Evening star., 1961-10-04
Fairfax Gets
SS4.5 Million
Growth Plan
Budget Office Lists
Anticipated Needs
Of Next 10 Years
BY JOHN LAWSON
Star Staff Writer

An SS4.5 million capital inn
provements program to provide
facilities for the next 10 years
of growth in Fairfax County
went to the Board Of Super
viSors today.
Prominent in the program
are proposed expenditures of
SAT- million for school con-
struction and expansion. STA
million for parks and $13.6 mil
lion for streets and drainage.
The county's first public golf
courses are included in the list
of projects.
/ The program, drawn up by
the county'S budget office, is
designed to show the ability of
Fairfax to keep. up with its
expanding population, said
County Executive Carlton C.
Massey.
f 1t commits no funds but is
designed to acquaint the super
visors with anticipated needs
during the decade beginning
next July, he said.
Budgeting Plan Proposed
The program recommends
that in future years the county
spend at least 20 per cent of
its total budget on capital i'm
provements and that a quarter
OF all capital items be paid out
OF current operating revenue.
Except for sewer and water
facilities which are self-sup-
porting, the program lays out
virtually all the needs of the
county as envisioned. by it's de-
partment heads.
One major item, a new.
county office building, was
left out of the plan because
the county is uncertain where
and when and at what cost it
will build such a facility, Mr..
Massey said. .
The structure will be needed
soon, but the supervisors have
been contemplating an offer to
move the county seat to a tract
near Tyson's Corner-a project
which could involve construc-
ton of additional buildings.
/ The $84.5 million program
probably If carried out. would
mean little or no tax increase
since taxable wealth is expected
to increase by 70 per cent. ac-
cording to the budget Offices
report.
The program. it said. lis well
within the county's ability to
pay. In fact, though the coun-
tvs debt would increase by SIS
million to STU million, the
ratio of bonded debt to property
value would decrease from the
present 9 per cent to 7 per
cent"
/ The capital Improvement
proposals are based on esti-
mates that the county's popula-
ton will grow by 17I,000 to a
total of $4,000 by 1872.
More than half the program
81 per cent-involves schools
and libraries.
so New Schools
About so new schools will be
needed for an expected enroll
ment of 100000. Funds for
some of the school construction
and expansion already have
been authorized in the S26 mil
lion bond issue approved by
voters last year.
Also envisioned in the pro-
gram are five new branch Ii
braries and additions and i'm
proVements TO present branch
libraries as well as the still in
completed central library.
The program calls of expend-
itures of $3.J million for neigh
borhood parks, $ll million for
stream valley parks and $5.6
million for regional parks. More
than $3.5 million of this would
be underwritten by the Federal
Government by new legislation,
Mr.. Massey said.
Four golf courses would also
be constructed under the pro-
: gram at a cost of almost $2.4
million.
The program recommends
that land be acquired for all
four courses in 1868 and that
construction begin in 1864. Golf
course fees would amortize the
cost in about 20 years, accord
ing to the program.