Evening star., 1952-02-17
Bill 10 Validate
Bonds
To Be Offered
Measure Also Due
For Reel Estute
Assessment Bureau
By Alex R. Preston
Stur Sfuff corresnondanf


Star Ssoff Correspondent
RICHMOND, Feb. 16.-Legisla.
lion to remove doubts as to the
egality Of recent Arlington bond
ssues and to give voters there q
chance to decide on a proposed
Of Real Estate As
will be introduced Mon.
day by the county's delegation to
the General Assembly.
Monday is the deadline for in.
PRODUCTION Of bills.
Legality of the bond issues is
involved in a pending suit against
the county board by John Locke
Green, former Republican County
treasurer in behalf Of six persons.
Arlington's Department Of AS
created only last May,
was declared invalid by the Vir-
ginia Supreme Court last month
after the county board adopted
an ordinance under terms of q
law that never had been in
tended to apply to Arlington in
the first place. That suit was
brought by Mr.. Green personally.
Old Law Challenged.
The other suit involving the
bonds actually contests the right
Of Alan L. Dean, a Federal en-
ploye, to sit as a member Of the
county board. Mr.. Green chal-
lenges an old Arlington law which
permits Government workers to
serve on governing bodies Of
counties having 800 inhabitants
per square mile or more. He says
this violated a constitutional re.
striction against special legisla-
ton.
At a board meeting a week ago,
Chairman Robert w. Cox said
the suit. if upheld, would have
the effect of unseating him as
well as Mr.. Dean.
The suit also may jeopardize $2.5
million in school bonds and $685.
900 for parks and Fairgrounds ap-
proved by the voters in referen-
dumS.
Senator Charles R. Fenwick said
a bill will be introduced to vail
date all bonds issues previously
approved by the voters Of Arling-
ton for schools, storm sewers,
curbs and cutters, sidewalks, parks
and recreational areas.
s Contract Clause Cited.
Mrs. Ruby r. Simpson, clerk to
the county board, stated last week
that Mr.. Green's suit jeopardizes
sale of the bonds because of q
clause in the contract certifying
that the title of the officers is
suing the bonds is not in litigation.
Mr.. FenWick expressed the opin-
ion that an act of the General
validating the bonds
should remove any doubt.
Delegates George Damn and J.
Maynard Magruder and Senator
Fenwick are drafting the bill for
of a new department Of
real estate assessments, subject to
by the voters.
The county board, on advice Of
a fiscal advisory group last spring.
set up such a department under
terms of an act of the 1912 Gen.
eral Assembly. That law was in
dexed in the record as an Arling-
ton County bill but actually it's
sponsors had the counties Of
Chesterfield Elizabeth city in
mind.
Under the proposed bill. Ar.
lington's Commissioner of Reve-
nue. would retain his present du-
ties with respect to income and
personal property taxes. If the
voters decide to establish the
assessment department.
Redistricting Action Due.
Meanwhile Chairman Roy B.
Davis of the House Privileges and
Elections Committee said today
he expects to get the Moses
Fenwick congressional redistrict-
ing bill out of committee in time
for floor action next week. The
House committee probably will
act on the matter Tuesday.
But while it may get out Of
committee quietly. the bill is sure
to kick up another storm on the
House floor from Second District
assemblymen with, perhaps, a bit
Of support from the First and
Third districts.
The Moses-Fenwick measure.
heavily backed as a substitute for
the Davis Redistricting Commits
sion bill, gives a new 10th con-
gresSional district to the Wash.
ington metropolitan area Of North
ern Virginia. 1t also puts Prin-
cess Anne, now in the second,
in the First District and leaves
the third with only the cities Of
Richmond and Colonial Heights
and the counties Of Chesterfield
and Henrico.
Second District assemblymen
feel the new 10th should 60 to
the Norfolk area because Of the
heavy population factor and the
of giving the mill
tarily and domestically important
Hampton Roads area another
voice in Congress.
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