Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1958-05-24
Five Cent TaxRise
Voted for Fairfax
S25.9 Million
Budget Gets
Bourd Okuy

the Fairfax County Boafd Of
Supervisors last night passed a
record s25.s million budget for
1852 and increased the real
estate and personal property
TAX rates s cents each.
\The rate increases were voted
after an all-day session which
saw the board cut IS centstrom
a proposed 40-cent tax increase.
The new rates are $3.50 per
500 assessed valuation on both
real estate and perbonaI
property. 4
Approval came over the OBJ
jections Of Supervisors A. Clai-
borne Leigh and Stuart I. De-
Bell who lost a motion calling
for retention Of the present
S3.25 rates.
Advertised Budget CIT
The board had cut more than
81 $4,000 from the advertised
budget Of $27.4 million, and was
in the process Of approving tax
increases Of 4 cents.
Mr.. Leigh made a motion to
that effect. When ,he lost, su-
pervisor William Moss moved
that the new figures be rounded
out at $3.50. II
The extra" penny. ofhcials
said, would yield the county
$40, 900. 1t will be used later
for capital improvements.
Despite the cuts. most Of
them made in capital outlay
proposals. the budget Sin gen.
eral" will maintain the present
level Of services, Mrs. Anne
wilkins, board chairman Aaid.
The tax rates are based on
an estimated tax base Of $4l5
million.
School Request Trimmed
One Of the larger budget cuts
was made in the $18.1 million
school request. It was cut
more than $330.000.
While the supervisors cam
not tell the School Board how
to spend its money. it can de-
termine the amount it spends
from receipts from local taxes.
The latter figure will be about
$l1.2 million instead OF the
requested $l1.4 million.
The supervisors cut $185,0 900
from the school operating budg-
ct and recommended that the
educators take up the slack by
dropping the driver training
courses in the eight county
nigh schools. The program costs
an estimated $4,000 a year,
officials said.
The remaining $135,000 was
part of a $234.O00 request for
hiring new teachers to lower
the county's elementary school
teacher-pupil ratio. The board
said it wanted to leave the
remaining $99,000 in the fund
to signal "a step in the right
direction"
Park Funds Retained
Capital outlay cuts totaled
more than 100000, but $780,
900 was retained for the pur-
chase of park land, $50, 900 for
beginning Of construction on
a 100000 school administra-
ton building, $3.50. 900 for pub
/ lie works, including funds for
storm drains and roads. and
$4,000 for a sewage treatment
plant at Great Falls Park.
A $149.500 request earmarked
for the purchase and improve
ment Of school sites also was
cut from capital outlay.
The board maintained that
more site funds should be
taken from bond money.
Over the objections OF Mrs.
Wilkins. a $4,000 request for
purchase Of a site for a library
was cut to $4,000.
other capital outlay funds
retained included $4,000 for
building improvements and ad-
ditional parking space near the
courthouse.
License Increase Helps
In approving the new tax
rates, some board members said
the figures would have been
considerably higher" If the
county automobile license plate
fee had not been raised this
year from S. to $40. They also
cited the fact that the School
Board will not sell as many
construction bonds next year.
This enabled the supervisors to
reduce the debt service fund
by 100000. Another $4,000
was counted on from a new tax