Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-05-29
IF airfax Boosts Tax,
Fixes Rate at $500
Rise of so Cents
Applies to Levy
Due in December

Fairfax County's tax rate for
1867 will be $500 a 50-cent
boost over the current rate. The
levy will apply on real estate and
personal property taxes due in
December.
The increase, the largest APP
proved at one time in recent
years. was adopted by the Board
of County Supervisors last night
after an eight-hour session.
A cut of $204,350 and an ex-
pectation of additional revenues
and SURPRISES enabled the board
TO cut % cents from a proposed
75-cent tax increase. The budget
adopted is a record total of $l8.5
million.
One of the new sources of
revenue will be a new business
license tax which the board ex-
poets to put into effect by JAM
uary /. Although no definite
business tax rates were agreed
on. the board estimated the new
source would produce a mini
mum of $l50,000 during the last
half of the fiscal year. The
county has no business license
tax now.
To Increase Teacher Pay
The board cut proposed $l1.8
million school budget by $50, 900
but County Executive Carleton
c, Massey said the cut would
not affect the teacher pay in.
crease agreed on by the school
board.
The cut in the school budget
was made after conference
with school board members, who
also were in session last night.
Two supervisors from outside the
urban area of the county, Stew
art T. DeBell and A. Claiborne
Leigh, held out for further re-
auctions on the school budget.
Both diSSented in the vote on the
$500 rate. They said they be-
lieved the budget could have
been reduced by another $780,
600 and the tax rate cut to So.
] Mr.. DeBell of Centreville, and
Mr.. Leigh of Dranesville, first
proposed a reduction of $3.50, 900
in the school budget, but several
OF their motions were defeated.
Supervisor James Keith said he
thought the school budget could
have been reduced by $500 900,
but he went along with the 1920
tax rate when it became clear
the other four supervisors would
not approve less. The trio
wanted TO cut the proposed
teacher pay hike and additional
funds set up for school admin
lstration and supervision.
CarryOver of Surplus
] School board members said
SCI, 900 more could be antici-
pated in surplus revenues to be
carried over from the current
year. Added to the $50 900 cut.
this reduced the amount needed
from tax funds by $150,000 and
the rate needed for school pur-.
poses by cents.
School board members pro-
tested that any substantial cut
in the budget would result in a
reduction in the teacher pay
plan. The school board has
agreed on a new scale which
would increase the beginning
salary from $4,000 to 100 and
would limit the increase for any
teacher now in the system to
$500.
One of the big items which
made it possible to reduce the
overall proposed rate was an
expected increase of $3.50, 900 in
surplus funds to be carried over
from the current year. Mr.. Mas
sey said the amount was under
estimated when the budget was
drawn up.
Auto License Yield
Auto licenses are expected to
bring in $4,000 more than esti-
mated and the board picked up
another $4,000 by increasing
estimated fees from the clerk
of court and trial justice officers.
! The board also took into &C
count an increase in the taxable
property values from 1913 mil
lion to 1920 million. Mr.. Massey
recommended the increase in
view of the building trend since
the budget was first drawn up.
The cuts from the general
fund included $4,000 set up for
a sewage treatment plant at
Great Falls Park, $4,000 from
the proposed library budget and
a total Of $35,200 from several
other items.
| Supervisor William Moss noted
that the budget as first proposed
would have increased the tax
rate by SLID.
I'VE have whitfield that down
to SO cents. That may look high,
but it looks pretty good To ME
when you consider what you first
asked he said. The tax rate
has gone up only 5 cents during
the past five years.