Evening star., 1951-12-07
Fairfax Board
Ito Seek More
Revenue Power
Supervisors Plan
To Continue Present
Health Department

l.
ton authorizing new sources Of
county revenue.
Meeting last night for the Sec
ond time in preparation for the
shift to a county executive gov
ernment that becomes effective
when they take Office, the new
supervisors also agreed to con-
tinue the present State-operated
health department set up, and to
appoint q three-member welfare
board.
The legislative measures agreed
on were:
/. Authority to levy a county
automobile license tax, probably
between 81 and IS. Arlington
County already has such author
ity. and sells local tags.
Extending Budget Deadline.
2. Permission to charge
county business license tax on
gross receipts, similar to Arling-
tons.
3. Creation of a county public
utilities commission with some
authority.
4. Extending. until June, the
deadline for adopting annual bud
gets. Present law requires the
county to adopt its budget by
May l. Also, authority to hold
budget hearings elsewhere than
the courthouse when more space
is needed.
S. Permission for the Board Of
Supervisors to borrow up to so
per cent Of the general fund in
anticipation of taxes, instead of
the present rs per cent limit, and
allow such loans to be made earlier
than June. The supervisors said
it often was necessary to make
short-term loans to meet obli-
cations until taxes are paid at the
end Of the year.
The supervisors emphasized
that all legislation agreed to
should be permissive.
| Permits Local Department.
1t was decided to continue the
health department as part Of the
State system for the time being
because the supervisors felt it
would be to their financial ad.
vantage.
The county executive system
permits the supervisors to estab-
! llsh local health department IL
they choose. Under the outgoing
executive secretary government.
this was not possible.
commemorative Attorney Hugh
b. Marsh said the county execu-
tive system gives the supervisors
e power to appoint the health officer
from a list Of eligibles submitted
oy the State Health Department.
The appointment was made py
the State under the old setup.
S Mr.. Marsh and Attorney George
! hddell. who is helping advise the
/ supervisors on the transition, said
4 an advisory board Of health could
/ be appointed. Mrs. Anne Wilkins.
supervisor-elect from Falls Church
1 district. said she thought a health
/ board could be appointed only
when a local health department
Is established. The supervisors
i agreed with a suggestion of Stuart
e De Bell, supervisor-ele from Gen.
trev1lle district. that the matter of
r appointing health board could
t be studied after the county execu-
tive system Is in operation.
Y Three Alternatives.
A three-member welfare board
was agreed on after the supervisors
= were advised they had three alter
natives: To appoint a three-mem-
Der welfare board, appoint two
persons to serve with the welfare
superintendent as a board, or not
appoint any welfare board. Un-
der the new system, the welfare
y board will serve principally as an
q advisory body. The old welfare
board appointed by the circuit
: court has been in charge of en-
ploying the welfare staff, but that
duty will rest with the supervisors
0 under the new system.
{ Fred w. Robinson, chairman of
;, the County School Board, asked
Mr.. Marsh about his recent ruling
. that Herndon no longer will be
:, entitled to special representative
!, on the County School Board under
the county executive system. Mr..
Robinson has served as the Hern-
don representative to the County
School Board for Is years and has
been chairman since 1910.
Actual Operation.
Mr.. Marsh said Herndon NAV
$ not have special representative.
i unless the town actually operates
as a separate school district. He
: said Herndon was a separate school
/ district only for the purpose of
; having representation on the
County School Board as provided
: in 1912 legislation. He said the
E County Executive Act of 1882
i allows town operated" as a
= separate school district only to
: s|have representation on the County
{ School Board.
Mr.. Robinson said Herndon does
not pay its own teachers and he
| feels the town School Board
: operates" in the sense implied
: by the County Executive Act. He
said when the County Executive
Act was passed, operating school
: districts were the only type in
Iexistence and the special districts
for representation were not set up
until many years later.
| Mr.. Robinson said he thinks the
Herndon Town Council will seek
a ruling of the attorney general.
IMr. Marsh said he would welcome
the attorney generals opinion.
Dl~, 80 W~sk:~~I