Roanoke County's supervisors gave initial approval to a 4 percent raise for themselves at Tuesday's meeting.

As is their annual practice, the supervisors proposed increasing their own salaries at the same rate as that planned for county employees.

If the proposal receives final approval after a public hearing May 27, members will see their pay increase from $15,947.94 a year to $16,585.86, effective July 1. The chairman receives an additional $1,800 and the vice chairman $1,200.

County Attorney Paul Mahoney said the raises would cost taxpayers an additional $637.92 per supervisor, or a total of $3,189.60 next year. That comes out to just more than $50 a month for each board member.

The board postponed action on another agenda item until May 27, asking for more information from cellphone service provider Ntelos on planned upgrades to 15 cell towers in the county.

The phone company was seeking an exemption to the county's noise ordinance because it is replacing equipment at the base of its towers during the night.

Mahoney said the procedure involves the use of a diesel-powered crane and a loud generator to test the equipment before it is tied into the power grid.

The work is done at night to cause the least disruption to phone service, he said.

Some supervisors were leery of giving a blanket 3½-month exemption to the noise ordinance without more information on the project, such as how loud the noise is and how long it lasts.

In a discussion of legislative priorities for 2009, board members veered into a discussion of the future of Virginia's Explore Park off the Blue Ridge Parkway.

While saying he hopes Florida developer Larry Vander Maten's plans for developing the park go through -- "it will be a boon for the county" -- Vinton District Supervisor Mike Altizer also said the board should have a contingency plan just in case they do not.

The park property is scheduled to revert to state ownership if Vander Maten's development doesn't begin by July 1, 2009.

"We have to position ourselves ... to have a place at the table to determine what role we will have at Explore Park, if Virginia Living Histories [Vander Maten's company] can't follow through," Altizer said.

"It's a delicate issue, and timing might be of the essence."

He pointed out that the county "probably has got $6 million in hard money and in-kind services" invested in the park over the years, "and we have to position ourselves to protect that investment."

When Catawba District Supervisor Butch Church protested that the county couldn't afford to spend any more money on the park, Altizer said he wasn't suggesting "feeding bad money down a dark hole," but that the county should have some use of the property.

Windsor Hills District Supervisor Joe McNamara agreed. "There's 1,100 acres of parkland up there, and I think we do not want to give it back ... even if we use it just for passive recreation."

Should the land become available, "shame on us for not being prepared," Altizer said.