Evening star., 1942-03-11
Charter Bill
For Arlington
Is Libera|ized
Number of Choices
ByVoters Provided
In Amended Plan
BY ALEXANDER r. PRESTON.
Star Staff Correspondent

city subject to a referendum, to-
day had been liberalized with
amendments to meet, in the opinion
of the patrons, all possible objec-
tions which may arise.
Senator William D, Medley and
Delegate Charles R Fenwick, both
of Arlington, amended the bill in
the Senate Committee on Counties,
Cities and Towns yesterday to make
possible the appointment by the
Judge of circuit court of a COM
mittee of not less than five members
to study charter for submission to
the General Assembly in 1914
The proposed charter already
provided in the bill has been
amended and retained 1t would be
possible for the voters to approve
incorporation in a referendum and
become city prior to 1914.
Several Choices Possible.
The legislation, as amended, now
makes possible these choices by the
voters:
On petition of 1000 qualified
voters, referendum may be called
at any future time on the question
of whether the county shall become
city. At the same time the voters
will determine whether the civil and
police court Judge and the city at
torney shall thereafter be elected or
appointed to Office.
Irrespective of the outcome Of any
such referendum on incorporation.
or even though no referendum is
called, the Charter Committee may
be established on the petition of 200
qualified voters or upon resolution
of the county board and submit its
plan to the 1914 General Assembly
for enactment.
The legislation in its present form
would permit a referendum on the
adoption of the proposed charter at
any future time, whereas the Char
ter Committee provision expires
when the 1914 session of the Gen.
eral Assembly convenes.
The two Arlington legislators. with
the assistance of the Arlington at
torneys and officials, have spent
more than five weeks preparing the
charter now provided in the incor-
poration bill, which has already
passed the House of Delegates.
Preserves Manager Form.
In preparing the proposed charter
they believed 1t was desirable TO re-
tain as many of the features of the
present county manager form OF
government as possible because this
would involve a minimum amount
of disruption and because they be-
lieved the present form of govern
ment is generally approved by the
majority of Arlington residents. The
proposed Arlington city ~charter is,
IN effect, re-enactment OF the
County Manager Act, with the ad-
dition of flexible powers granted
cities for the government OF urban
communities.
Prior to the amendments adopted
by the Senate committee yesterday,
the legislation provided for outright
appointment OF the city attorney
and the Civil and Police Court judge.
When questioned about their rea-
sons for providing for the appoint
ment of these officials in the original
draft of the charter, in view of COM
plants that have arisen in some
Arlington County circles, Senator
Medley and Mr.. FenWlck explained
they believe appointment of a judge
is preferable method of removing
that Office from the influences OF
politics.
The alternate method of electing
these officials, however. has been
provided at the request of some
county residents who have misgiv-
lngs about the appointment method,
the legislators declared.
Cite Courts Role.
The creation of a Corporation
Court for the proposed city of Ar
lington is not only customary in
Virginia cities of the first class, but
would prove the solution of prob
lem which has existed in the Ar
lington Circuit Court for many years.
They pointed out that Judge Walter
T. Mccartney presides over the
busiest court in the State, which in
cludes, besides Arlington, the coun-
ties of Fairfax and Prince William
and the city of Alexandria.
There have been frequent pro-
posals that Judge Mccartney be re-
lieved by the dismemberment of his
circuit, but this would be difficult, if
not impossible to accomplish. The
1910 session of the General As
Sembly recommended a reduction in
the number of judicial circuits and
it required the State Supreme Court
to certify the necessity of filling
vacancies that occur in existing
circuits.
Judge Mccartney would be re-
lieved of all criminal cases now
brought before him in Arlington if
a Corporation Court is created. He
also would be afforded considerable
relief from the large number of civil
cases since the Corporation and
Circuit Courts would have concur
rent jurisdiction in civil suits.
Senator Medley and Mr.. FenWick
said there was nothing in the origi-
nal legislation which prohibited Or
ganized citizens or voters groups
from preparing a new charter to
submit to the 1914 session of the
General Assembly or to draft
to the charter already
provided. However, since there ap-
peared to be misgivings among some
of the county, specific
provision for a Charter Committee
was written into the bill.
The charter now drafted contains
a provision that it may be amended
at any subsequent session of the
More than score of
charter amending bills are passed
at each session of the Assembly.