Evening star., 1952-04-15
Utility Bill Tax,
S2 Falls Church
Auto Tag Asked
City Manager Calls
For Extra Levies in
$80l, ,288 Budget

A 10 per cent tax on utility bills
and So local auto tag are among
the new proposals of Falls Church
City Manager w. Rodes Wood.
bury for the coming fiscal year.
Mr.. Woodbury. submitted his
proposed 1923 budget to the
City Council last night. It totals
$801 .288 for schools and general
government, an increase of $153..
555 over the current years.
OF this total. $443,947 would be
for general government and $751;
341 for schools.
Mr.. Woodbury. also submitted
utilities budget which would
bring expenditures for all city op-
erations in 1923 to $1,252 ,632. .66.
The manager said the additional
money required to meet the
budget could be raised by increas-
ing the real estate tax rate by As
cents. The present real estate
rate is $2.75 per $1OO of property
valuation.
Mr.. Woodbury. recommended,
however, that the revenue be
raised in this manner:
l. Increase the real estate rate
Is cents to $3.50.
2. Impose a 10 per cent tax on
utility bills, including telephone,
electricity, gas. sewer and water.
8. Require auto owners to buy
and display a 81 Falls Church tag.
Truck and tractor trailer tags
would be IS.
Public Hearing Set.
4. Drop the personal property
tax rate from $3.50, the present
figure. to $40. Mr.. Woodbury.
said the decrease would compen-
safe utility firms for the addi-
tional expense of collecting the
new tax.
The Council set a public hear
ing on the budget for pm. May
26 at Madison School.
City Clerk Harry E. Wells was
requested to write to the School
Board, asking if the board can
meet with the Council and citizens
groups in budget conference not
later than May /.
The Council also decided to
meet at 7:30 pm. Monday in the
City Hall with representatives of
business and civic organizations
for preliminary discussion on the
budget.
Mr.. Woodbury's proposals were
ordered advertised for public
hearing. However, the Council
proposed a maximum $40 fee for
the auto tag. Mayor Charles E.
Kellogg said he is opposed even
to considering such a figure.
$91,654 Figure for Schools.
The School Board budget SUBJ
mitted by Supt. Irwin H. Schmitt
calls for increased revenue from
the Council in the amount of
$91,654.
Mr. Woodbury's general govern
ment budget is SCI ,901 .09 above
that for the current year.
In addition to the new revenue
requested for schools, Mr.. Wood
bury said, increases will be needed
for debt service. $25,360; high
ways, $28,736. and for cost-of-
living pay increases already in
effect and for other purposes.
1904.
The So auto tag would bring in
$4,000, the manager estimates.
The utility tax revenue would be
$4,000, and the l5-cent real es-
tate tax increase would bring in
$22.002. These three times would
raise $66,002 of the $153,555 addi-
tlonal revenue needed.
The remainder would be re-
ceived through an increased sur.
plus Of $31 900; from water profits.
$4,000; from normal growth
through new construction, SAL
268, and from miscellaneous
sources, $5,285.
Mr.. Woodbury. told the Council
his general city budget, aside from
school needs, could be balanced
without a tax increase. He said
the expected surplus and half of
the normal growth in receipts
would be enough to meet pro-
posed increases in city expend-
itureS.
In other business, the Council
voted to ask the Corps of Engi-
neers to include plans for Falls
Church water line in a proposed
Potomac River dam. The line
would bring water from the Dis
trict's Dalecarlia plant across the
river at Snake Island into Vir-
ginia.
The Council approved an ordi-
nance providing for Falls Church
to adopt daylight-saving time.
along with the District, begin
ming on Sunday, April q.