Evening star., 1942-01-09
New Senatorial
District Sought
For Alexandra
. Delegate Rosenberg
Would Link City
With Foirfox
BY ALEXANDER r. PRESTON,
Star staff Correspondent.

6tAI DULL Correspondent.
ALEXANDRIA, Va, Jan. 9-In-
creased representation in the State
Senate beyond that recommended by
a special legislative commission for
Alexandria will be one of the main
objectives Of Delegate Maurice D.
Rosenberg during the 1912 session Of
the General Assembly which con-
venes Wednesday.
The Alexandria member of the
House Of Delegates also disclosed to-
day he will actively support legisla-
ton making possible a continuous
reassessment of real estate here. to
replace the present method of re-
assessing property once every four
years.
Mr.. Rosenberg will meet in execu-
tive session with members of the
City Council tonight to review some
of the legislative proposals which
that body is asking him to in
troduce
Would Split District.
The Fuller Commission on Re-
apportionment has recommended
that the present State senatorial
district, comprising Alexandria, Ar
lington. Fairfax and Prince Will
liam Counties, be broken into two
districts so as to give Arlington its
own State Senator and the three
other jurisdictions one Senator
among them.
Redistricting of House and sena-
torial areas was postponed from the
1910 session because the data that
was then pending in the 1910 census
was needed. Using the 1910 census
reports as basis, the Fuller Com
mission reported that Alexandria's
existing senatorial district has a
population of 1920, whereas the
newly created district would give
Arlington 57,040 and the district
embracing Alexandria and the two
counties, 92,19O inhabitants. The
average senatorial district recon-
nlended by the commission for the
entire State would have about 81 400
inhabitants.
Mr.. Rosenberg said he would not
oppose any part of the recommended
tions relating to Arlington County,
but he will seek to have the proposed
new district include Fairfax and
Alexandra only.
Almost Entirely Urban.
BY placing Prince William County,
which has population of 1873,
with the adjoining existing district,
including Fauquier, Loudoun and
Culpeper Counties. which now has
a 54.695 population, that district
would then have a population Of
Y, ,433 and the Alexandria Fairfax
district would have population Of
74452.
The Alexandria Delegate declared
that because the population increase
in the Metropolitan Area of Wash
ington has been extremely rapid
since the census, the Alexandria
Fairfax district would have an even
greater population than the Fuller
Commission indicates.
BY adopting his suggestions the
Legislature would more nearly
equalize the populations of the sena-
torial districts involved.
Another argument advanced by
Mr.. Rosenberg for excluding Prince
William County from the local dis
trict Is that of the type of popula-
tons involved. He said the Alexan-
dria-Fairfax area, like that of
Arlington County, is almost entirely
urban, whereas Prince Williams
County should be represented by
rural interests. The latter county
would obtain a better rural repre-
sentation with Fauquier, Loudoun
and Culpeper Counties, he said.
Judges Opposed Plan.
Recommendations of the Fuller
Commission concerning House of
Delegates districts would not be op-
posed by Mr.. Rosenberg. The COM
mission has recommended that
Alexandria and Fairfax each retain
one Delegate and that Arlington
County be increased from one to
two Delegates.
The legislation making possible a
continuous reassessment is spon-
sored by the League of Virginia
Municipalities and is along lines of
law requested by the City Council
and approved by City Manager Carl
Budwesky. The proposed law would
permit the continuous reassessment
system to be adopted at the option
OF the local governing bodies of
cities.
Mr.. Rosenberg said he introduced
similar legislation at the 1888 ses-
sion. At that time the measure
passed the House but was killed in
the Senate when some of the judges
opposed the plan, he said. Under
the present law the circuit or cor
poration court judges have the su-
thority to appoint boards of re-
assessment every four years.
III p ~