Evening star., 1951-12-06
Fairfax Begins
Consolidation Of
Work
State Auditors Aide
Arrives for Study
On Size of Stuff

On Size OF Stuff
Work began today on the con-
lsolidation of Fairfax County's
fiscal operations into one depart
ment as required by the county
executive government, which takes
effect January /.
Frank Miller, from the Office Of
State Auditor j. Gordon Bennett,
arrived in the county yesterday
and outlined his plans at meet
ing of the Board of Supervisors.
Mr.. Miller said he will study the
volume of business now handled
through several departments to
decide how much personnel will
be needed in the new centralized
department of finance.
Expenditures by the school
board, welfare department and
from the general fund all must
be handled through the new A.
nance department. he explained,
Instead of separately like the
Ipresent system.
To Notify Departments.
The Supervisors asked r. M.
Loughborough to notify the vari-
Ious departments to assist Mr..
miller.
School Supt. w. T. Woodson
lasked if work like the preparation
of payrolls and teacher contracts
would be handled through the
lnew finance Office, or continue to
lcome directly under the school
board. The supervisors said that
Twas among the details they would
Iconsider at special meetings be-
ling held in preparation for the
Ishift.
The county's present accounting
procedures were commended in
1.-THE annual audit received by the
lSupervisors yesterday. The audit
was for the fiscal year that ended
June 80, 1851, and was conducted
tby A. Lee Rawlings & Co.. Nor
folk certified public accountants.
| Records Will Keep.
"We found the accounting
records of the various Offices and
departments to be adequate and
well kept" the auditors stated.
I'm this connection. we wish to
Icommend the treasurer, the ex-
Iecutive secretary and the school
board for the efficient and COM
plete manner in which financial
transactions were handled and
recorded in those Offices, and par
lticularly in view of the volume
lof detailed transactions handled"
The auditors recommended that
the county consider converting
1.-THE police retirement fund to a
lbank-type pension and retirement
fund. and possibly extend the
plan to cover all county employees.
Under a bank-type fund. en-
ployes may recover contributions.
If they leave the county service
before they become eligible for
pension benefits. The present
plan requires employees to remain
in the county service until
eligible for benefits before they
can recover any of their contribu-
tions.
More Raised and Spent.
The audit showed that the
county collected a lot more money
and spent lot more during the
1901 fiscal year than was
:. budgeted. The general fund levy
. raised $35 1898 more than expected;
:, S352.835 extra was raised by the
school levy, and S72,170 additional
was raised by the school debt and
capital outlaw levy.
:. Some of the expenditures that
e ran above amounts budgeted were:
!. $26,022 extra for the reassessment;
I S28,153 for public works; $24,057
e extra for annexation suit costs
0 tonly $4,000 was budgeted);
$685. ,096 for schoop opcapital outlays.
which included the State grant
S from Gov. Battles school con-
9 struction fund: s433,943 extra for
e school operating expenses (this
q sum included $306,150 transferred
to the capital outlay fund for
capital improvements.
Items Cut From Budget.
Mr.. Woodson disclosed that the
> School Board intended to ask the
T. supervisor for permission to spend
n more money than was budgeted.
: He said a number of items were
S cut out of the budget when it was
= adopted with the understanding
y they could be restored from an
anticipated surplus.
@ G.. Wallace Carper, chairman of
d the Board of Supervisors, said he
: understood the rate fixed for
n schools was sufficient.
Mr.. Woodson replied the rate
was sufficient, but only because
the School Board was assured 1t
: would raise more money than &C.
a tually was budgeted.
It The supervisors authorized pay
: ment of $40 per day to members
O of the redistricting commission
v for each day they work and au-
thorized the commission to en-
ploy a surveyor.