Evening star., 1951-04-24
County Budget
.Hit as Either Too
High or Tool
Arlington Citizens
Urge Pay Boost
And Street Repairs
By William J. EIvin

get was expressed at public
hearing last night, with opinion
sharply divided on whether the
amount is too high or too low.
Nearly so citizens gave the
County Board their views at
Washington-Lee High School.
About $50 persons were in the
audience
Strong pleas were made for q
Is per cent increase in salaries Of
policemen. firemen and other
county employees. Most of the
speakers urged that additional
funds be provided for capital i'm
Iprovements to avoid a serious day
of reckoning if solution of street,
sidewalk and sewer improvement
problems is delayed.
The board must adopt a budget
for 1901 by midnight Monday.
S2.65 Rate Proposed.
A tax rate of $2.65 per $100 Of
property valuation is proposed.
This would be SO cents less than
the present levy. Tax bills next
December would average higher
than last year, however, because a
reassessment program has in
creased property values by about
rs per cent.
A 5000 salary increase for county
employees, including teachers, is
provided for in the budget. Strong
support for a $400 raise for teach
ers was expressed at a public
hearing held by the School Board
on its $4,606,923 budget.
Spokesman for county police
men last night was John Paul
Jones, an attorney. He told the
board that a $400 salary increase
is necessary if policemen are to
meet ordinary living costs.
| A proposed $7,500-a-year ex-
penditure for a civil defense di-
rector could be eliminated, Mr..
Jones said. permitting this money
to be used for pay raises for po-
licemen and f1remen. He sug-
gested that a volunteer could I'LL
the position.
Would Accept Higher Taxes.
Frank L. Ball, sr., attorney, said
that as friend of the policemen
he wanted to urge the board to
lay on a little more taxes, if this
would be required to provide a
$4O0 increase. II take high taxes
as the most certain indication Of
a high form of civilization, the
former State Senator said.
In his budget message, County
Manager A. T. Lundberg said only
incidental capital improvements
could be included in proposed ex-
IpenditureS. He urged the board
to consider a borrowing plan to
provide the more urgently needed
Improvements.
Ashton c. Jones, jr., a real es-
tate man, recommended that Is
cents of the 1872 tax rate be
set aside for capital improvements
for sidewalks, curb and gutter,
streets and storm sewers.
If a SIS million bond issue for
capital Improvements should be
approved by the voters, Mr.. Jones
said, the county would have to
pay $325,000 the first year to serv-
ice this debt. OF this amount, he
added, approximately $685. 900
would pay interest, and only the
balance would help pay for actual
Improvements. Mr.. Jones said he
would not oppose bond issue
but he believed that a pay-as-
you-go plan has advantages.
Erosion Damage Cited.
| A number of citizens cited Sc
rious damage to their properties
through erosion by streams, in
Guiding Lubber Run, Four Mile
Run and Long Branch Greek.
Malcolm Miller, speaking for
the Arlington Civic Federation,
urged that the proposed tax rate
be increased by four cents to give
teachers $400 increase and other
county employees 10 per cent
raise.
Two Democratic Party spokes-
men attacked increasing BIZ.
Ireaucracy" in the county govern
ment and urged elimination Of
duplication of services as a meth
Iod of reducing expenditures.
William c. Nemeth, speaking
for the Democratic Council, said
some increase in the budget may
be required by rising costs. He
said, however, that residents
should realize that the tax rate
as proposed would be SAIL if there
had been no reasseSsment. SAL
aries to be paid in new depart
ments of public safety, real estate
assessment and civil defense, said
Mr.. Nemeth, prevent the county
from proVldlng other services that
are necessary. His statement drew
applause.
The president of the Arlington
Democratic Club, William ]. Has
san, said his organization favors
a cost-of-living increase for all
county employees, and a salary
scale for policemen and firemen
comparable to the District. He
said he believes the proposed
budget can be reduced if fee
charging offices are required to be
more nearly self sustaining. The
Office of the Clerk of the Circuit
Court, Mr.. Hassan said, is the only
one that comes close to paying it's
own way.
Several citizens said they had
computed their prospective tax
bills and were opposed to the pro-
posed rate. which they said would
increase their payments by about
25 per cent.