Evening star., 1952-10-15
Citizens Study
Group Opposes
Incorporation
Commission Cites ,
$3.50, 900 Annual
Rood Fund Loss

Rood Fund Loss
Proposed incorporation Of Ar
lington will be presented to county
voters on November 4 without the
blessing of the Citizens Study
Commission on Local Government
The 36-member commission
after studying a report by the
University Of Virginia Bureau OF
Public Administration, last night
recommended to the County Board
that Arlington not incorporate at
this time.
The commission said the county
If it should become a city next
January as result of the refer
endum. would lose approximately
$3.50, 900 a year in State highway
funds. This amount. considered
by the commission a minimum
estimate. is equivalent to about 35
cents on the property tax rate and
is approximately equal to the total
annual revenue anticipated from a
proposed new business license tax.
incorporation, if approved, would
take effect under a city charter
approved in 1916. The budget pro-
cedure outlined in this charter,
the commission said, sis not clear
and subject to differing legal in
terpretation." The charter re-
QuirementS would make for an
inf1exible budget not in accordance
with modern budgetary procedure,
the report said.
School Difficulty Forecast.
"It is the opinion of the school
department, the commission said.
that a strict Interpretation of
the 1946 charter would create a
situation which would make op-
Grafton of the school program
exceedingly difficult, if not i'm
possible"
The movement for city status
was given impetus by a court de-
cision banning Federal employees
from serving on the County
Board. The city charter would
permit Government clerks" to
serve on the city council. The
commission said that the term
"clerk" would need Interpretation
by the courts to make it clear
which Federal employees are ELI
gible to hold local Office.
The commission said that two
proposed changes In the county's
operation, also to be voted on No
ven1ber 4, would, If adopted, cor
rect several weaknesses of the
present county government" One
proposal would put the manager
on indefinite tenure, instead of a
year-to-year basis. The other
would transfer from the County
Board to the manager the power
to appoint department heads.
Another question before the
voters is whether the City School
Board should be elected by the
city council or elected by the
people. if incorporation goes into
effect. The commission recon-
mended election by the people, as
at present.
Fewer Members Urged.
On another point. the commits
sion recommended that voters ia
vor a f1ve-member instead of
seven-member. City Council, if
the county Incorporates. This
question also will be on voting
machines November 4.
Howard Cannon, husband of a
non-partisan candidate for the
County Board. Mrs. Martha Gam
mo1, dissented from the commits
sion's conclusions. He said he is
willing to forego temporarily some
OF the State highway subsidy be-
cause of his confidence in Arling-
tons ability to solve it's problems
without going hat in hand to
Richmond to seek specific legis-
lation."
Mrs. Irene T. Hamilton and
Lewis M. Nixon concurred in Mr..
Gammon's dissent.
Chairman of the commission is
Harold A. Stone. The commission
expressed appreciation for the
work of the Bureau of Public Ad-
ministration; r. G.. Forbes, ad-
ministrative assistant to County
Manager A. T. Lundberg, and
Richard limerick, management in
tern from the University of Penn
sylvania.
Since more than 200 qualified
voters requested the referendum
on Incorporation, the proposal has
had no public support from any
political group or candidate.