The Farmville herald and farmer-leader. (Farmville, Va.) 1934-1957, 1956-05-01
Public Hearing On County's l956-57
Budget Set Thursday In Courthouse
At 10 A. NJ; Widespread Interest Seen
Hearing Offers
Public Chance
To Air Views

public budget hearing may de-
velop into cons darahle more when
the Prince Edward county board
Of supervisors hold its hearing on
i956-57 county income and ex-
penditures Thursday
! The public hearing is set for 10
a. m The board will move up to
the Circuit Court room if attend
ance warrants it and indications
are this move Will be necessary
Board Chairman Edward Carter
has received word that consider
able news leverage is anticipated
With state dailies expecting to
send reporters
Citizens Right
The board chairman would not
hazard a guess as to the outcome
| Thursday since the session is
public hearing and he cannot
know what proposals Will be made
from the floor by citizens. The
law gives them an opportunity to
be heard before county budgets
are finally passed
Chairman Garter did say that
under ordinary conditions. the
meeting is provided merely to hear
an expression of the public will.
The immediate session is not ne
cessarily followed by a board de-
cision right away.
1t is likely that supervisors will
hear what county citizens have to
say about their budget then de-
liberate over a period of time be-
fore making a final decision
The probability of further de-
4 lay on the budget usually pub
lShcd in final form about May or
( June l. at the latest. stems from
4 THE issue of school financing
4 There is nothing of controversy
or difference in the secondary
matter of expenditures and in
come for the general county gov
eminent.
Up for review Thursday is a
/ part-apprOved part still-unsettled
budgetOf 1878 1856 In that budget
supervisors have designated Ssh
125 for schools on a tentative ba-
sis. That is considerably short of
the school boards budget still
school board thinking of S715.-
i 227.
Last year, supervisors after a
\ similar public hearing, made a lc-
gal minimum Appropriation for
schools. then developed a MONTH
to-month basis of financing of
| the county school system confer
4 ring monthly with Supt. T. j. Nc
llWaine on necessary funds. hTe
4 l955-56 school budget required
elimination of several teaching
positions, parttime basis of ScV-
eral others and dropping of the
! purchases of new BUSES.
The school boards present bud
get anticipates restoring the po-
sitionS and departments and pur-
chasing replacement buses
The broader aspects of the
county'S position accounts for the
wide public interest expected on
Thursday These include: a. a
county delegations report to
Governor Stanley that white Cit
lzens prCpondcrantly prefer clos
ing school to integrating them.
and 90 the governors assurance
that CLOSED" schools are a local
matter He said at a press con-
ference following the talk with
the delegation that the Common
wealth would not finance school
system in counties closing their
system by vote of legally conSti-
tuted authority. at the wish of
the people.
The delegation held a one-hour
closed conference last week with
| Stanley just two days after law
years for the National ASSOcia-
ton for the Advancement of Col
ored People CNAACP) moved in
federal court to force deSegrega-
ton in Prince Edward schools by
next September.
Members of the group alter
wards referred all questions to
/ the Governor who told reporters
that the discussion brought out
these points:
% Prince Edward residents
neither want nor seek a special
session of the General Assembly
to consider school legislation in
so far as Prince Edward is con-
cerned
% They expect 95 per cent or
more of the county's white resi-
dents will sign a new statement
affirming their support OF plans
to cease public school operations
rather than have any integra-
ton.
The delegation included Mayor
w c. Flt2ptrick of Farmvillc. J.
Rarrye Wall. editor of the Farm
vile Herald. r w Brooks. Jr..
president of the Prince Edward
chapter, Defenders of State Sow
ereignty and Individual Liberties:
r 3. Hamburg. president of the
Prince Edward Educational Cor
poratoion. and v. c. Womack,