Evening star., 1953-04-23
Fairfax County
Tax Rate Raised
Sc 10 $40
Budget for Schools
Reduced $98,750
To $6,325,570

Fairfax County's 1853 tax
rate is $2.70.
This is five cents higher than
the 1852 levy of $2.65, but is Is
cents below the rate Of $2.95 that
originally was proposed for this
year. In Fairfax. the same rate
applies to real estate and per-
sonal property taxes.
The $2.70 levy was adopted by
a unanimous vote of the Board
Of County Supervisors yesterday.
It required a $66,500 cut in the
proposed general fund budget,
and a $98.750 reduction in the
school budget.
AS finally adopted, the total
county budget for 1858 is
SO, 1884, ,931 of which $6,325,570 is
for schools. Originally, the pro-
posed county budget was about
500 million of which $6.4 million
was for schools.
Proposal Reduced.
The proposed 1853 rate already
had been brought down to $2.84
as the supervisors began their
meeting yesterday. This was be-
cause an additional $207,760 in
Federal aid funds for schools be-
came available after the original
rate of $2.95 rate was proposed.
To bring the $2.84 rate down
to $2.7O, they first increased the
percentage Of anticipated tax
collections from 80 to 80 per cent.
County Executive C. c. Massey
said tax collections had averaged
80 per cent for the past several
years, and he thought it would
be safe to count on 90 per cent
collections this year. This in
crease in anticipated collections
added about $87, 900 on the reve-
nue. side of the budget.
The supervisors cut about $70,-
900 from their budget as follows:
$4,000 from park authority
funds; $18,450 from Sidewalks;
800 from a special fund for
George Washington parkway
right-of-way acquisition; $4,750
from election expenses.
School Board to Decide.
The supervisors could not
specify where school funds would
be cut, but merely pared the
total school appropriation by
$98,75O. Schools Supt. w. T.
Woodson said the school board
probably would decide what
items to cut or delete from the
school budget at meeting Mon
day night.
Although the George Wash
ington parkway funds were de-
leted, the supervisors adopted a
resolution agreeing to put up
the necessary funds for right-of-
way acquisition as soon as it is
required by the Federal Gov
ernment.
The sidewalk fund was cut in
half, leaving $18.450 still ear
marked for sidewalk construction.
This is the first time the county
has provided money for sidewalk
construction. It is planned to use
the money to build sidewalks
near schools.
G. Wallace Carper. chairman
of the Board of Supervisors, said
he opposed any sidewalk fund in
the budget. He said it would set
a bad precedent. Mr.. Carper said
sidewalk construction should be
financed by highway funds which
the county is allocated by the
State.
Proposals Unchanged.
Additional levies in individual
sanitary districts for sewage,
trash and garbage collections,
fire hydrants and street lights
were adopted as originally pro-
posed. They are: Sanitary Dis
trict No. sewer levy. 20 cents;
Sanitary District No. / refuse
levy, Is cents; Sanitary District
No. /, small district A levy for fire
hydrants, Is cents; Sanitary Dis
trict No. /, small district B levy
for street lights, 6 cents; Sani-
tary District No. 4 refuse levy,
Is cents.
These separate levies bring the
total tax rate for some residents
of Sanitary District No. l to $3.50.
The supervisors yesterday
granted the following rezonings:
One acre adjoining the business
district at Lee boulevard and An
nandale road. from urban resi-
dence to general business; one
acre on the west side of Gallows
road at Merrifield, from suburban
residence to rural business.
The following rezoning petit
tions were denied: Al acres on
the south side of Route 236 at
Route 787, from agricultural to
general business: three-fourths
of an acre on the west side of
Springfield road about 300 feet
south of Franconia road, from
agricultural to rural business,
and two lots at the southeast
corner of Lee highway and Fair
mont street. fremont Gardens.
from suburban residence to gen.
eral business.