The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1886-02-20
THE BELT COMMISSION BILL
Protest of the County Commissioners
Against the Bill now Pending Be-
fore the Legislature.

At the meeting of the Board of County Commits
sioners on the 9th inst, the following protest
against the "Belt Commission" bill was drawn up
and adopted and copies of the same were ordered
to be furnished the members of the Legislature
from this county:
To the Honorable the Senator'S and the Members
ofthe House of Delegates from Baltimore County:
The undersigned, County Commissioners of Bal
tinore county, disavowing any wish or purpose
to obstruct interfere with any legislation rea-
sonably required for the good of the county or
any portion thereof, nevertheless most respectfully
protest against the passage of the bill recently
introduced into the House called the "belt COM
mission bill" and beg leave to submit the follow
ing to your consideration
The administration CT our county affairs has
heretofore been in the hands of County Commits
a sipnssfs whose duty i is under the law to make
The levy is made in advance, and based ON esti-
mates of what the expenses will be- So long as
the expenses are under the control OF the county
Commissioners they are able to form a reasonable
estimate as the basis for their levy. The pro.
posed bill, as we are informed, takes the controi
of the police, fire and lamp lighting departments
out of the hands of the County Commissioners
and puts them in the hands of the special COM
mission, with unlimited power to enlarge those
departments.
II authorizes the special commissioners named
in the bill to increase the police force to whatever
number they may see fit. 1t enlarges the sphere
of the fire department by possible locations In
other localities than the Belt, and authorizes the
selection of persons in addition to the commits
sioners named, whose duty it shall be to investi-
gate fires, conduct inquiries, call for witnesses
examine them under oath, report them 10 inc
Circuit Court and have them fined and imprison-
ed for non attendance, &C., with numerous oIner
provisions And that for the several departments,
&c VUIfh
| all employees in addition to the pay-rols OF tne
| commissioners, shall be forwarded to the County
| Commissioners, who are required to pay the same
| tits safe to assume that very considerable IN
crease of cost will be entailed under such an ar
rSngement and that the cost will vary from month
to month and from time to time, according 70 tne
| exieencies of the public service; nor will any
provision in the bill limiting the amount OF the
appropriation be effective for that purpose.
! All persons employed under authority OF law
will have right to be paid for their services,
and all such services will be in the nature of a
debt incurred against the county, which the Coun-
ty Commissioners will be compelled by law to pay
We have been elected by the people to perform
the same duties which have hitherto been perform
| ed by our predecessors in office, and we DO MOI
shirk those duties or the responsibilities when
properly attach to them. But we submit IL viii
| be a grave Injustice to us if we are, as we must
be. responsible for the financial interests OF the
county. and at the same time be unable to control
the expenses or to provide beforehand, from want
of knowledge, for the sums which we will be call
ed upon to levy.
We respectfully suggest that there are no cir
cumstances at present existing to call for so wide
| a departure from the established method of oul
county government. We are not cognzant Of
any demand for such a change by any consider
able number of persons residing within or out
side the Belt. In our judgment the measure, il
enacted into law, will produce inevitable confu
sion and embarrassment
Whatever regulations, either police or sanitary
which the inhabitants of the Belt may desire, anC
what the wisdom of the Legislature may provide
by appropriate legislation, will be cheerfully ant
epersetcall yHarcifl hrfos "0-,is. "nu von
tinue to have, without the power OF controilins
public expenditures, and being able to estlma'
| for them in advance.
We do not think our county has progressed DC
yond the stage in which its affairs can be proper
: " managed by Board of Commissioners eieete
by the people. We believe the simplest macnlr
ery capable of conducting its affairs to be the Des
. and we believe the present to be the slmpies
least expensive and most satisfactory.
For these and other reasons, which we ioroe'
, to mention, we hope that the bill will not Do su
f fered to become law. Respectfully,
JOHN L. CIRCUIT,
JAMES RITTENHousE,
. THOMAS TODD.