Evening star., 1950-01-16
DeIegates0ffer
6 Bills Affectino
Arlington Today
Measure Will Seek
Reussessment at
Least Each d Years
BY Alex R. Preston
Scr Stoff Correspondent

of SIorf correspondent
RICAMOND, Va, Jan. 16.-A
bin requiring reassessment of
Arlington real estate every four
years will be introduced in the
General Assembly today. Reas-
sessments more often, if the
county board so desires, would
be permitted.
This is one of six measures
affecting Arlington scheduled for
introduction in the Legislature
as it ends a three-day recess.
Arlington's. delegation. State
Senator Charles r. Fenwick and
Delegates Maynard Magruder
and George Damn, said they had
been having the reasSessment bill
prepared by the Legislative Draft
ing Bureau over the week end and
that they had received no official
request from the county board for
a system of continuous reassess-
mentS.
A system Of continuous reas-
sessments, however, was requested
by the board at its meeting Sat-
urday. The reassessment bill
will be introduced in the House.
Parking Meter Bill.
Another bill by Mr.. Damn and
Mr. Magruder would permit the
county board to adopt ordinances
for the installation of parking
meters on State highways. This
means that the coin-operated de-
vices may be installed in such
business centers as Cherrydale on
Lee highway, the community of
Arlington on Columbia pike and
on Fairfax drive in Clarendon.
Wilson boulevard, in Clarendon,
where meters already are in
stalled, is not State highway.
A third bill on the House side
would establish fire department
trial board for paid members of
the department. Volunteers do
not come under jurisdiction of the
county government.
The proposed board would con-
sist of a practicing attorney and
a citizen selected by members of
the fire department, both of whom
would be approved by the county
board, and a third member to be
selected by the other two men,
bers.
Would Ease Bond Curbs.
Purpose of the trial board would
be to hear and decide appeals of
paid firemen who have been sus-
pended, denoted or fired by the
county manager. No firemen would
be eligible to be heard unless he
had been on the payroll for at
least four months.
A fourth bill, technical in nature,
would ease restrictions imposed.
on the county governing body for
issuing bonds. Instead of requiring
payments in Six-month periods,
the board would be permitted to
issue bonds so that every bond
issue would not mature within the
same year. The sponsors say that
this will permit the board to ar
range its fiscal program so that
the tax rate will not have to be
raised in any particular year to
meet payments on accumulated
debts.
The fifth bill to be introduced on
the House side would permit the
county board to hold official meet
ings at places other than the
county courthouse. The sponsors
declare that the county board
needs more space for meetings
when it holds public hearings on
subjects such as the county budget
and other controversial matters.
Swimming Pool Sought.
General law requires that gov
erning bodies meet in courthouSes.
This is one of series of bills
which the Arlington delegation
has been introducing in the last
several years to adapt a county
form OF government to urban
conditions.
Senator Fenwick expects to in
troduce the sixth bill. local to
Arlington in application. It would
permit the County Board to issue
self-liquidating bonds for con-
struction of swimming pool. The
approval of the voters first would
be required. There is nothing in
the present law to prevent the
board from issuing bonds, if they
are provided for in the annual
budget. The Fenwick bill, how
ever, would let the board issue
bonds which would mature over a
period of years and which would
finance a project designed to pay
IL Il