Evening star., 1952-07-18
Arlington Vote
On Becoming
ACitYSought
Petition With More
Than 200 Signatures
Is Given to Court
By Tom Burke


Arlington voters may have a
chance to decide in November
whether the county should become
an incorporated city, as authorized
by the General Assembly in 1946.
A petition bearing more than
200 names has been filed in the
County Circuit Court, it was
learned yesterday. It orders that
a referendum on the question be
held in the general election. An
other petition, filed earlier, re-
quests a referendum on whether
the county manager should be ap-
pointed for an indefinite term and
whether the manager or county
board should appoint county de-
partment heads.
The incorporation plea was pre-
Sented by Mrs. Vera Dean. wife of
Alan L. Dean. a county board
member. She said about 290 sig
natures were on the petition filed
Tuesday.
Charter Action in 1916.
The State Legislature, in adopt
ing the proposed city charter for
Arlington in 1916, provided that
the judges of Circuit Court shall,
when requested in a properly
petition, order a referendum on
the question at the next general
election or in a special ballot.
According to Mrs. Dean, the
statute requires a minimum of
1000 signatures on the petition to
qualify it for court consideration
However. she said, supporters of
the referendum have asked the
Virginia Attorney General for a
ruling on whether the special
charter provision can be brought
to referendum with only 200 sig
natures. the minimum necessary
under general law.
She said that if 1000 signers
are required, the additional names
may be obtained up until Septem-
Der S.
The Incorporation petition is
scheduled for consideration by
Circuit Judge Walter T. Mccarthy
and the manager proposal by
Judge William D. Medley.
Two Other Questions.
Two referendum questions are
included within the structure OF
the proposed charter. These ques-
tionS are:
l Shall the members of the
city school board be elected by
the city council or elected by the
qualified voters of the city.
2. Shall the city council con-
sist of five or seven members.
Arlington is the only county in
Virginia that now has an elected
school board. It resulted from a
referendum held in 1947. under a
special law passed by the General
Assembly.
The county board, local gov
erning body. has five members.
Speculation among nonpartisan
voters in Arlington as to the value
of incorporation became wide
spread recently, when a suit chal-
lenging the right of Federal work.
ers to hold local Office in Virginia
was filed.
The Arlington Circuit Court
ruled that Board Member Dean
defendant. in the suit filed by
former Treasurer John Locke
Green in behalf of six taxpayers
was illegally ir Office because he
is a Federal employe. The case
was appealed to the Virginia
Court Of Appeals, and a decision
is expected early in September.
It is contended that Virginia
cities can exempt themselves from
provisions of the general State
law governing counties, which
was the basis for the Arlington
CouTCS decision.
Aftermath Of Dispute.
The proposed referendum or
the term of the county manager
is the aftermath of a dispute be.
tween political factions in Arling.
ton last year. 1t arose as a side
issue over the question of whether
the county manager or the county
board has the power to appoint
department heads.
The Circuit Court ruled that tht
county board holds the appointive
power.
Nonpartisan forces contendet
the manager should not be hiret
for stipulated term but shouls
serve at the discretion of tn,
board. They also objected to +.
provision that the manager b,
given so days notice.
Political Issue Seen.
The latter provision meant tina
notice would have to be given o,
November l, Of any given year
only few days before the genera
election. Thus the question O
whether a county manager shoul,
be dismissed or not would becom
a political issue, it was argued.
The Arlington delegation in tn
General Assembly amended tn
law to change the term of offic
of the; manager from the calenda
year to the fiscal year. The 6
days notice would fall on May
under, this plan.
The amendment also provide
for the referendum method to de
eide these two issues. It was un
der this amendment that the pet
ton on these questions was file
Monday by Mrs. George C. Wet
heer as president of the Arlingto
Chapter, League of Women Voter
n