The Washington times., 1933-12-08
By JOHN E. TAYLOR


government will be impressed by
the scattered, disjointed and ir-
responsible type of o. -anization
that exists in nearly all the
counties.
There are between 80 and 40
county offices, boards and agen-
cieS. About half of these are
appointed by the Judge of the
Circuit Court, who is response
BILE to the general assembly.
Several are appointed by State
boards and commissions and are
indirectly responsible to the gov.
ernor. A few are appointed by
the board of supervisors and the
remainder are elected by the
voters of the county. A number
of the county offices are con-
stitutional.
Central Head Lacking
The present county govern
ment has no responsible head:
it is without a chief admins
trative officer and the board OF
supervisors controls, through ap-
pointment, only small part OF
the county administration.
Authority for carrying on the
administrative work of the county
rests with many individuals and
the voters have little power in the
determination Of county policies.
Arlington county, the first in
the State to have the county man.
ager form of government, has been
the sole exception. Henrico county
voters have voted to install that
form and PittSylvania. the largest
county, has installed county
auditor.
The report Of the Bureau Of
Municipal Research, of New York,
said:
There is nothing to COM
mend the present form of county
government in Virginia. In
many of the counties it is
grossly political, careless, waste
full and thoroughly inefficient
It has been that way for years,
but still it exists and seems to
flourish.
Perhaps the reason for this
Is that the people of the State
have not yet become aware Of
the possibility of establishing a
different form Of county gov
eminent, which is less costly,
more efficient and better able
to meet modern conditions"
It will be seen from this that
before consolidation of counties is
attempted a plan Of county gov
ernment must be worked out that
will, as the report said. be less
costly, more efficient, and better
able to meet modern conditions"
Manager Permissible
The general assembly in 1882
enacted legislation permitting the
counties to change their govern
ment to either the county execu-
tive or county manager form.
Both forms of government are
advocated by persons demanding
reform in the county govern
mentS and their only complaint is
that the change to either is not
compulsory.
The law is that the change can
be made provided a majority OF
the voters favor it at special elec-
tionS.
Supervisors Provided
The county executive form of
government provides for board
of county supervisors Of not less
than three nor more than seven
members, each representing a
magistrial district. The law reads:
The hoard of county super.
VisOrS shall appoint a county
executive and fix his COlnpensa-
ton. He shall devote his full
time to the work of the county.
He shall be appointed with
regard to merit only, and need
not be a resident of the county
at the time Of his appointment.
No member of the board Of
county supervisors shall, dur
ing the, time for which elected,
be chosen county executive, nor
shall such powers be given to
person who at the time is fill
ing an elective office. The head
of one of the departments of
county government may, how
ever. be appointed county ex-
ecutive."
Such an executive is not ap-
pointed for a definite term Of
office and is removable "at the
pleasure of the board of county
supervisors"
Board Appoints Officers
Continuing. the law specifies:
"She board of county super.
ViSOrS shall appoint, upon the
recommendation of the county
executive, ali officers and en-
plOyes in the administrative ser.
vice Of the county. except as
(Continued on Page 20, Col. y
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