Evening star., 1951-11-22
Counties 10 Seek
State Sales Tax
For Schools
Eormorking Endorsed
By Virginia League;
Corper New President
By Mary Lou Werner
Stor Sfuff Cosrsspoodent

By Mary Lou Werner
| ssor stoff Correspondent
WILLIAMSBURG, Va, Nov. %.
"A State sales tax earmarked
for schools is the major objective
of the League of Virginia Coun-
ties, as G. Wallace Carper of Fair
fax County assumes the presi-
dency Of the organization.
Imposition of a sales tax was
advocated at the closing meeting
of the annual league convention
here yesterday, as the Fairfax
County delegation succeeded in
warding of a movement against
giving sales tax revenues to the
schools.
A sales tax for schools was
recommended by the Education
Committee. headed by Mrs. Anne
Wilkins, supervisor -elect of Falls
Church district in Fairfax County.
The Legislation and Taxation
Committees. however, recommend
ed a sales tax to be spent as
the LOCAL governing bodies saw fit.
Daily Attendance Basis.
Arthur Shaffer, Fairfax super
visor from Mount Vernon district,
moved that the sales tax be ear
marked for schools and be based
on average daily attendance.
If you earmark it for schools,
the school boards will tell us we
have nothing to say about spend
ing it," said r. A. Cordell Of Nor
folk County.
"The gas tax is used for roads" {"
said Maurice Fox, Fairfax super
visor. why not use the sales
tax for schools?
Mr.. Shaffer's motion to earmark
the sales tax for schools carried
two to one, but P. c. Zilles of
Dinwiddie County threatened to
raise the question of a quorum
unless Mr.. Shaffer's motion was
withdrawn.
Fairfax County's representa-
tives were unwilling to change
their position. Both sides agreed
to another resolution, however,
instructing the leagues executive
committee to work out details of
how the sales tax money should
be returned to the counties for
school purposes.
The league voted in favor of
letting the governing body in each
locality decide whether relief rolls
should be made public. The issue
is due to come before the State
Legislature in January.
Lien With Relief Opposed.
Imposition of a lien on prop
erty the first time a relief pay
ment is made to the owners was
recommended over the objection
Of Mr.. Fox, who also is a member
of the Fairfax Board of Public
Welfare.
It was recommended that the
State grant for INDECENT hospital
patients be increased from $700,-
600 to 81 million next year and
that all Of it be in cash, eliminat-
ing about $4,000 in credits at
the University Of Virginia and
Medical College of Virginia Hos
pitals. Counties too far away to
use those two hospitals COM
planned they cannot share in
those credits.
A resolution that the State Milk
Commission be continued under
its present setup carried without
Opposition.
On motion of c. E. Gnadt,
Prince William County commits
sioner- of revenue, the league asked
that personal property and real
estate tax books no longer be
segregated.
Salary Action Taken.
The league also asked that ade-
quate salaries be provided to at
tract and keep employees in the
State Health Department and
State Department of Highways;
that a more equitable formula be
worked out for allocating health
funds to the various counties and
that it be applied to big and small
counties without discrimination;
that counties be permitted to
abolish the dog tax fund and put
that money into the general fund
for payment of livestock claims,
and that counties be permitted to
raise dog tax license fees from 81
to So for males, and from So to SIS
for females.
A 10-point program recon-
mended by the leagues Executive
Committee at the opening of the
convention on Monday was
adopted by the delegates. It prin-
cipally asks that the counties be
permitted to expand their tax base
by creating four new sources of
taxation: Amusement. hotel oc-
cupancy, utility consumer tax and
business occupational tax.
Mr.. Carper was elected president
OF the league to succeed Herbert
"A. Tayloe. chairman of the Roa-
noke County Board of Supervisors.