Evening star., 1946-01-25
BY PAUL BEACH.

incorporation OF the county INTO q
city Of the first class.
The charter, prepared by a five
man commission after an intensive
study of similar governmental or
ganization in other parts of the
United States, will be submitted to
the current session of the General
Assembly.
The commission also announced
that a public hearing on the pro-
posals in the charter will be held at
the Arlington Courthouse at 8 pm.
Thursday. After public consideration,
the charter will be drawn up in final
form for the Legislature. If the
State Legislature approves the char
ter. residents of the county then
will vote on the terms of the meas
ure, approval of which would change
the 24-square-mile area of the
county into an incorporated city.
16 Articles In Model Charter.
Sixteen articles of government are
contained in the model charter and
set forth provisions for the transi-
tion from county to city, for the
council, city manager, the budget
appropriation and expenditure OF
funds, borrowing of money, depart
ments of finance, public welfare, law
personnel and public schools, as
well as constitutional offices, courts,
elections, independent audit and
general provisions.
BY the provisions of the proposed
charter, the earliest date on which
Arlington can become a city will be
January l, 1947.
The commission said it has at
tempted to submit a plan designed
to accomplish three purposes:
To make available a charter which
would reflect the most modern, pro-
gressive and efficient form of gov
lernment available to local communi-
ties in the United States.
To adapt and integrate such a
plan to the constitutional and legis-
latlve framework of the State.
To Facilitate Transition.
To facilitate the process of transit
ton from the status of county to
that of a city.
The proposed draft provides for
council to be elected from the
community at large. In 1881. Ar
ilngton residents voted to abolish
district or ward lines and to elect
their representatives at large. That
principal, the commission said. is
entirely in accord with principles
strongly favored by county citizens.
On the other hand, it was said,
there seems to be substantial local
opinion in favor of abolishing the
present "stagger system" by which
members of the board have been
elected. No conclusion can be
reached on this question, it was said,
but the commission believes the
system should be abolished and ac-
cordingly the proposed charter re-
fleets this thought.
Council Seats Fixed at Five.
Council membership was fixed at
flve on the grounds that in a COM
munlty the size of Arlington that
number is most conducive to eff
clent representation and effective
expression of public will
Provision is made, in accordance
With the State constitution, for a
city sergeant, commissioner of rev.
enue, treasurer, clerk of court and
commemorative attorney to be
elected by the people.
1t is proposed that the public
school system conform generally to
the law applicable to Virginia cities
Under general law, however. CITY
school board members are elected
by the city council. This charter
provides a referendum on this oues-
ton IN difference to the substantial
expression of public opinion favor
ing popular election.
Election Law Provided.
Despite predominant opinion of
county citizens and citizens groups
at the two previous public hearings
1aVorlng nonpartisan elections. the
commissioners only provided for city
elections to be held in accordance
with general State law, except that
all general city elections shall be
held on the Tuesday following the
1lrst Monday in November.
from study of the election laws
OF other States, the commission said
partisan prediction activities have
not been precluded in those States
and that any form of prohibition by
law would not be an effective or
proper way to bring about nom
partisan local elections in Arlington.
1T is believed" the commission
said, that the sole effective criterion
IN any community on this point is
the attitude of the voters of that
community. Where the habit.
thought and will of the people have
been to select their local officers
along partisan lines, party nomina-
tions and partisan considerations
have prevailed.
Ballot Considered Nonpartisan,
The Virginia election laws are
generally considered as nonpartisan
in that they prohibit the party
designation of any candidate on any
Official ballot. It is thought that
this gives adequate assurance that
local elections will not be dominated
by partisan considerations unless
and until a. substantial majority of
the people in the community prefer
that method"
The proposed measure does not
provide for initiative referendum
and recall. This clause was sup
ported generally at the public hear
ings.
Commenting on this, the COM
mission said a careful study of this
matter reveals that the theory and
practice of this provision, as en-
pioyed in other States, notably in
California and Michigan, has led the
commission to believe that these
measures ''have neither been the
panacea of the ills of local govern
ments, as their sponsors had hoped;
nor have they caused local govern
ment to go to rack and ruin, as their
opponents had predicted.
In Short" it was said, "the re-
suits of these reforms have been
Mayor Who Lee
Reroivoe Thron4