Evening star., 1953-12-07
Fairfax. Decides
Sewer Bond
.IssueDec. IS
Approval Sought
For Biggest Loon
In County History

issue ever proposed at one time
in any county in this area.
County officials know the ref
erendum is no pushover. Opposi-
ton is developing from several
directions.
But the Board of County Su-
perviSors feels the program is the
best answer for critical prob
lem. Many areas have poorly
operating septic tanks. In other
areas, landowners are unable to
build because their property can
not be approved for septic tank
installations.
With permission to borrow as
much as $40 million, the county
could extend sewer lines to hun
dredS of homes within five years.
Some 1919 miles of new sewers,
three pumping stations and three
treatment plants are proposed.
The program would provide
additional sewer facilities in San
itary District No. and new facil-
tiles in Districts No. 3, 4, S, 6 and
Z, and extensions into some ad-
jacent areas.
Three Stages Planned.
The entire program is divided
into three stages to be completed
during the five years. 1t was de-
cided to place the entire program
before the voters at one time, so
the county could plan an inte-
grated sewer system for all the
areas that need it.
The proposed bond issue is
called a revenue type with tax
backing. This was recommended
by the county's financial advisers.
Under this plan, the county pro-
poses to pay off the entire sum
with service charges and con-
nection fees, but tax backing is
pledged in case these sources
fail. Financial conSultantS eSti-
mate this kind of bond will save
about $2.3 million in interest
charges over a pure revenue
bond. Besides, the financial ad-
visers say the county probably
couldn't sell more than Sc to 81
million in pure revenue bonds
for a long time.
The Board of County Super
visors hopes the revenue feature
will meet the objections of rural
residents who don't want to pay
for sewers they won't use.
Charges Estimated.
It is estimated that a yearly
service charge of $50, connection
charges of 5000 to $400 plus an
availability charge of $40 will be
enough to retire the bonds.
The service charge would ap-
ply to all homes connected to
the sewer. Existing buildings now
connected to private sewerage
systems or to county operated
systems would not pay either
the availability charge or the
connection charge.
No taxes are proposed to help
retire the issue. The Board OF
County Supervisors has pledged
itself to impose adequate service
charges and other fees to retire
the issue, without resorting to
taxes. In fact, the present 90
cent sewer levy in Sanitary
District No. would be abolished
with passage of the new bond
issue. This is because the new
bond issue program includes
about So million to retire the
outstanding debt in Sanitary
District No. /. Annual service
charges in Sanitary District No.
l. however. would increase from
the present $18 year to the
proposed $39 annual charge
under the integrated system.
Locations Not Contested.
So far, no one has come for
ward TO question the county's
need of additional sewer facili-
ties. There hasn't even been an
argument about the proposed To-
cations of the new sewer in
StallationS.
But opposition of another
kind has started to materialize
Walter Grain. Fairfax County
builder and resident of Sanitary
District No. l has attacked the
bond issue program in hopes
that its defeat could force Gre
alton of a County Sanitary
Authority.
Mr.. Grain was member of a
12-member commission ap-
pointed by the supervisors to
study the county's sanitation
needs. That commission unan-
imously recommended creation
of an authority to build and op-
crate an integrated sewer sys-
tenn.
Mr.. Grain said he favored the
authority plan because its bonds
would pe pure revenue bonds.
Its rates would be subject to re-
view by the State Corporation
Commission. It could issue bonds
as it needed them without a
referendum.
Financial Question.
County Executive C. c. Mas
Sey, in reply to Mr.. Grain, said
the supervisors abandoned the
authority idea because financial
advisers doubted that an author
ity could issue more than $6 OF
81 million in revenue bonds at
one time.
According to Mr.. Grain. the
authority might issue only 81
million at one time-but issue
more as its facilities expanded
and its income increased.
He said he was depressed ano
disappointed" to see the author.
ity idea abandoned. THE au-
thority could borrow 81 or 81
million as it needed it. That's
the sensible way" said Mr.. Grain
He added that the people coulc
appeal authority rates to thl