Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, May 25, 1995 TAG: 9505250053
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV-2 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: PAUL DELLINGER STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: PULASKI LENGTH: Medium
Requests for contributions jumped from this year's total of $19,510 to $53,500 for next year, mainly because of a first-time request from Friends of the Pulaski Theatre for $25,000, a $10,000 request for an effort to helping black at-risk youths locally, and a request from the Fine Arts Center of the New River Valley to double this year's $3,000 contribution for next year.
Council will have to consider those items as it revises its $5.1 million budget.
Town Councilman Roy D'Ardenne proposed cutting out contributions, although he thought the project to renovate the former Pulaski Theatre and funds for the Fine Arts Center could be moved from the contributions category into economic development.
Other agencies that would be affected are Literacy Volunteers, Pulaski Free Clinic, New River Valley Agency on Aging, New River Valley Rescue Squad and New River Valley Community Action.
Councilman John Johnston also expressed concerns over contributions at a Wednesday morning meeting of the town's Finance Committee.
"We are taxing people for the operation of the town. We are not taxing people to contribute to human service agencies," Johnston said. "You know - what's it going to be next year?"
Councilwoman Bettye Steger said many organizations supported by the town do improve the quality of life in Pulaski. She said the agencies needed more notice if funding from the town ceases.
"I think people have lived with those expectations, and done their budget with those expectations," agreed Finance Committee Chairman W.H. "Rocky" Schrader. "I don't think we can pull the rug out from under these people."
Councilwoman Alma Holston said the Fine Arts Center is facing unusual financial problems. "This is not the time to even consider cutting the Fine Arts Center," she said.
Councilman Eddie Hale suggested rolling back all 1995-96 contributions to this year's amounts. He and Councilman E.G. "Junior" Black agreed with the idea of eventually eliminating them.
But members made no decisions, except that they will likely have to devote a separate meeting to the subject of town contributions.
Schrader, the committee chairman, pushed for council members to decide on funding for budget categories and let town administrators decide how to reach the funding levels. But council members on the committee debated the budget items line by line.
Mayor Andrew Graham suggested using a one-time windfall from town vehicle decals for needed sewer expenses. The windfall, estimated at $60,000, will come from moving the decal deadline from August back to April and selling an 18-month decal this once for $30 instead of the usual $20 for one year.
That will put Pulaski's decal deadline on the same April schedule as that of Pulaski County and the town of Dublin, simplifying an agreement among the three governments to jointly enforce decal violations from all three jurisdictions.
He and D'Ardenne also had concerns over the hiring of an additional parking monitor, saying it sent the wrong signal to citizens. D'Ardenne said people believe the position was created to generate more revenue through parking tickets. "There's no way you can avoid that perception," he said.
Downtown parking has been a problem since many new stores and shops opened in Pulaski. It has been aggravated by employees taking up parking spaces that potential customers could use, which is why there has been a push to enforce the two-hour parking limit.
by CNB