Evening star., 1952-04-29
Fairfax Board
Studies Ways 10
Cut Budget
Supervisors Meet
Tomorrow to Act on
Higher Tax Rate

Ways to reduce the proposed
1923 Fairfax County budget are
being studied by the Board Of
Supervisors in preparation for a
meeting at 2 pm. tomorrow to set
a new tax rate.
Sentiment was about evenly
divided for and against the budget
during a nine-hour hearing yes
terday.
The total proposed expenditure
is $11.328.793 and the proposed
levy is $2.98-an increase OF 80
cents over the old rate.
There was no comment by the
supervisors during the hearing to
indicate what rate they would
adopt, but individual members
conf1ded that they were thinking
of cutting the proposed levy.
$6.8 Million for Schools.
The proposed school budget ac-
counts for more than $6.8 million
of the total budget. Almost the
entire hearing was devoted to
debate of the proposed school
expenditures.
Most of the support or opposi-
ton was in general terms. Only
one organization, the Holm Hall
Village Citizens Association, pre-
scented a specific program for cut
ting the budget so taxes could
be held down to the old rate.
The Holm Hall plan was pre-
|sented by Harry E. Dement,. presi-
dent of the organizations Gov.
|ernment Committee.
Reductions proposed were:
1895, 900 from instruction costs.
which would allow CTS teachers
instead of IT'S asked by the school
board; $4,000 from school social
security payments, because they
will be made by the State; 1921. 1877
from general school operating
costs; $451 500 from capital ex-
lpenSes, because they should be
financed with bond issues instead
of from a direct levy; $354,562
from anticipated surplus; $170, ,030
from school debt and capital out
lay, because this also should be
financed with bond money; a gen.
eral 10 per cent cut in general
county operations, amounting to
$162,155; elimination of $163,950
proposed to complete the court
house addition to be replaced by
proceeds from another bond issue.
Cuts Total $2.3 Million.
All these reductions would bring
1.-THE proposed budget down about
1873 million. Even with the tax
lrate left at $2.65, the county
|could expect a surplus at the end
lof the 1928 fiscal year, Mr.. De-
|ment said.
Others who spoke in favor Of
cutting the proposed budget in
cluded Edward Gibbons of the
Taxpayers Advisory Association:
Mrs. Grace L. MatherS of Clifton:
Alfred w. Trueax of the Northern
Virginia Building Owners and
Managers; Martin T. Webb Of
Annandale. and John S. King and
w. H. Marsh of the Freeholders
Protective Association.
Strong support for leaving the
budget and tax rate at the pro-
posed level came from civic and
parent-teacher groups.
Kenneth Turner, president of
the Federation of Citizens Asso-
Citations, said Fairfax could afford
to support good schools. He pre-
sented census figures showing that
the income level of Fairfax County
exceeded the State and national
f average. Fairfax's expenditures
r for health programs and teaching
= supplies were way below the State
+ level, he declared.
t Other spokesmen who supported
the school budget as it was pro-
posed included: Mrs. Jane Welle-
e ulcycI, l1Olllu I1dlA Ia, NlCh
e Raney, Mount Vernon Citizens
Association; John Heffner, Well
v ington Heights Citizens Associa-
ton; Mrs. Hugh McDiarmid, Wen.
ma PTA; Mrs. Elizabeth Straus.
4 of the Women's Political Group;
Mrs. Margaret S. Kerwin of the
Bel-Air Citizens Association; Mrs
Malcolm Morrow, Parent Teacher
Federation; Mrs. Dorothy Gray
;, Annandale Citizens Association;
= Max Lehman, Dun Loring PTA
and Herman j. Koenig, School
4 Grievance Association of Northern
Fairfax County.