Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1954-02-05
Other Taxes 10 Rise
# Sales Levy Fails,
Legislators Told
By Alex R. Preston
Sfoy Stoff CorFespondent

StoT Stoff Correspondent
RICHMOND, Feb. 5.-The
strong indication of a real estate
and personal property tax in
crease in Arlington unless the
county imposes a retail sales tax
was being studied by two legisla-
tive committees today.
Alvin Kimel of the Arlington
County Board, speaking in behalf
of an Arlington sales tax bill at
a public hearing yesterday, said:
1--WE want an opportunity to
give the people a vote on this.
We have no alternative but to
increase the real estate and per-
Sonal property tax"
The two committees also were
confronted with a major policy
decision over whether the sales
tax plan should be permitted to
creep over the State, county-by-
county, in piecemeal fashion.
A decision on the fate of the
bill may be forthcoming on Tues
day, at the next meeting of the
House Committee on Counties,
Cities and Towns
Meanwhile Delegate Sam Pope
of Southampton dropped in a
general Statewide sales tax
measure today. The bill would
impose a 2 per cent levy on re-
tail sales.
Mr.. Pope has made a similar
attempt at the last three sessions
Of the General Assembly, with
out success.
Not Opposed at Hearing.
Public hearings on the Airing
ton legislation and a similar bill
for Washington County, in
Southwest Virginia, were held
by joint committees of both
branches of the Legislature. AL
though publicized in advance.
no opponents showed up.
A resolution from the Airing
ton Civic Federation opposing a
sales tax was read.
Chairman j. Maynard Magru-
der of the House committee, who |
presided. is a co-patron of the |
Arlington bill He said it would |
come up at the next meeting of |
his group.
Mr.. Kimel said the County |
Board asked the legislative dele |
cation to authorize sales tax,
which the board would impose
"only as a last reSort-and only
If Alexandria, Fairfax and Falls
Church would go along with us
1T has to be a Northern Vir-
ginia proposition" he declared
Senator Charles r. Fenwick
replied: Il can't see why only the
cities in Virginia should have the
monopoly on the right to impose
q sales tax. The Virginia Advis-
DRY Legislative Council made a
study of the situation and has
recommended that the counties
be given more of the powers that
only cities now have"
Delegation Opposed.
Mr.. Fenwick made it clear |
that the Arlington delegation is |
opposed to sales tax. He en-
phasized that the legislation was
introduced at the request of the |
local governing body of his |
county-the group that has to
face the problem of financing. |
InStallment payments of local |
taxes to relieve the tax load that |
falls at one time on December S
was proposed to the General As
sembly today.
Delegate Omer Hirst of Fair
fax introduced the bill. 1t would |
permit county boards of super
visors to advance the due date
on personal property and real |
estate taxes from the present
December deadline. which also
is the final date for paying State
income taxes.
Inasmuch as personal property
and real estate levies go into
the local treasures, these are
the only taxes involved in the
bill.
THE idea is to spread the tax
burden" Mr.. HirSt said. Taxes
now are due just before Christ
mas and that works a hardship
on a lot of U.S."
The supervisors. under his bill,
could spread the payment out
for installment payments.
Arlington on Installments.
Arlington already has author
ity for installment payments un-
der a former law. A bill author
izing the deadline to be advanced
up to July has been introduced
at the current session by that
county's delegation.
The Arlington House delega-
ton dropped in a measure that
would give that county the same
authority to condemn property
for rights-of-way for roads that
the State Highway Commission
now has in the rest of the State.
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