Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1958-01-26

over the area but stiIl collects
property taxes from the residents.
In the 1852 annexation by Alex
andria. Fairfax County lost val
liable industrial property along
the Southern and RF.&P. rail-
roads. Falls Church is looking
longingly at commercially valuable
Seven Corners.
A provision of the annexation
laws says that there can be no
annexation il the land taking
would reduce the county's rev.
enues to the point where county
governmental functions or schools,
could not be adequately supported.
However. annexation Sessions
hold that loss Of revenue cannot
be q paramount factor in deciding
annexation cases.
In one decision involving Q pro-
posed annexation of Warwick
County territory by Newport News.
the court said that: 1T may be
that the annexation Of this ter
ritory will. for a while, at least.
embarrass somewhat the county Of
Warwick with respect to its rev.
enues: but that cannot be made
the criterion by which the annexa-
ton is to be adjudged."
Generally. amendments to re-
strict annexations have been diff
ficult to get through the General
Assembly due to the opposition
Of legislators from the cities and
rural legislators who represent
towns within their counties.
Fairfax County's own State
Senator. John A. K. Donovan,
who also represents Falls ChMch.
is opposed to sitting the growth
Of cities" He has introduced q
bill to protect the county from
annexation by towns, but not
cities. His bill also would prevent
Incorporation Of new towns.
The annexation laws developed
from the theory that urban areas
should have urban government
and rural areas should have rural
government. Generally the town
or city seeking more territory has
little difficulty convincing the
court that it needs more land for
expansion and that it can provide
more services TO the area adjacent
its boundaries than can the county.
Fairfax County officials argue
that with their County Executive
form Of government. adopted in
1852. they can provide urban gov
eminent for the faSt-growing
county. But town officials Of
Vienna argued in their successful
annexation suit that the Fairfax
County government is still "ineffec-
tive and unable to meet the needs
and requirements of strictly urban
communities.
New Concept Urged
State Delegate Omer L. H.rst
of Fairfax County has said that
Virginia needs to develop a met
ropolitan county concept" He
said the needs of the urban
counties are not being recognized
by the State.
A consulting firm employed by
the county to study the problem
also has recommended that a new
type metropolitan county" gov
eminent be authorized by the
General Assembly. Under this
plan the county would be divided
into separate service and taxing
districts. with each district hav-
ing a local elective board sub
ordinate to the county governing
body. The consultant said this
would enable the county to pro-
vide better services. and thus cut
down the pressure for incorpora-
ton Of highly urban areas.
But Fairfax County officials
fear that .co-ordinating planning
for the sprawling county viii be
impossible unless something Is
done to protect and stabilize its
boundaries.
One plan they are considering
involves Incorporating the entire
400 square miles into one huge
city. As a city II would not be
subject to annexation. Unless
the General Assembly gives the
county some protection. the
movement to incorporate the
county is likely to gain moment
UNI in the coming months.