Evening star., 1950-05-10
Council Votes
Cigarette Tax
In Alexandra
July ! Set os Dote
To Sturt New Levy
Of2Cents q Pack

To Stort New Levy
or Cents q Pock
The Alexandria City Council
passed a 2-cent-a-pack cigarette
tax last ngiht after a public hear
ing and set July / as the effective
date of the new levy.
The tax, designed to provide
funds to help make up the city's
deficit by raising an estimated
$4,000 this year, was finally made
law by Council vote of 5-to-2.
Councilmen James M. Duncan, jr.,
and r. Samuel Luckett voted
against the measure.
The Council acted after hearing
opposition from the Retail Mer-
chants Association. the Alexandria
Chamber of Commerce and several
individuals, all of whom termed
the tax discriminatory" and
warned that it would drive busi-
ness away from Alexandria.
Cigarette tax opponents pointed
to more than 100000 in uncol-
lected city taxes in an effort to
show the levy was not justified.
Says Action Is Needed.
II don't know who's to blame,
but something has got to be done
about these unpaid taxes" de-
clared Mr.. Luckett. He added,
There is too much money lying
and some one is going to
have to pick it up
He said the tax delinquency
total had increased from S209, 900
to $308,000 in the last three
but City Manager w. Guy
Ancell defended the city's tax COL
lection efforts. Mr.. Ancell pointed
out that the 1850 budget included
an estimated $50,000 in collectable
back taxes, but that more than
$65, 900 had been gathered.
Mr.. Luckett criticized the issu-
ing of licenses to firms who were
delinquent in their taxes, saying
he knew of firms now. operating
that have paid no taxes in two
years. He urged the city to resort
to the courts to obtain the tax
money owed it.
Urged to Join Group.
The council was urged to Join
a proposed Northern Virginia
Park Authority which would ham
die park planning and procure
ment in the Alexandria, Fairfax,
Arlington and Falls Church area.
City Planning Commission Secre-
tary Edward Kelly said the au-
thority could not involve the city
in financial obligations without
consent of the council.
Mr.. Kelly. who has served as
Alexandria's representative on an
park authority committee,
also recommended that the city
act "aS soon as possible" to secure
park areas in the territory the
city seeks to annex from Fair
fax. Pointing out that the area
has a number of stream valleys
we'll suited for recreation areas,
Mr. Kelly urged action before
land values rise.
Action on his ations
was deferred until the May %
meeting.
In other business. the council
approved first readings of ordi-
nances abolishing one-cent park
ing meter fees, raising parking
charges to S cents for one hour
and 10 cents for two, and regulat-
ing the operation of self service
gasoline pumps and the placing
of gas meters.
Spending Authorized.
The group authorized expendi-
ture of up to $4,000 for help in
making a master zoning plan of
the territory involved in the city's
annexation suit.
Councilman Leroy S. Bendheim
who heads a committee to investi-
gate parking and rezoning prob
lens, reported his group is seek
ing private enterprise to provide
a d ditional off-street parking
downtown and will study plans for
one-Way streets and cancellation
of special parking privileges to aid
in clearing traffic congestion. He
said his group also seeks Federal
funds for long-range planning.
The city heads granted per-
mission for the Housing Commit
tee to set in motion a request
for $160,000 in Federal funds to
finance redevelopment and slum
clearance planning.
A score of angry residents of
the Union-Lee-G Gibbons Franklin
street area protested a move by
the Standard Oil Co. to rebuild
two Oil tanks on property in that
square and construct an under
ground tank on land now zoned
for residential use. Oil company
representatives claimed the buried
tank would cause no increased
activity.