Evening star., 1954-06-10
Council Begins
Shaping Budget
In Alexandra
Pros and Cons Given
On Two Advertised
Plons at Hearing

AAAC AACAdAA01 Ad S1ty SOuIlC11
today went to work preparing q
third l954-5 budget after hear
ing pros and cons voiced at q
public hearing last night on two
budgets already advertised.
June q is the deadline for
adoption of the city's budget,
and the council expects to meet
it by holding almost nightly
conferences to arrive at a budget
agreement which apparently will
be somewhere between the two
already advertised.
The two budgets on which the
hearing was held were prepared
by City Manager Ira Willard.
No. /, totaling $50 million, re-
quireS no new or increased taxes.
1t was prepared at the direction
OF City Council to see how the
city could operate without rails
ing revenues. Budget No. 2 totals
$7.5 million. and represents what
Mr. Willard believes is essential
to run the city efficiently. Several
new and increased taxes are pro-
posed to finance it.
Only rs Speak.
Barely 100 attended the budget
hearing, and only IS spoke. A
number of speakers represented
PTA groups and civic organiza-
tlons who supported the School
Boards full budget requests, The
School Board asked $2.4 million
from the city. Since the request
was made. however. the school
board has received additional
Federal funds and has agreed
to get along with 100000 less
from the city than the amount
originally requested. Even with
the 100000 reduction, both
budgets fall short of the School
Board request. Budget No. l is
about $136.000 below the School
Board request. and No. 2 is about
$39, 900 lower.
Patrick H. Butler. sr., presi-
dent of the Alexandria PTA
Council, said every member
organization has gone on record
in favor Of granting the School
Board enough money to provide
a 5000 increase in the teacher
salary scale. to hire 20 additional
teachers and to continue school
construction. Representatives Of
seven individual PTA groups also
spoke in behalf of the school
appropriation.
Revenue Problem Cited.
Vice Mayor Leroy Bendheim
said the council does not intend
to reduce school services and is
working closely with school Of
f1cials to see where reductions
might be made. He warned that
the council is faced with the
problem of raising 100000 in
additional revenue next year.
A number who spoke thought
the council should hold the tax
line. and others favored sales
taxes or other sources Of revenue
instead of increased real estate
taxes. Representatives of pro-
fessional groups protested that
their business license taxes al
ready are too high.
Mrs. George Galland of the
League Of Women Voters urged
the council not to run the city
like a bargain basement" She
declared that the city should
provide the services that the
people demand.
Tax Burden Cited.
Col. j. w. Moreau of the
Clover Citizens Association con-
tended the council should live
within its income, and not in
crease taxes. He said family
incomes had not increased in the
past year, and people couldn't
afford to pay more taxes.
H. A. Dugan. executive chair
man Of the Alexandria Volunteer
Fire Department. protested an
appropriation to hire IL addi-
tional paid flremen, and asked
that funds for volunteer fire.
mems uniforms be reinstated.
Robert Riner, representing
three veterans organizations.
and Walter E. Sanford, jr., of
the Civil Defense Advisory Com
mittee, urged the council to
make an appropriation to con-
tinue operation of the citys civil
defense Office. 1t would be abol-
ished by Budget No. l and con-
tinued in the second budget.