Evening star., 1961-07-01
Will Appeal
Ban onMergerV Vote
Supervisors
Won't
Court RULING

July II referendum on con-
solidation of the county with
the town of Clifton into one
big city.
Fairfax Board Chairman
Anne Wilkins said a majority
of the supervisors had agreed
to the appeal. Formal action
is expected by the board next
Wednesday.
Meanwhile, Fairfax towns
move to city status, completed
yesterday, ran into some angry
reaction as more than 100
citizens gathered in the court
house last night to protest the
action.
Petitions will be circulated
by the citizens urging the new
city council to formulate an
agreement with the county for
consolidating new Fairfax City
and the county.
TwO-HOur Meeting
The county's appeal will be
laid before Justice Harry L.
Carrico of the State Supreme
Court of Appeals.
The supervisors decided to
appeal the circuit court de-
clsion calling off the referen-
dunn during a two-hour session
with county legal advisers.
That followed a trying morn
ing for the supervisors.
Fairfax towns move to be-
come a city was signed into
law by Circuit Judge Paul E.
Brown the first thing in the
morning. The move takes
roughly $40 million in real
estate assessments off the
county tax rolls.
Alexandria filed an annexa-
tion suit against the county
for 21.3 square miles of land
south of the city containing
an estimated population Of
more than $1,000.
Judge Explains Decision
And finally Judge Brown
called off the July II referen-
dun citing Inconsistencies" in
the statute. Il don't believe
the Legislature ever meant it
to apply to a case of this sort"
he said.
The citizens protesting Fair
fax towns switch to city status
met in the historic courtroom
of the county courthouse-lo-
Gated in the middle of the new
city.
Petitions are to be circulated
throughout town calling for
negotiations for consolidation
of city and county and for a
referendum on the matter.
The group heard from Super
visor William H. Moss who
urged citizens to rejoin the
county to avoid augmentation.
Citizens also heard from Su-
pervisor James Keith and
School Board member Merton
S. Parsons. both of whom live
in the new city and both of
whom will probably have to
give up their jobs as county Of
ficials.
Fifteen Cities Possible
Mr.. Moss told the group that
internal interpretations, such
as Fairfax towns latest move,
could lead to the creation of IS
cities-at Groveton, Spring
field, Mount Vernon, Seven
Corners and Mclean, among
others.
Each would have separate
water and sewer systems and
separate planning policies, he
said, making unified planning
virtually impossible.
The only member of the Fair
fax Town Council present last
night was E. A. Prichard. He
declined to participate in the
meeting, however.
About 800 signatures are
needed on the. petitions to re-
quire the city to negotiate with
the county for consolidation,
under State statute.
The group expects to present
the petitions to the city coun-
Gil sometime after the July IL
Democratic primary.
Next Available Move
If the council fails to nego-
tiate an agreement within six
the petitioners can ask
the Circuit Court to appoint
five representative citizens to
do it. After the consolidation
agreement was signed, a ref
erendum would be held.
County officials are in favor
of the move. A merger with the
City of Fairfax would not face
the legal difficulties the county
faced yesterday when its ref
on consolidation with
a town was called off, they be-
lieve.
Fairfax Mayor John c. Wood
dismissed the movement last
night as probably more hys-
terra than anything else"
The new city council will
meet Wednesday, he said, and
will appoint a school board
which will meet with the county
school board to work out de-
tails for city children to at