Evening star., 1945-02-22
F Fairfax School
Board Indorses
Sales Tax Plan
Budget Is Returned
To Supervisors for
Public Hearings

"A resolution faVoring enactment
OF Statewide sales tax for school
purposes has been adopted by the
Fairfax County School Board, the
third State unit to pass such a reso-
iution within the past few weeks.
The resolution is addressed to Gov,
Darden, State Senator Andrew w.
Clarke, Delegate Robert j. McCand-
lish, jr., and the State Assembly
as a whole. It calls on Gov. Dar-
den and the assembly to consider
the enactment of a sales tax, pro-
ceeds to be devoted entirely to school
purposes.
The board refused to comply with
the request of the County Board
of Supervisors to revise the school
budget for the next fiscal year, and
returned the budget intact to the
supervisors for public hearing.
Need Called Pressing.
The School Board pointed out
that about the only items it could
eliminate would be proposed school
improvements entailing an expendi-
ture of $187.650 in funds derived
entirely from local taxation, but said
there is such pressing need for
these improvements it was thought
best to leave this item in the budget.
The tax levy necessary to raise
this amount would be around 65
cents on each 500 property val
uation, it was said.
The school construction program
calls for the construction of new
elementary schools in the vicinity
of wellington. Springfield and Pals
Church at a cost of S150,000 each;
new colored school at Mount
Pleasant to cost $4,000, and i'm
proyements to the Fairfax High
School costing $4,000. The esti-
mated cost Of sites for these build
ings, including another site at Ty-
sons Cross Roads, is $4,000.
The board proposes to borrow
from the State Literary Fund $780,
$50 to aid in financing the projects.
The loan would bring the county
school Indebtedness to more than
$1,000, 900.
Final action on the budget will be
delayed until after the special ses-
sion of the General Assembly and
there is a possibility of the State
taking over the operation of school
bus transportation system.
Opposed by Business Groups.
Both the Fairfax County Board
of Supervisors and the Clarke
County School Board have gone on
record as fayoring a general sales
tax. The tax, however, has been
opposed by business organizations
in the Northern Virginia area.
The Board of Supervisors yester-
day appointed a committee to con-
duct q study of the county's tax
structure aimed at equaing tax
levies.
The appointments were made at
the rerquest of David H. Scull, An
nandale, who represented the
County Federation of Parent
Teacher Associations and the Civic
League.
Mr.. Scull pointed out that the
federation was aware of the tax
burden which would be placed on
agricultural land in the county if
the school budget is adopted. He
said it believed that some form of
taxation can be devised to provide
for more equal levy between agri-
culture and suburban property.
Committee Members.
Named to the committee were Mr..
Scull, Maj. David Wickens, Vienna;
the Rev. F. P. Thornton. Groveton;
Paul Peter and L. H. Travis, Chan
tilly; Holden Harrison. Herndon,
and Clarence B. Jett, Lorton. The
committee will begin its survey of
tax problems at once in order to
submit its report to the special ses-
sion of the General Assembly next
month.
Mr.. Scull said under present State
laws the board could set up a diff
ferential in the tax rate between
livestock and machinery owned by
farmers and personal property owned
by other residents, but James u.
Kincheloe, commissioner of revenue,
said such Fan would be too COM
plicated and not worth the small
an0,lnt irvo1ved