Evening star., 1944-02-09
Virginia Legislators
Postpone Annexation
Action After Hearing
County Spokesman Favor,
City Officials Rop Bills
In Two-Hour Session
By Staff Correspondent of The star

BY Staff Correspondent Of The Star.
RICHMOND, Feb. 9-The House
Privileges and Elections Committee
yesterday postponed action on two
bills to restrict annexation after lis
tening to city versus county battle
Tor two hours in the hall of the
House of Delegates.
County representatives contended
that the bills, which would require
favorable vote of the qualified
voters in the territory to be annexed.
would put annexation on a demo-
cratic basis.
Cities cor1tended that the bills
would strangle cities and change
the annexation procedure from a
factual to a political one.
Delegate G. Alvin Massenbure,
sponsor OF one of the bills and
chairman of the committee, presided
at the hearing which was attended
by delegations from Alexandria.
Fairfax and other interested areas.
McCandlish Bill Stronger.
The other bill, introduced by Dele
gate Robert j. McCandlish, jr..
Fairfax County, stronger than the
Massenburg bill, provides for a ref
erendum in the city seeking annexa-
tion as well as in the area to be
annexed. IT also prohibits a reopen
ing Of the question for 10 years
after it has been defeated by
popular vote, and forbids any an
neXation proceedings from being
instituted until one year after the
emergency has been declared at an
end. The Massenburg bill requires
the referendum only in the area to
be annexed.
Chief arguments in favor of the
bill were the claims that under a
democratic form of government res
ldents have a right to decide where
they want to live, and that the coun-
ty voters should be protected from
cities annexing those portions of
their territory which will bring the
most revenue and leaving behind
the portions which are liability.
County spokesmen pointed out that
II cities will make their government
and their facilities attractive to
residents of outlying areas they need
nave nothing to fear from a refer
endum on annexation. County
spokesmen also said that courts have
always decided in favor of the cities
In annexation proceedings, thus
sitting the ambition of a county
TO Improve its facilities while faced
with the prospect of being swallowed
up by neighboring municipality.
City Officials Arguments.
City attorneys speaking against
the bills claimed that the municipal-
tiles should not have to seek per-
mission Of their own or county voters
Tor the right to sue, after consider
aole sums OF money had been spent
IN seeking expert advice on an an
nexation case. They added that the
provision the McCandlish bill call
Ing for a referendum of the CITY
voters was a reflection on the judg-
ment OF the elected city government,
City spokesmen also claimed that
the vote of the small number of
persons in the area affected.
whether or not they are property
owners, was no true yardstick as
TO the gains to both city and county
from annexation.
Ihey added that if the bills pass.
the counties may expect to find the
adjoining cities refusing to supply
facilities and to permit the use OF
their schools by county children.
even payment of tuition, on the
grounds that "a city will not con-
tribute to building of stone walls
around it,
Cities Make Complaint.
City officials pointed out that IL
is unreasonable to suppose that the
residents OF any county area would
vote Tor annexation when they can
nave all the advantages of a neigh
boring city without paying for them.
They asked the committee to con-
slider the matter of annexation a
judicial matter which can best be
handled by the considered thinking
OF an unbiased court. rather than
political matter for unthinkine
settlement by a small number Of
voters.
Those speaking for the bills In.
cluded Delegates Massenburg, Nc.
Candhsh, w. H. Irvine OF Campbell.
commemorative Attorney Potter
Sterne of Dinwiddie, Common
Wealths Attorney S. j. Thompson
OF Campbell. commemorative At
torney w. H. Carter of Amherst.
commemorative Attorney Conway
Shields of Warwick and Frank
kearney of Phoebus.
Appearing in opposition were CITY
Attorney j. Gordon Bohannon OF
petersburg, City Attorney Charles
e. Ford of Newport News, City At
torney r. c. Barclay of Portsmouth
and City Attorney Horace Edwards
OF Richmond.