Evening star., 1951-02-01
Arlington Treasurer
|WiN Refuse Payment
To Board Appointee

A new police chief for Arling-
ton may go payless until a court
settles a dispute between some
County Board members and other
officials.
Treasurer John Locke Green
said today he would not issue pay
checks for any new department
heads appointed by the County
Board in view of an opinion from
Commonwealth's Attorney Den
man T. Rucker.
Police Chief Harry woodward is
scheduled to retire March | and
successor must be appointed The
County Board, meanwhile, voted
Saturday to appoint department
heads previously named by the
county manager.
Mr.. Rucker ruled that the
three-member majority who took
this action were without legal
backing. He specifically stated
that the county manager is the
only authority fo- appointing a
police chief.
To Abide by Decision.
Mr.. Green said he would abide
by Mr.. Fuckers opinion because
he is the legal adviser to the
board. .
THE Supreme Court of Appeals
has held that until the courts
hold otherwise a county board
must regard the opinion of its
commemorative attorney as law
Naturally I am not going to act
contrary to his opinion"
Mr.. Rucker had indicated that
if the board majority persisted in
its policy, he would take legal
action to settle the issue.
| The board majority contended
their action was based on au-
thority granted under the County
Manager Act of 1880 while Mr.
Rucker cited subsequent actions
of the General Assembly to up
hold his view. One of these spe-
cifically transferred the appoint
ment of police chief from the
judge of the Circuit Court to the
county manager.
The Optimist Club yesterday
indorsed Police 1t. Frank c..
Palmer, traffic safety officer, as
successor to Chief woodward.
Harley M. Williams. chairman OF
the Better Government League,
meanwhile, injected himself into
the controversy with a statement
today.
Calls Action Mandatory.
"Under the Arlington county
manager plan" he said, sit is
mandatory that the County Board
appoint all department heads, ex-
cept those who are elected or
whose appointments are other
wise provided by law. In 1887,
by the device of abolishing de-
partments and creating divisions,
the County Board delegate its ap-
pointing power to the county
manager. Since that time depart
ments have been created again
and the county manager has con-
tinued illegally to appoint the de-
partment heads.
"The treasurer should proceed
at once to reimburse the county
for the back salaries of the de-
partment heads he has Illegally
paid"
Mr.. Williams also hailed the
appointment of Mrs. Ruby Simp-
son as clerk to the county board.
She had been a deputy treasurer
in Mr.. Green's Office and will re-
ceive salary increase which. Mr..
Williams said, "is a fine example
of using a merit system of pro-
motions" Mrs. Simpson is a
member of Mr.. Williams Better
Government League.
The league chairman also re-
piled to Chairman Harrison Mann
of the Arlington Democratic Ex-
ecutive Committee, who charged
that the boards action resulted
from a desire TO fill posts on a
patronage basis.
What Mr.. Mann is objecting
to-" Mr.. Williams said, "is the
filling of posts on the basis of
merit, fitness and qualifications
instead of the past basis of affilia-
ton with his Democratic Party
machine.