Evening star., 1950-09-10
Arlington Board.
Urges Fu||.TiI1ne
Realty Assessor
Advisers Also Ask
Equalization Unit
On Reussessment
By Robert G. RoIIinqs

~ NVUStt -. NOtINSS
Employment of a full time real
estate assessor and establishment
Of a Board of Equalization, plus
retention of the quadrennial re-
are recommended for
Arlington by the Fiscal Advisory
Committee to the County Board.
The plan was presented to the
board yesterday by Committee
Chairman Edmund D. Campbell. :.
a former board member. Mr..
Campbell told the board the plan
was prepared by a three-member
subcommittee and unanimously
adopted by the full. bipartisan
group.
Board Member Robert w. Cox.
who acted as liaison between the
board and the committee, said the
latter "has done just plain. OUT
standing job
Equalizatio Board Urged.
The committee was requested
by the board last May to prepare
a report on the 1850 property re- .
assessment, with special attention
to the possibility of establishing
a Board of Equalization.
Your committee decided that
the only sound way to approach
its assignment was to make g.
careful study Of the entire real
estate assessment procedure Of
Arlington" Mr.. Campbell told the
board.
LAS result of this study your
committee has reached the con.
clusion that fair and efficient ad-
ministration of Arlington's real
property tax can be greatly i'm
proved if certain substantial
changes are made in present ad-
ministrative procedures"
Mr. Campbell said the changes
are possible without any further
action on the part Of the Cen
eral Assembly. He said the board
can proceed by enactment Of a
local ordinance.
The real property tax is the
Virginia county's principal source
of revenue, Mr.. Campbell said. It
is vitality important that all tax
able property be assessed on a
basis of fair comparative values.
I'm a community which is de-
veloping as rapidly as ours, and
where land values are constantly
changing as a result of such de-
velopment, quadrennial assess
ment of real estate is wholly Inc
adequate" Mr.. Campbell asserted.
1.-The Commissioner of Revenue
has made every effort to reduce
inequities during the interim per-
iods by his assessments Of newly
constructed properties. but he Is
not authorized by statute to re-
assess land where value has
changed between assessments.
"And it is believed that proper
administration of the property
tax under present conditions and
without rapidly changing prop
erty values requires a specialized
staff organized for this specific
task"
Board Is Named.
'The Board of Equalization, sit
ting as a review body. will pro-
tect the rights of Arlington's cit
izens and landowners, and pro-
vide a means for the correction Of
injustices and errors without the
necessity of expensive time-con-
suming court action"
Members of the Fiscal Advisory
Committee are Mr.. Campbell,
County Manager A. T. Lundberg.
Schools Supt. William A. Early,
Planning Commission Chairman
Carroll Wright, Basil M. De-
Lashmutt, a former board mem
Der; Mrs. o. c. Dresser, L. I.
Ecker RACE, Ashton c. Jones, jr,
Malcolm D. Miller, Gustave A.
Moe, Clyde Stovall and Joseph c.
In other matters yesterday, the
BOARD adopted a resolution calling
On Gov. Battle to request Presi-
dent Truman to expedite Federal
plans for civilian defense and
disaster and to establish a pro-
gram for moderate monetary as
sistance for States and political
on a matching basis.
The resolution was recommended
oy the Northern Virginia Regional
Planning Commission.
The board voted $3.50 to assist
Elizabeth City County in it's court
light to abolish the State Milk
Commission; appropriated $4,000
or sidewalks, curbs, cutters and
torn sewers in the area bound
ng the site at Wilson Boulevard
md Glebe road where the Hecht
20. is building a department
tore, and filed vacancies on
hree boards.
John Paul Jones, president of
he Arlington Firemen's Associa-
ion. was named to the new Fire
rial Board, and William Chad
1ick and Scott S. Huff were re-
ppointed to the Police Trial
'oard and the Electrical Board
espectively. Mr.. Jones and Har-
ey Mills, who was named to the
ire Trial Board by the county's
aid f1remen, will select a third
1ember for the groin
The board voted down, 3-2, a.
notion by Mr.. Cox that public
Utilities supervisor be employed
t $1,000 annually.