Evening star., 1950-10-07
Business Group
BacksFairfax
Executive Form
Mt. Vernon District
Unit Acts After
Tolks on Referendum

Business and Industrial Associa-
ton last night advocated adop-
tion OF a county executive form
of government in Fairfax County.
The action was voted unani-
mously by the more than 80 asso-
citation members who attended the
session at the Pen-Daw Hotel.
The vote was taken after David
Lawrence, newspaper writer who
was chairman of the Fairfax Gov
ernment Study Commission, and
Lewis Travis, commission mem
ber, explained why they favored
the county executive form of gov
ernment. S. Cooper Dawson, as
sociation president. presided at
. the meeting.
Fairfax voters will decide in a
referendum November what type
of government they prefer. The
first question on the ballot will
be If a change is desired. The
second question on the ballot will
be whether a county executive
or county manager system should
be adopted.
Emphasize Provisions.
Mr.. Lawrence said voters should
be sure to indicate a preference
on the second question, even
though they may vote against a
change on the first question.
Mr.. Lawrence said in part:
II feel that the county executive
form contains all the advantages
and none of the disadvantages of
the county manager form.
Let us examine the basic diff
ferences-the absolute delegation
of power under the county man.
ager form so that the supervisors
are sidetracked, and also the
method of representation whereby
the majority of the people in each
district are sidetracked in choos-
ing the supervisor.
Every businessman knows that
underlined authority leads to fric-
ton. Every businessman knows
that responsibility can be shared
with subordinates but never can
be absolutely delegated without
considerable risk.
I'm business, an unwise dele
cation of power to a department
head or even to a general mana
ger who doesn't make good can
be checked quickly without fuss
and furor. But in the case of a
county government, an unwise
delegation of power to a county
manager can only lead to public
hearings, lawsuits and q furor
that does not repair the damage
when damage has been done to
the interests of the people of the
county. -.
Methods of Business
American business corpora
tions today vest their responsible
ity in the president of the COM
pany, who is himself usually a
member of the board of directors,
elected directly by the stockhold-
erS.
Take the case of the Standard
Oil Company New Jersey, where
the board of directors consists of
IA persons. Every one of these
IA are either heads of depart
ments or have full-time respon-
sibilities inside the company. This
board, moreover, meets nearly
every day.
Take the case of the banks of
our country. In nearly every in
stance the president of the bank
and some of his principal execu-
tive officers are members of the
board of directors.
Under the County Executive
plan. a career administrator can
be chosen who has had expert
ence in city government or county
government or both. Such an
administrator can recommend
capable persons to serve as depart
ment heads, but the Board of
Supervisors must approve each of
these recommendations, as it
properly should. Any other system
would. in my judgement, lead to
passing of the buck and irrespon-
slbillty. -.
For under the County Execu-
tive Form. the Board of Super
visors will have had a part in
approving the recommendations
for appointments made by the
county administrator. The Board
of Supervisors will not be able to
shirk responsibility. They will
have the power of removal of in
dividual department heads with
out the necessity of removing the
county administrator in order to
achieve the necessary reforms.
This means the people can look
directly to their elected repre-
sentatives for redress of griev-
anceS.
Merit System Overdue.
81 know it has been said that
to vest the power of removal this
way in the Board of Supervisors
means that any minor officer can
be removed at will. This is to
exaggerate possible abuses and to
imply that there will be no merit
system in our county with respect
to minor employees.
THE time, moreover, is long
overdue for merit system. We
can have it under the County
Executive Form, and we should
have a pension plan.
1T must not be forgotten that
when the County Executive Form
is adopted. we shall be abolishing
two elective ofnces-the County
Commissioner of Revenue and the
County Treasurer. The people
have been electing these two Off
GERS for many, many years. To
change from such system to an
appointive system abruptly termi-
mates certain checks which the
people have possessed. We ought
not to treat lightly the appoint
ment of the single officer who is
to do the work that results from