Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: MONDAY, August 2, 1993 TAG: 9308020058
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: JOEL TURNER STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
Bowers will meet with a group of county residents Wednesday night in what he describes as the beginning of discussions with county residents about the need to reorganize the Roanoke Valley governments.
Kathy Castle, a partner in a tourism business, will host the private meeting in her home on Deerwood Road in the North County area. She said Sunday she has invited about 15 to 20 neighbors.
Wednesday night's meeting was prompted by an earlier meeting Castle had with Bowers about tourism. The mayor has made tourism a main focus in his economic development program.
Because of publicity about the tourism issue, Castle said she met with Bowers to offer her help in promoting tourism.
Her company, Tour Vision, provides videos for the valley's top hotels and motels. The videos, which air on television channels in the hotels, provide information on Bowers the hotels, in addition to the valley's tourist attractions.
Castle said Bowers told her that he would like to meet with her neighbors to talk about governmental reorganization. She said she would be glad to schedule the meeting.
Castle, who has lived in the county for 23 years, said she is neutral on the merger issue. "I'm neither pro nor con on it," she said.
She said she didn't a take public stand on consolidation three years ago when county voters overwhelmingly rejected it.
Recently, Bowers predicted that county voters would approve merger if a vote were held now.
In 1990, county voters rejected consolidation by 70 percent to 30 percent. City voters approved it by nearly the same margin.
If merger isn't possible, Bowers has suggested that the city should consider giving up its charter and becoming a town, a first step in merging the city and county.
He also wants to know how Roanoke might regain the right to annex.
At Bowers' request, City Council has asked City Attorney Wilburn Dibling for legal opinions on the charter and annexation issues.
Vice Mayor Beverly Fitzpatrick Jr. says it's too soon for another referendum on consolidation.
"It's not too soon for [the city and county] to try to work together, but I don't think it is time for another consolidation vote," he said.
by CNB