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

DATE: SATURDAY, November 19, 1994                   TAG: 9411220039
SECTION: VIRGINIA                    PAGE: C4   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: 
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Short

CONSOLIDATION PLAN BEDFORD COUNTY/CITY OF BEDFORD

Bedford County would become the biggest city in Virginia at 770 square miles. Suffolk, now Virginia's biggest city, is 430 square miles.

The current city of Bedford would become a "shire" of the new city. Tentatively called Bedfordshire, it would provide its citizens with the same level of services they now receive, with no tax increase.

The new Bedford City would have a city manager-city council form of government and would probably retain its seven election districts, which would be redrawn to include the shire. Bedford County's population, now about 45,000, would instantly grow by 6,000 residents.

by CNB