Evening star., 1946-01-25
Arlington Charter Commission
Publishes Plan for New City

pllSneQ Dy CAeSe measures may Df
reached in practice by general Vir.
ginia law, providing for the removal
of public officers for malfeasance
etc, and by the provisions which
have been included in the proposed
charter, requiring notice of adver.
tisement and public hearing in re-
lation to important matters before
the council.
The proposed charter provides fol
a council-manager form of govern.
ment, with a flve-member council
elected at large for four-year terms
at an annual salary of $1,000, the
same scale now paid County BOARD
members.
Yearly Term for Manager.
The city manager shall be chosen
by the council solely on the basis
of his executive and administrative
qualifications, with his term of of.
flee to expire June 80 each year
He shall be notified at least 60 day.
before the expiration of the fisca
year If his services are not desired
for the ensuing fiscal year.
The annual budget is required te
be submitted to the council before
February Is each year, and followine
publication and public hearing mus
be adopted before the annual taa
levy is made.
In the event the council fails tt
adopt the final budget as required
the city managers tentative budget
becomes the final budget.
Three Provisions for Borrowing.
Provisions for borrowing money
fall in three classes: Tax anticipa.
ton notes, short term capital deben.
lures and city bonds.
In the first class, it is provided
that the aggregate amount of all
such notes outstanding at any time
shall not exceed rs per cent of the
total tax levied, or to be levied, dur
ing such year for the fund against
which the money has been borrowed
The second class debts are re-
stricted from exceeding 3 per cent
OF the total assessed value of all
real estate within the city. Author
ization for debts of this class is to be
by resolution of a ma ajority of all
council members, following publica-
tion and public hearing. Interest
rates not exceeding 6 per cent apply
to these debts.
Public Must Approve Bonds.
Bonds of Glass III shall be issued
only on an ordinance enacted by the
council and approved by public ref
erendum.
The department of finance, as ere.
ated by the proposed charter. ha.
much wider powers and responsible.
ties than the existing auditing de.
partment.
In setting up the duties of direc.
tor Of finance, many of the finan.
cial powers and duties now accruine
to the county manager, are trans
ferred to the city financial head
For example. he would be re.
quired to compile the current ex.
pense and capital estimates for the
annual budget: supervise and be re-
sponsible for the disbursement of all
moneys and control all expenditures
New Welfare Board.
The tentative measure also would
abolish the present Board of Pub
lie Welfare and create a depart
ment of city welfare, to be organ.
lied and operated under the direc-
ton of the city manager.
The charter also creates. the De-
partment of Personnel, to be estab-
lished by the council within one
year of the date of incorporation.
Provision also is made by which
the council is required to establish
a comprehensive plan creating a
classified service to embrace all CITY
appointive employees.
Its purpose, it was said, Is to re-
quire that all city administrative
appointments and promotions be
made solely on merit basis; that
employees may be compensated on a
fair and equitable basis and that a
pension and retirement plan may
be established,
A Department Of Law, to be head
ed by the city attorney, also is in
cluded. The city attorney would be
appointed by the city manager, with
the advice and consent of the coun-
Gil, for an indefinite term which
may be terminated by the Joint ac-
tlon OF the manager and council.
A Circuit Court, Corporation
Court and Civil and Police Justice
Court are provided, with the circuit
court judge to be ex oficio Judge
of the Corporation Court.
Election of the Civil and Police
Court judge is provided, rather than
appointment. His term would be
four years.
Contract Limit Set.
General charter provisions include
requirement that no contract in
'olving the payment of money out
II the appropriations of more than
'ne year shall be made for a period
u more than five years, nor shall
'uch contract be valid unless made
" approved by ordinance.
This provision, however, was not
made applicable to the establishment
" pension or retirement plans for
;ity employees.
Directions for an annual prepara-
ION by the city attorney of an in
lex OF laws enacted also was pro-
'ided. The Council also was charged
With the task of compiling and codi-
ying all public local laws every fifth
'ear.
On incorporation, the charter pro-
'ides that Arlington shall be en-
tiled to its present representation
n the General Assembly.
Provisions of the tentative charter
VIII be subject to open discussion at
public hearing scheduled at 8p.m
Thursday in the Circuit Court, the
commission has announced.
Medical Society Elects
DR.. Emil G. Bakersfield has been
elected president of the Montgomery
County Medical Society. Others
elected are: DR.. Upton D. Nourse,
vice president; DR.. j. w. Bird, Sec
'etary; and DR.. ]. Marion Bankhead,
treasurer.
Lottery Rnid