Evening star., 1952-03-16
Arlington Board
Split on Source
Of New Revenue
About Sill Million
More Needed Under
Proposed Budgets

Members of the Arlington
County Board disagree on whether
new revenue needed for the pro-
posed 1928 budget should come
from the property tax or an in
crease in business license fees.
If the county and school budgets
are approved as recommended,
approximately $1.1 million more
revenue must be found.
The board voted to advertise
for public hearing a proposed
maximum property tax rate in
crease of A cents, which would
bring the rate to $3.19 per $100 of
real property valuation.
School Hearing Thursday.
The hearing on the county
budget is set for pm, April 9,
in the circuit courtroom. A public
hearing on the school budget will
be held at 8 pm. Thursday at
Stratford Junior High School. The
budgets total $13,916,183.
County Manager A. T. Lund-
berg's budget of $7,94O,425 calls
for increasing the property tax
rate from $1.28 to $1.39. Supt.
of Schools William A. Early has
recommended budget of $5,975,-
758. which would require an in
crease in the school portion of
the property tax rate from $1.47
to $1.80.
Mr.. Lundberg suggested as an
alternate to the 11-cent increase,
however, a raise in the business
license tax. as recommended by
the County Boards Fiscal Affairs
Committee.
Would Hold 1t to Minimum.
Robert,W. Cox, the board chair
man, said he wants to study the
proposed budget and hear the pub
lie before forming any firm opin-
ion on what increase he will sup
port. He said he believes the
budget should be held to a min
imum but should not be budget
Of false economy.
The chairman said he is in
clined to favor the view of the
committee that the next sub
stantial increase in county revenue
should come from a higher busi-
ness tax.
Robert A. Peck, the Republican
on the board, said he has not had
time to review the proposed
budget thoroughly but he believes
that a number of small savings
can be made in the managers
budget. Mr.. Peck said he had seen
only a summary of the school
budget and was unable to get a |
full picture of proposed expendi-
lures.
Different View by Dugan.
The Republican board member
said that businessmen have been
hit by more tax increases than
other property owners and he
said he questions whether "sock
business" is a good long-range
solution. He said he believes con-
Sideration should be given to an
occupancy tax, to be paid by
tenants of homes and apartments.
Taking a different view is Dan
iel A. Dugan. who, like Mr.. Cox,
is non-partisan. Mr.. Dugan
said he believes the business
license tax is far below normal
and most of the proposed tax in
crease should come from this
source.
The. total budget, Mr.. Dugan
said, Is probably less than what
is actually needed but is all that
the county can afford for the
present.
Praises Form of Budget.
Alfred E. Frisbie, a Democrat,
said he has not yet had an" op-
portunity to study the proposals
but he praised Mr.. ~Lundberg's
presentation of the budget as
"maSterful." He said the form
In which the budgets have been
prepared is the best ever adopted.
The third non-partisan on the
board, Alan L. Dean, who has pro-
posed an increase in the business
license tax. is not expected to
vote ON the budget because he is
Ill with a respiratory ailment.
Mr.. Cox said that although
under State law the board must
adopt the property-tax rate by
midnight of April 80, a new buSi-
ness-1icense tax could be enacted
any time this year.