Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1915-01-20
TEXT OF ATTORNEY
GENERAL $ OPINION
John Garland Pollard Sends
Views to Finance Com
mittee.
SEGREGATION PLAN
While Measure Proposed is Detec-
tive. The Defects are Durable, Ac-
cording to Mr.. Pollard.

\
Richmond. Jan. 2O.-Attorney Gen
eral Pollard in an opinion transmit
ted to the Finance Committee OF the
House of Delegates yesterday helo
that the plan of. partial segregation
recommended by a minority OF inc
Tax Commission is defective in that
II proposes that the General Assem-
bly delegate to the proposed State
Roard of Taxation its authority to
fix the amount Of d tax levy, ana
that it is also probably unconstitu-
tional and violative Of the Bill OF
Rights.
After some preliminary obSerVa-
tions concerning the nature OF the
case and the points he was asked to
consider the Attorney General says:
"Those features of the bill to when
YOUR questions arc addressed are al
embodied in sections 6 and !, "hich
read as follows:
Sc During the month Of Feb
ruary of each year the board shal'
make an estimate OF the probable
revenues that will be available
for State purposes at the beginning
Of the next ensuing fiscal year, and
also of the probable revenues that
will be needed for State purposes at
The said period. If such estimated
needs shall be IN excess OF the en-
pected available revenues, calculated
as aforesaid by the board, then, IN
that event, the board shall call
upon the several counties and cities
of the Commonwealth to contribute
TO the state treasury sufficient sum
in excess of the expenditures OF the
State government ascertalned as
aforesaid: but in no event shall such
estimate be more than per centum
in excxess of the expenditures Of the
State government for the last pre-
ceding year, unless otherwise ordered
by the express enactment OF the Cen
eral Assembly. In ascertaining the
quota OF such contributions to be
made by each county and city the
board shall apportion it in accord
ance with the aggregate taxable
wealth of said county and city, to be
ascertained in such manner as the
board may determine. AT the time
of making such estimates should II
appear that the revenue derived
from the sources available for taxa
ton by the State shall be sufficient
to meet all reasonable demands upon
the State treasury, then the board
shall make no requisition upon the
counties or cities
~. On on before the lst day OF
March Of each year the secretary OF
the board shall notify in writing the
treasurer of each county or city OF
the total supplemental sum needed as
aforesaid for State purposes. and OF
the proportion due from such coun-
tv or city estimated by the board as
aforesaid, and such treasurer shall
communicate the said notice to the
chairman Of the board Of supervis-
ors or the head Of the governing
hoard of such county OF city. and
such board Of supervisors. city coun-
ell or governing board shall fix the
county or city levy with reference
to such contribution to the State
treasury.
"The treasureres of the several
counties and cities shall remit to
the treasurer OF the commonwealth
on or before the lst day of February
following such notification the
amount stated therein as being duo
from such county o. city. 2""
Section 6. above quoted, undertake:
to delegate to State board of taxa
ton the authority to decide upor
"the proable revenues that will. be
needed for State purposes. and if, il
the opinion of the board, such esti
mated needs be in eXces1i,' then thu
board shall call upon the severa
counties and cities of the Common
wealth to contribute to the Stat,
| Treasury sufficient sum to NEE