Evening star., 1947-03-16
Board 10 Weigh
Higher Tax Rate
For Arlington
Hearing Set April IS
On Increase of Not
More Than 10 Pct.
By Robert C. RoIIinos


By Robert c. RolIinqs !
The prospect of tax increase
arose in Arlington yesterday when
the County Board voted to consider
a boost mot to exceed 10 per cent"
of the current So rate. On motion OF
Chairman Basil De Lashmutt, the
board advertised a public hearing on
the tax rate and proposed $685.
371 budget for April Is.
Virginia law requires that the
board take action on the budget by
April 30.
In proposing consideration Of the
increase in tax rate, Mr.. De Lash
mutt declared that the current rate
will give "only nominal increase in
revenue"
County Manager Frank C. Han
rahan said that the increase in
revenue from the recent real estate
reassessment will only take care Of
the normal increases in current
operating costs.
F. Freeland Chew, board men,
ber, said he knows that no reduction
in the current tax rate will be pos
sible but declared he ''is not consid-
ering any increase" in the rate
either.
Would Yield $27O,0OO.
Mr.. De Lashmutt said the approxi-
mately $270,000 that a 30-cent in
crease would yield would be ear
marked for capital improvements.
This would be in addition to the
slightly more than 100000 esti-
mated for major items of capital
improvements" contained in the pro-
posed budget.
The board chairman said certain
capital improvements might not be
provided in bond issue authorized
later this year.
In submitting the proposed bud
get, Mr.. Hanrahan noted that 1t Is
based on an assessed valuation OF
Sill, ,528, 1923. OF the SO tax rate, SLIPS
goes for school purposes. The pro-
posed school budget of $1,693, ,179 Is
included in the total figure submit
ted by Mr.. Hanrahan.
IT have included in this budget
provision for increases in salaries Of
county employees" Mr.. Hanrahan
told the board. For employees
whose salary is up to $2,500, a 6 per
cent increase has been allowed; for
those whose salaries are between $2,-
500 and $4,000 a per cent increase
has been allowed, and for the few
employees whose salaries are over
$4,000, fiat $3.50 per year has been
allowed"
Housing Action Delayed.
The board continued for two
weeks action on proposal to estab-
hsh a housing authority to take over
two low-cost housing projects from
the Federal Government. The prof.
ects are the Paul Lawrence Dunbar
and George Washington Carver
Homes, both for colored.
Action of the board followed a
two-hour session during which Com
monwealth's Attorney Lawrence w.
Douglas declared the board has the
legal power to establish housing
authority but he is constrained" to
oppose it. Mr.. Douglas termed a
housing authority revolutionary"
Carroll Wright, chairman of the
county's Veterans Housing Com
mittee, said his group is Interested
in getting the two projects into use
for veterans and is not necessarily
for the establishment of housing
authority"
Mrs. William Arkin, representing
the Arlington-Alexandria League Of
Women Voters, told the board that
public housing authority would
not compete with private enterprise.
Her group previously had announced
support of the proposal.
DR.. Edward T. Morton, colored
physician, termed living conditions
in the Halls Hill colored section
"deplorable. DR.. Morton's remarks
were echoed by two colored minis
ters.
Alternative Plan Offered.
A limited dividend corporation"
rather than a public housing author
ity to take over the two projects was
advocated by Clarke Daniel, Arling-
ton builder. Walter Handy of the
Inter- Racial Commission declared
slum conditions among colored resi-
dents are a disgrace to Arlington
County"
The motion to continue action was
made by Daniel A. Dugan and stipu-
lated that representatives of the
Federal Government with knowledge
of the operation of housing authori-
ties attend the meeting. Mr.. DeLash-
mutt also asked the County Man
ager to arrange conference be-
tween the board and Oliver G. VIM
ston, of the Federal Public Hous-
ing Authority, before the meeting.
In other actions, the board de-
ferred for two weeks appointments
to the County Public Utilities Com
mission and the County Planning
Commission; instructed the County
Manager to write Representative
Smith, Democrat, of Virginia, re-
garding the Washington Post Office
taking over the station at the Navy
Annex and instructed the County
Manager to obtain figures on the
cost of including employees of elected
officials in the county's pension and
retirement plan
Dugan Withdraws Motion.
Mr.. Dugan withdrew motion
that the board announce its willing
ness to receive applications for the
position of County Manager after
other members pointed out that the
board has not yet received Mr..
Hanrahan's resignation. Mr.. Hanra-
han recently announced that he will
retire on June 30.
The board refused to take action
on daylight time on the theory that
it might influence the District Of
Columbia in it's stand on the ques-
ton. The board agreed informally
that it would follow the District,
however.
Falls Church Will Elect
Three CounciImen June 10