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

DATE: THURSDAY, August 17, 1995                   TAG: 9508170071
SECTION: NEIGHBORS                    PAGE: W5   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: SHANNON D. HARRINGTON STAFF WRITER
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium

SALEM RESIDENTS TO GET SOME RELIEF FROM PAPERWORK IN TAX SEASON

Salem City Council gave initial approval Monday night to a city code amendment that would exempt some citizens from filing personal property tax returns.

If their personal property holdings, including motor vehicles and trailers, are unchanged from the previous year, citizens won't be required to file the returns, said Ronald L. Wright, commissioner of revenue.

Instead, assessing the prorated personal property will be based upon tax returns from the previous year. The change does not apply to businesses.

"This new procedure would greatly reduce the paperwork and costs of not only the commissioner's office but [also] our citizens as well," said City Attorney Stephen Yost in a letter to the City Manager Randy Smith.

"The only negative, from a financial prospective, would be the loss of revenue currently collected on late filing penalties," he said.

In other actions:

City Council referred a zoning matter pertaining to day-care centers to the Salem Planning Commission.

Planning Director Joe Yates has proposed possible amendments to the zoning ordinance after a recent rezoning request from a family that cares for 10 children at its Tennessee Avenue home.

Yates proposes three definitions of in-house child-care centers. Small family child-care homes would be allowed to accommodate five or fewer children; large family child-care home could accommodate six to 10 children, and child-care centers would be licensed establishments with six or more children.

The definitions would include those children residing at the home. And small family child-care homes would not have employees other than residents of the home.

Small and large in-home child care centers would be allowed in residential zoning districts with a zoning and use permit. Child -care centers could operate in all business and manufacturing zoning districts.

City council approved selling a house bought by the Salem Rescue Squad about two years ago.

The rescue squad originally planned to use the house for office space and storage, but now realize they do not need it, Smith said. The rescue squad paid about $85,000 for the house, which was titled in the city's name, requiring the city to approve sale.