Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-08-10
COUNTY MAY BAN
VOTING DISTRICTS
Abolition of Arlington Polling
Areas Vital Question
Before Voters.
BY a stan Correspondent of The Star.

BY a stan Correspondent Of The Star.
CLARENDON, Va, August 9.-One of
the vital questions at stake in the pro-
posed change in county government and
one that is being given careful study
by the joint committee of the Civic
Federation, Chamber of Commerce and
Bar Association, is the possible aboli-
ton of political districts.
This question occupies a separate
place on the ballot that is provided for
in the bill that gives the people the
right to vote upon the change and to
decide what form is to be adopted If a
change is favored. Either the commits
sion or county manager forms, II adopt
ed, will result in the abolition Of the
present magisterial districts, but the
voters, if they so desire, may vote to
elect members of the county govern
ing body by political districts instead
Of at large.
Must Divide County.
In case the vote favors election by
districts it will be the duty of the judge
of the Circuit Court to divide the
county into five districts of as nearly
an equal population as possible. Either
the commission form or county manager
form provides for governing body of
five members, as against the present
board of county supervisors, consisting
of three members.
The Civic Federation committee, by
whom the study of the proposed
changes was inaugurated, has practi-
cally decided that the county manager
form is preferable. The commission form
is impracticable, according to ma
jority of the committee, because the law
provides that under this form the ad-
ministration of the local government
shall be divided into five departments
and a commissioner placed at the head
of each, to devote his full time to his
department. The law, however, pro-
vides a salary of only 5000 yearly for
each commissioner, sum so small that
it is believed impossible to obtain ca
pable candidates for the office.
Gives Manager Responsibility.
Under the county manager form a
board of five members is also provided
and at the same salary. This beard,
however, would not be required to de-
vote it's full time to the administration
of county affairs, this responsibility be-
ing placed in the hands of a county
board at any salary deemed by that body
to be sufficient.
The concensus of the members of the
Civic Federation committee is also said
to favor the abolition of districts. This
opinion is based both on the fact that
in nearly all of the city manager forms
of government in Virginia at the pres
ent time the council Is elected at large
and upon the belief that the individual
taxpayer will receive fairer treatment
at the hands of board that is elected
without regard to the location of his
residence.
Under a general election plan, it is
claimed, members would be less likely
to offend any voter by Ill treatment
since he would look to this individual
for support. Under the district plan,
members from one district might safely
discriminate against the citizen of an
other without injuring himself politi-
cally in his own district, 1t is believed.
Referendum on Incorporation.
While the question of incorporation
has at this time been practically elm
mated from consideration by the COM
mittee, it would still be possible for
sufficient number of voters to petition
the court to set a date for a referen-
dunn vote on this question too. Also it
would be within the province of the
court to select the same day that the
vote is to be taken on the modified
form Of county government. Incorpora-
ton and modification are incorporated
in separate bills and would have to be
voted on separately.
Many of those in favor of eventual
incorporation believe that the time Is
not yet ripe for this step and that a
modified form of county government
should be adopted until such time as
the State Highway Commission shall
have completed its road building pro-
gram in the county. The act permitting
a referendum vote on this question has
life Of but three years so efforts are
to be made at the next session of the
Gsneral Assembly to have it extended
indefinitely so that it may be taken adj
vantage of at the proper time without
the necessity of further legislation.