Evening star., 1948-04-21
State Sales Tax
Urged byFaiirfax
Supervisor
Residents Protest Rise
In County Levies at
Hearing on Budget

Imposition of Virginia sales tax
was advocated yesterday by Fairfax
County Supervisor C. B. Runyon
at public hearing on the county's
proposed 1889 budget.
Mr.. Runyon, who said he pre-
viouSly was opposed to the sales
tax. made the suggestion after the
supervisors heard protests against
the proposed Accent increase in
the county tax rate to finance the
tentative $6,564, ,67s budget. He said
he felt the personal property tax
should be repealed, the State income
tax reduced and sales tax levied
to replace the lost revenue.
The supervisor declared 1t ap-
peared a sales tax was the only
way to reach all county and State
residents, many Of whom are not
touched now by local taxation. He
made the suggestion after several
taxpayers protested the landowners
were being forced to pay more than
their share for facilities used both
by themselves and others who pay
no taxes.
100 Appear at Hearing.
A sales tax proposal failed to pass
the recent session of the Virginia
General Assembly.
Nearly 100 county residents ap-
peared yesterday at the day-long
budget hearing to protest and sup
port items in the proposed budget.
DR.. George Schulz and Edward Glib.
bons Of the Fairfax County Tax
payers Association protested the
proposed tax rate increase and sug-
gested q fiat 10 per cent cut in the
budget Of each department.
Another who opposed the tax in
crease was Richard Smith of Nc
Lean who said he felt the school
building fund could be "drastically
cut" He suggested this be done by
postponing construction of such
things as cafeterias and gymnasiums
until construction costs are lower.
$5.S31, ,261 for Schools.
The school budget of s5.s31, ,2e1
accounts for most of the county's
anticipated expenditures next year.
OF this sum, $4,142.3 $50 is for capital
expenditures consisting mostly of
new construction. w. T. Woodson,
superintendent of schools, pointed
out that, although, this was included
In the budget, it was proposed to
finance the capital expenditures by
a literary fund loan. or, more prob
ably, by bond issue. He said the
proposed budget showed clearly that
revenue for new school construction
was to be derived from this source
and that it would be paid for over
period of 20 to 80 years.
Spokesman from a number Of
county Parent Teacher Associations
spoke in behalf of the school budget.
County financing of the volunteer
fire departments, which accounts for
II cents of the proposed tax in
crease, became the center of a con-
troversy among representatives OF
different fire departments who could
not agree on the advisability of hav-
ing one paid member at the fire
houses during the day.
Franconia Group Protests.
Nine of II county fire companies
have gone on record favoring en-
ployment of paid daytime fireman
who could care for equipment and
answer phone calls. A $4,000 item
was included in the budget for this
purpose. Spokesman for the Fran
coma Fire Department, however.
protested that this would impair the
spirit of the volunteer firemen.
The supervisors explained that
the increased levy for fire protec-
ton was necessitated by the States
enforcement of lottery laws which
makes it impossible to raise funds
through raffles and carnivals.
The supervisors recessed yesterday
until 10 am. this morning. They
said they did not know, however, If
they would act on the budget today.
r. NJ. Loughborough, county execu-
tive secretary, said the supervisors
cannot adjourn the meeting recessed
yesterday until the l948-9 budget is
adopted. He said they could recess
meetings, however, from one week to
another or one day to another. Mr..
Loughborough said the budget,
which goes into effect July l, MUST
be adopted before the end of this
month.