WEDNESDAY, February 26, 1992                   TAG: 9202260127
SECTION: CURRENT                    PAGE: NRV-1   EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY 
SOURCE: PAUL DELLINGER
DATELINE: PULASKI                                LENGTH: Medium
REASSESSMENTS MEAN HIGHER PULASKI TAX BILLS
Pulaski County's property tax rate may be lowered, but tax bills still be be higher for 1992-93 because of recent reassessments.
The Board of Supervisors will advertise a tax rate 5 cents lower than the existing one, but it would take a 12-cent cut to keep tax bills the same.
The board will hold a public hearing March 16 on reducing the 75-cent rate to 70 cents per $100 of assessed value.
The board will not set the rate until March 23.
If the rate were dropped to 63 cents, it would generate roughly the same amount of revenue that 75 cents now brings in, County Administrator Joseph N. Morgan told the board Monday night.
But he said the county probably will need more revenue than that to cover debt payments of about $600,000 a year for computer-assisted instruction in the schools and the expansion of courthouse facilities.
The tax rate for the coming year can be lowered by the supervisors after the hearing, but cannot be raised over the advertised rate of 70 cents.
In other business:

Supervisor Bruce Fariss expressed concerns about a proposed incinerator for Radford Army Ammunition Plant that would be considered a joint project of the Army and local governments.
He said recycling efforts may be hurt if they are put on hold while the government studies the feasibility of the incinerator.
Board Chairman Jerry White said he and Morgan attended a briefing on the proposal Friday. Rep. Rick Boucher, D-Abingdon, is seeking $50,000 for a study on the pros and cons, but much research needs to be done, White said.
"To this point there have been semisecret meetings," Fariss said. "We don't have the full picture."
The board supported his request to ask arsenal representatives to come to the board's March 16 meeting for a public discussion.

Fariss said recreation is a "crying need" to give young people things to do. He said a push should be made for a recreation park. Supervisor Joseph Sheffey agreed.
White said the county administration already has been gathering information on recreation. The board voted to bring up the matter at the next joint meeting of the supervisors and Pulaski and Dublin town councils.

Harold Armbrister presented a petition with about 100 signatures urging the supervisors to adopt an ordinance requiring motorized water craft and jet skis to be a certain distance from boats, swimmers and docks at places like Claytor Lake.
"When we can't get out onto the lake to do a little fishing or pleasure riding, it's bad," he said.
White said the staff and county Planning Commission are studying directions they want the lake to take.

Supervisors approved three appointments: Sybil Atkinson to the Library Board, James O'Dell to the Zoning Appeals Board, and Doris Covey to the Welfare Board.

Supervisors will have a busy month in March. They are scheduled to meet with the School Board on March 2, tour schools March 17 and tour solid-waste facilities March 28. This is in addition to their public hearing on the 1992-93 tax rate March 16 and their regular meeting March 23.

by Bhavesh Jinadra by CNB