Evening star., 1952-04-27
Fairfax Begins
Budget Battle
Tomorrow
$ll.328,793 Outlay
Would Boost County
Tax Rate s. Cents

Fairfax County is ready for its
annual budget battle tomorrow
with rural and urban groups di-
vided over how much money
should be spent in 1928.
The Board of County Super
visors begins the official budget
hearings at 10 am. Eastern
Standard Time at the county
courthouse.
A total budget of $11, ,328.7 .793 is
proposed-more than 6.8 millions
of it for schools. This requires a
tax rate of $2.98. which is IS cents
above the old rate.
The $298 rate was proposed.
however. before school officials
obtained $l85,934 from the Gov
ernment for school operations.
This unexpected windfall plus a
similar sum which could be added
to next years expectations have
raised hopes for a 23-cent cut
in the proposed $298 rate.
PleaseS Civic Federation.
The executive board of the
Fairfax Civic Federation an
yesterday it was pleased
that the extra Government money
might make it possible to provide
more adequately for schools with
out a large increase in the levy.
But the executive board urged
that part of the unexpected
money be used for a health pro-
gram and teaching materials in
stead of applying the full amount
to reducing taxes.
Representatives of the Civic
Federation plan to appear at the
hearing to oppose reducing in
school expenses. Eighteen Parent
Teacher Associations also expect
to give their Endorsement to the
amount of money requested for
school purposes.
Is Per Cent Cut Sought.
But the prospect of a % cent
reduction in the proposed rate does
not satisfy some quarters.
The Freeholders Protective AS
Sociation seeks at least a 35 per
cent reduction in the rate, which
would bring 1t down to about
$2.25.
Manning Gasch, president of
the association, believes the 81
million tax surplus collected dur
ing the 1951-52 fiscal year ought
to make it easy to reduce this
years taxes instead of increasing
them.
About $4,000 of the surplus
is included in the proposed 1882
So school budget for new con-
struction and opponents of higher
taxes would like to see this sum
applied to tax reduction.
Walter Grain of Mount Vernon
District. has suggested that the
Supervisors can adopt a So rate
by financing all capital expenses
over a flve-year period.
Budget Up $3.4 Million.
The total budget is about $3.4
million above the one adopted for
1882. About $23 million of the
increase is in school expenditures.
A $400 increase in the teacher
salary scale, plus 10 new teachers,
accounts for $669,50O of the school
budget increase.
The first payment on principal
for the $10.5 million school con-
struction bond issue accounts for
another $4,000 and the bond
issue interest is $258.125.
General county operations run
about 1881 900 over the 1951-52
budget. Nearly half of this results
from a technicality in budgeting
for a county executive government
which took effect in Fairfax this
year. The full cost of State sup
ported offices shows in the new
budget. while only the county's
portion was shown formerly.
$16,950 For Courthouse.
Another big item in the increase
is $163,950 to help pay for con-
of the courthouse addi-
ton. A $3.50, 900 bond issue was in
County Executive c. c.
Massey said it would not have
been necessary to raise taxes for
general county operations with.
out the courthouse item.
The Supervisors must adopt the
budget and a new tax rate before
May l. After tomorrow's hearing.
they may postpone final action
until Tuesday or Wednesday.
7 Seized in Alexandra