Evening star., 1950-01-26
Bill Authorizes
Fairfax. Vote on
County Setup
Clarke Will Introduce
Measure for Choosing
Type of Government
pv AIax b p~a~s
by NIex 4. PRESTON
Stor Stoff CORRESPONDENT


ton in the General Assembly to-
day. State Senator Andrew w
Clarke of Alexandria and Fairfax
said he would introduce the mea-
sure this afternoon along with
bills to do the following:
Impose Statewide 2 per cent
sales tax patterned after the Dis
trict of Columbia law.
Permit local governing bodies
to cancel personal property taxes
If sales tax takes effect. Require
the Fairfax County School Board
to be appointed by that county's
local governing body, now the
board of supervisors.
= Land Acquisition Bill.
: Authorize the Fairfax County
governing body to acquire lands
for parks. Fairgrounds and recre-
ational uses.
Abolish the tax on merchants
capital.
Authorize county governing
bodies to appoint administrative
officers to be the executive head OF
government.
In addition, Senator Clarke will
submit measure relating to fees
paid by applicants for real estate
licenses.
Fairfax County voters could de-
eide first whether they desire a
chance in the form of government
and second. which of four forms
would be preferred If the majority
approve. The bill requires a ref
erendum on the question when
either the Board of Supervisors or
1000 qualified voters petition the
court. The first question on the
ballot would read: Shall the
county change its form of govern.
ment?" Boxes marked "for" and
against" follow.
Majority Vote Required.
Beneath that is this question
If the county changes its form
OF government. which of the fol-
lowing forms Of government shall
it adopt?"
Then. listed below are, "The
county manager form of govern
ment;;" "The county executive
form Of government. I" and "The
county executive secretary form
OF government. !. and the county
director from pf government h
A majority vote would be re-
quired to make any change from
the present supervisor form. The
bill provides that if majority
votes for q change but fails to
choose one Of the four alternate
forms then a second referendum
shall be held with the two types
Of government receiving the high
est number of votes being placed
on the second ballot.
Senator Clarke's State wide
sales tax bill, like that in Wash.
ington, would apply to retail sale.
of IA cents or more. A 1-cent ta1
would be levied on purchases o.
IA through so. cents; 2 cents OF
those from 81 through SO cents
and 2 per cent on all purchases
of more than 81. @
Use Tax Provision.
A use tax provision is included
to cover purchases made outside
the State. Unlike the District o1
Columbia law, there is nothing ir
the bill to exempt sales under
$1.25 of food consumed on the
premises.
Among the exemptions Senator
Clarke has written into the meas.
ure are sales between manufac.
turers: gasoline, farm feed, seec
and lime: sales to the Fedora
Government and to other States
that similarly exempt purchases
by Virginia; amusement anc
sports admissions; food consumed
off the premises; newspapers
casual sales. food on interstate
trains and airplanes, fuel, pre-
scription medicines and farm and
seafood products sold directly by
the producers.
Senator Clarke's bill would be
the third sales levy measure in
troduced so far.
Similar to Byrd Measure.
The companion bill to exempt
personal property from taxes, il
local governing bodies desired
would apply only to property not
used in businesses If the sales tax
were adopted.
Appointment of the Fairfax
County School Board by the coun-
ty supervisors would accomplish
the same purpose that State SEN
ator Harry F. Byrd. jr.. of Win.
chester seeks in a bill with State
wide application. Senator Byrd's
measure has stimulated some op-
position and local measures nor
mally have better chance of pas.
sage.
The supervisors would replace
present members as their terms
expire and name new members fol
four-year terms. but on the basis
of magisterial districts, as at pres
ent. The School Trustee Elec-
toral Board, which now names the
board members, would be abol-
ished when terms of present mem
bers expire.
& The measure regarding aequisi-
tion of Fairfax park land il
merely an extension of special
powers previously granted Ar.
lington, The supervisors coule
issue bonds or borrow money fol-
land acquisitions providing they
met requirements of general laws
The administrative officer named
by the various county governing
bodies-if they so desire-woulc
have most of his authority subject
to approval of the governing
body. If the governing body re-