Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-05-15
Budget Slated
ForFaNsChurch
Lifts Tax Rates
$1,2Se,S3l Total
Is $205, 056 Over
Current Spending

Current Spending
A 55-cent increase on both the
real and personal property tax
rate would be necessary to f.
nance a $1,289,831 budget pre-
sented to the Falls Church City
Council last night.
The proposed budget for gen.
eral city and school operation is
an increase Of $205,0 over the
current city and school opera
tons.
The council ordered the bud
get advertised and set a public
hearing and final action for 8
ppm. on June Is at George Ma
son High School.
The city's share of school ex-
Ipenses would amount to 1884, 121,
an increase of $119,331 over the
current year. Besides the city
contribution, the school board
anticipates more than 5000, 900
in Federal, State and other pay
ments to balance its record $813,-
406 budget.
The total proposed for city
operations is $705,710, a jump
of $85.725 over current city OPP
Irrational costs.
No New Pay Raises
The city budget provides no
funds for a salary increase for
city employees other than incre-
ments required in the pay
schedule. The school budget
calls for higher teacher salaries
to raise the pay scale in line
with teacher salaries elsewhere
lin the Metropolitan Area.
In his budget message to the
council, City Manager w. r.
woodbury. said he had urged all
departments of the city govern
ment to keep their requests to a
minimum without affecting the
services to the citizens of Falls
Church.
He told the council he felt
the budgets of the School Board,
Recreational and Advisory Boards
and the library could be trimmed
without affecting the service
rendered.
City Trash Collections
Mr.. Woodbury. said the pro-
posed budget for city operations
would enable the city to begin
its own trash and garbage collec-
Itions instead of contracting the
work as in the past. He said the
contract method has proved I'M
satisfactory because of lack of
control over the operation.
He said the city would be able
Ito take over this function with
only a minor increase in cost
over the current rate.
MIR. Woodbury. said the budget
also provides for hiring four
woman school crossing guards,
who would be paid on an hourly
basis at a rate of about $1.50.
He said the city has no woman
crossing guards at present as do
other communities in the Wash
ington area.
81 License Fee
Mr.. Woodbury. explained that
the total city and school budget,
besides requiring a 55-cent in
crease in the tax rate for real
and personal property. also
would require a ST fee to be i'm
posed for the city license tag
which was issued free in the cur
rent year. He said the 81 fee
would about cover the cost of
issuance of the license.
The council adopted the Ii
cense tag fee on a first reading,
but took care to call it service
charge" in order to permit the
city to collect it from military
personnel living in the city, as
well as civilians.
Mr.. Woodbury. also said the
business and professional license
tax rate would have to be slight
lily increased to help balance the
budget. The change he proposes
would increase revenues from
this source by about $4,000.
The council accepted on a first
Ireading the new scale of taxes,
increasing rates on almost all
businesses. but leaving the pro-
Ifessional license tax rate at SO
cents per 500 gross receipts.
IF the 55-cent rate is adopted,
the real estate tax would jump
from $3.50 per hundred to $3.05
Iper hundred. The personal prop
erty and public service corpo-
ration rate would increase from
$2.75 per hundred to $3.50 per
hundred.
IL More Teachers Asked
Chairman John A. johnson Of
the School Board and School
Supt. Irwin H. Schmitt asked the
council for authority to hire IL
additional teachers now for next
fall. in advance of action on the
budget. Mr.. johnson said that,
although the boards budget re-
quest asks for IS new teachers,
these IL are absolutely essen
tial." and should be offered con-
tracts now while the market for
teachers is still open.
Councilmen Charles E. kellogg
and w. Raymond Tayor objected
to giving the authority as put
ting undue pressure on the coun-
ell to approve the full school
budget" on June 25.
The council approved the
teacher-hiring authority, 4 to @
with the proviso that the action
does not commit the council
with regard to the proposed
budget.
CONVENTIONS