Evening star., 1940-01-13
Third County
Plan Studied
Proposed Supervisor
Form May Answer
Demands in Foirfox
BY ALEXANDER r. PRESTON.
Star Stan Correspondent.

Quar- 6tAu SoIIeSpono0nt.
RICHMOND, Va, Jan. ia rec
ommendation for a third optional
form of county government was
being studied by Northern Virginia
legislators during the weekend
recess of the General Assembly,
with the thought that the proposal
might serve Fairfax County, where
there is agitation for a change.
The recommendation is included
in report of the Virginia Com
mission on County Government,
which was presented to both houses
yesterday.
Delegate Francis Pickins Miller,
of Fairfax, is a member of the
Committee on Counties. Cities and
Towns Of the House while State
Senator William D. Medley of
Arlington, was appointed to the
Corresponding Committee of the
Senate yesterday. Both committees
would study the proposed legislation
in detail.
Would Increase Board.
A number of civic groups in Fair
fax County have urged a different
form Of government, including the
addition of one member to and
strengthening of its Board Of Super
visors. The Fairfax Chamber Of
Commerce made study Of proposed
new forms of government, but made
no recommendations.
Before leaving for Arlington yes
terday, Senator Medley said he had
not studied the commission report
and was unwilling to express his
opinion. The Fairfax delegate like
wise refrained from comment but
declared he would give the report
study. He said the plan might be
accepted favorably in his county.
The commission recommendation
would provide the third govern
ment plan designed to be highly
flexible in character and known as
the county supervisor form. 1t would
provide for county executive Sec
retary. appointed by the Board of
Supervisors, to act as the adminis-
trative head of the county. In sew
eral respects, his duties would be
similar to those of the county man
ager of Arlington, advising the su-
pervisors on county affairs, prepar-
ing annual budgets for submission to
the supervisors for approval and
! enforcing regulations.
Referendum Provided.
The proposed optional plan would
be instituted by a referendum of
residents of any county, at which
time they would also decide whether
they prefer to elect member of the
Board Of Supervisors at large, one
from each magisterial district, or
other districts.
The referendum also would per-
nit the electorate to determine il
the supervisors should serve as the
school board, or appoint such body
with members serving four-year
terms. The supervisors would serve
on staggered terms regardless OF. the
method employed in their selection
In event the supervisors act as
the school board, the law provides
for elections each three years to de.
termine if they should retain these
duties, or appoint a school board
The elections also would be held al
the three-year intervals to deter.
mine if the supervisor form shoulc
be retained, or If any other existing
form in Virginia should be adopted
Two or more counties might en-.
joy the services of single county
executive secretary at the same time
under the plan. The supervisor
would be given the choice of decid
ing whether the executive secretary
should have supervisory control ovel
the county police or whether thi
power should be delegated to th'
county sheriff.