Evening star., 1950-09-04

County Manager
Hail
Fairfax Report
Bates Claims Study
Is Major Victory for
Proponents Of Change
Rv Innnae R;rrhf;aII
By jones BirchfieId

Representatives of Fairfax
County groups sponsoring a man
ager form of government regard
the report of a special local gov
ernment commission as a major
victory for their side.
Guy Bayes, president of the
Federation of Citizens AsSocia-
ton, said that while majority Of
the 81 member commission
favored county executive govern
ment, they had voted unani-
mously for a change in the
county's government.
"This is a major victory for
those of us who have fought for
modern government for Fair
fax County," Mr.. Bayes said.
He said the unanimous action
of the commission in calling for
a modernization of government
represented changed attitudes on
the part of many commission
members.
It had been charged by spon-
sors of the county manager plan
that the commission was hand
picked to oppose any change.
Commission members stated that
many of the members had
changed their, minds after study
ing the various governmental
forms available to Fairfax.
Named Last April.
The commission, headed by
Walter Grain, a real estate man,
was named by the County Board
of Supervisors last April 5 to in
vestigate all possible government
reforms open to the county. The
24-page report, released Saturday,
night, was drafted by a commits
tee headed by David Lawrence,
Washington news columnist.
Judge Paul e. Brown Of the
Fairfax County Circuit Court, will
conduct a hearing tomorrow on
the legality of a petition, pre-
sented last May S, and request
ing vote on the county manager
form of government.
Judge Brown also has for con-
sideration a resolution by the
Board of Supervisors requesting
that the voters be given a choice
between the present form of gov
ernment, the manager and the
executive forms Of government in
referendum this November. It
is this plan that the special COM
mission favors.
Legality Questioned.
There was some doubt ex-
pressed by proponents Of county
manager government as to the
legality of the request by the
Board Of Supervisors.
1t was contended that Virginia
law states that the board may
request a referendum on chang
ing the county government in lieu
Of petition from the voters.
1t was further said that the
petition from the voters already
was in the hands Of the court
long before the action of the
board.
This. presumably would be a
matter to be decided by the court.
In announcing tomorrow's hear
ing, Judge Brown said he would
set the referendum for the general
election if the petition is in order.
Change Would Take II Months.
If the referendum carries and
voters adopt either the manager
or executive form, it will be about
IA months before the change can
be effective.
1yrrell Krum, county COP
chairman, and 9th district House
candidate, commented on the
report today. .... ..,
Republicans will be overjoyed
BY the action of the study COM
mission in unanimously indorsing
the long-eStablished position of
the COP calling for changes in
the form of county government in
Fairfax County," Mr.. Krum said.
"The Fairfax COP has stead
faStly advocated the holding Of
a referendum on county manager
form of government at the Mo-
vomber z election" he continued.
There were five Republicans
among the 81 study commission