Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-07-07
PROPOSED SEWER
!. ORDINANCE IS HIT
Retroactive Features in Alex
andria Is Subject of
Contention.
EY HOWARD NJ. BAGGETT,
STAFF Correspondent of The Star


ALEXANDRIA, Va, July 7.-Oppo-
sition within City Council to the retro
actile feature of the new sewer ordi-
nance, already placed en- its first read
ing has been expressed and it is con-
sid red likely. that this feature may be
eliminated from the bill before it is
finally passed.
Public opinion on the matter will
come before council directly Thursday
afternoon, when those affected by the
ordinance will be heard. The outcome
Ct this meeting will have consider
able bearing on the matter in its final
analysis.
Plan Tax for Use.
As drawn. the ordinance provides, in
addition TO provisions taking effect on
tho date of its passage, that all prop
erty owners whose sewers are now tap
ped to private lines flowing into city
sewer systems shall pay al the rate of
ST. 90 per linear front foot for a permit
allowing them the continued use of the
city system, provided no tapping fees
have ever been paid to the city or to
the former town of Potomac.
This provision, it has been estimated.
will affect some 900 property owners in
Sc, onS served by the Hooffs Run sewer
snd ether similar systems, and would
men that about $4,000 would have to
be paid into the city treasury by these
property owners.
Vice Mayor Arthur Herbert, in dis
cusSing the matter yesterday, stated
that after giving it serious considera-
Ha IN Ho pti
features of the ordinance on several
grounds. In the first place, he stated
the ordinance does not hit those who
originally owned the various properties
consisting largely of real estate de-
Velopers, but will require those who pur-
chased property with the sewer systems
considered as part of the purchase
price to pay for this service at this
time.
Received Greatest Tax Increase.
The building OF the Hooffs Run sew
er which cost approximately $4,000
Goes benefit a particular section of the
city, the vice mayor stated, but it is
this section of the city which received
the greatest increase in real estate
taxes in the recent reaSSesSment. Real
estate, he pointd out, bears the brunt
Ct taxation since the segregation act,
End the adding of an additional burden
at this time for something already being
received will meet with great protest,
he stated he believed.
While all expenditures of money by
the city are designed to benefit the city
as whole, he stated, it is nevertheless
almost always true that some one sec
ton Will benefit more by a particular
expenditure than other sections and the
money spent in the building of the
Hoffs Run sewer is no exception to
this.
Would Change Tapping Rate.
Other features of the ordinance in
Clude the changing of the present tap
ping rate to city sewer systems from So
per front foot plus a $50 tapping fee to
a fiat fee of 1920 per front foot; the
placing in the hands of the city juris-
diction and control over all privately
constructed sewer systems when and
while such systems are connected with
city systems, and requiring that all in
Glvldual sewers or privately constructed
systems must be connected with the city
system whenever a city line is available
for connection, prohibiting the empty
ing of sewage into wells, ceSspools or
open streams when sewer connections
with the city system is possible.
Another provision requires payment
at the rate of S1.20 per front foot for
new taps into private sewer lines run
ming into city systems where the tap
ping IS not done by the city. This fea-
ture, it is believed will not meet with
any opposition and it will only affect
those who tap sewers in the future, but
the retroactive feature of the ordinance
on this same basis is now considered
likely to fail when put to vote in
council