Evening star., 1951-07-29
Winners in Fairfax to Install
New Form of Government
By Mary Lou Werner

BY Mary Lou Werner
Fairfax County residents will
get a brand new government NJ
matter how they vote in tht
forthcoming Board of Supervisor,
election.
The six supervisors that emerge
victorious from the August
Democratic primary and the No,
Vember general election will take
Office January l as Fairfax shifts
to county executive form of gov.
ernment.
Because of the new powers anc
duties to be heaped on the SUI
pervisors with the change. tht
candidates see this election as tht
most important in the county,
history.
New functions of the supervis'
ors will be to appoint the Schoo
Board, Board of Health and Boarc
of Welfare, and the police chief
A merit system for county en-
ployes will have to be established
and nearly all county finance:
will come under the supervisors
control. A finance director to re-
place the treasurer and revenue
commissioner will be appointed.
Research Project Launched.
In fact, there are so man!
changes that the supervisors havt
set up a research project undei
David Lawrence, news writer anc
vice chairman of county govern
ment study commission. to stud!
the new governments require
ments. Mr.. Lawrence expects Il
report to the supervisors in Oc'
tober.
But the research project is onl.
to set forth the legal changes in
The policies to be followed a!
the new government takes shape
will be in the hands of the super.
visors.
Mindful of this, the IL candi.
dates seeking the six Democratic
nominations have singled out Sc.
lection of the county executive
the county's top administration
official under the new government
as the most important issue o.
this campaign. Nomination in tht
Democratic primary is tantamoun
to election in Fairfax County, al.
though two Republicans already
have announced they will run il
the November general election.
The supervisors will be elected
from six magisterial districts, with
residents of each district voting
independently for their super.
visor.
Redistricting Planned.
1t is probably the last tim,
Fairfax County voters will elect
six-member board. A commits
sion has been set up to redistric
the county and indications ar
that five, seven or nine magiSteria
districts are to be established b,
the rearrangement. The redis
tricting will not be accomplished
in time for this election, however
because of the pending Fall
Church and Alexandria annexa
ton suits against the county.
In the Democratic primary
there are two-way contests in fou
districts; a three-way contest il
one district. and an unopposet
candidate in the sixth district.
All the members of the presen
Board of Supervisors are seekin,
denomination in the primary.
Only one primary contest re
fleets the bitter division of voter
in last November's government
reform referendum. This is il
Providence District, where the in
cumbent chairman of the Boart
of Supervisors, G. Wallace Carper
is opposed by Guy M. BayeS, presi
dent of the Fairfax Federation O
Citizens Associations.
Mr.. Bayes was a leader of thu
county manager forces. Mr.. Car
per was a foe of the county man.
ager movement and on one oc
casion during the Government re-
form debates he issued a state
ment upholding the present typt
of administration. OF the twt
new Government types proposed
last year-county executive ant
county manager-Mr. Carper sal,
he favored the county executive
however.
County Executive Backed.
Neither was completely on tn,
winning side after the referendum
votes were counted. The peopl,
voted for a change but they CAV,
a large majority to the count,
executive form.
Another candidate who WORKED
for the county manager plan i
Mrs. Anne A. Wilkins, opponent O
the incumbent c. B. Runyon il
Falls Church Magisterial District
Mr.. Runyon was on the same sid,
OF the fence in the Government
reform campaign. however. H,
was the only supervisor to sup
port the county manager plan.
Next to the government reform
taxation ranks second in import
ance in the campaign.
The candidates are unanimou
in their belief that somethin,
needs to be done about the presen
tax structure and that new source
of taxation should be tapped. Thi
promise is especially tempting t,
Fairfax County voters this yea
since most have had their rea
estate tax bills increased as ne