Evening star., 1950-10-18
By james BirchfieId

A statement in which the Fair
fax County Taxpayers Advisory
Association was repudiated for in
dorsing the county manager gov
ernment plan brought criticism
today from two organizations.
Edward T. Gibbons, president
of the association, objected to a
charge that a meeting at which the
county manager form was in
dorsed had not been properly an
nounced. He said written an
nouncements had been sent to
all the members.
Fairfax voters will hold ref
erendum November on the form
OF county government.
Mr.. Gibbons said that of the
eight who signed the statement
published Sunday, five refused to
continue with the association
when they found they could not
have their own way. Three had
not attended a meeting of the
association since before the man
ager plan was indorsed, he said.
Held Year Ago.
Mr.. Gibbons declared the meet
ing at which the association in
dorsed the county manager plan
was held a year ago. and added:
These men, therefore, have
had a year to make a minority
report. Instead, they chose at
this late date to resort to personal
abuse even though three of them
had never attended any meeting
Of the association since long be-
fore the Endorsement of the man
ager plan"
Mr.. Gibbons said association
officers have no intentions of de-
basing the county manager issue
by becoming involved in an ex-
change of personal invective.
Meanwhile, the Fairfax Com
mittee for Good Government took
issue with the thesis in Sundays
statement that the county man
ager plan might bring higher
taxes. The committee said it re-
gretted the efforts by government
reform opponents to raise false
fears" of higher taxes.
Attempts to make good gov
ernment appear more costly than
poor government are unlikely to
frighten intelligent voters away
from the efficient and democratic
administration to be provided by
the county manager FORM" the
committee said. "Yet such scare
efforts fall on sensitive ears in
Fairfax County. Residents have
had to watch their county tax rate
rise rapidly in recent years, at a
time when their services from the
county have been collapsing.
Farmers in particular. struggling
to make a living from high priced
land, have real reason to be con-
cerned about taxes.
Record Is Available.
"For this reason, we feel that
citizens should be permitted to
judge for themselves on the basis
of official records just what form
will serve them best. This record
is available to all who earnestly
desire facts instead of false
alarms.
For example. Fairfax County
with its present unavoidable form,
now has an actual tax rate of
1919 per 500 of assessed valua-
ton on all property. But property
in the county has been assessed
at 37.5 per cent of its true value,
according to the official estimate
by Virginia's State Department of
Taxation. Fairfax County, there
fore, has a true tax rate of $1.20,
on the basis of the official figures.
"Henrico County, Va, by con-
trast, offers an example of gov
ernment costs under the manager
plan. The 1850 levy there is $1.88
per 500. And that county, on
the basis of the official record,
assesses property at 1858 per cent
of true value.
"Henrico thus has a true tax
rate of just under SO cents. What
this means to Fairfax County res
ident is that their true tax rate
is nearly rs per cent higher than
that of the manager county of
Henrico.
"The record provides a clear
answer to irresponsible claims that
are being made about the future
of taxes when Fairfax County
obtains equitable voting rights
under the county manager form.
Specifically, the manager form
permits the citizen-who now can
vote only for a supervisor in his
own district-to vote for a su-
pervisor in every one of the six
districts. Every ballot thus be-
comes worth one full vote, wher-
ever it is cast, and every super