Evening capital and Maryland gazette. (Annapolis, Md.) 1910-1922, 1916-01-29
SECOND MEETING
OF TAXPAYERS
Of Anne Arundel County Held On
Tuesday--Committee On Eff
cheney and Economy.
READY TO MAKE REPORT.
Retrenchment in County Expenses
Urged Form Important
Section in Report.

second meeting of the taxpayers Of
the ceunty, TO pass upon the report
and recommendations Of the committee
gained at the meeting held on Decem-
Der q, will be held next Tuesday.
Chairman George 7. Melvin. in an ad-
vertisement in The Capital today,
states that the committee has about
finished its work. and gives formal
notice of the convening of the general
meeting at the Court House at 1890
O'Clock on Tuesday
It is understood that the report will
be thorough, and viii represent a great
deal Of investigation and consideration
by the committee of matters of moment
to the taxpayers It will recommend
sweeping changes in local legislation
Senator Duvall last month called the
taxpayers together to consult with the
Anne Arundel county delegation as tC
desired and necessary bills to be put
through the Legislature at this ses-
sion One of the subjects brought up
was the exemption Of manufacturing
plants in the Fifth district, by which
several million dollars Of assessable
of taxes. and this will be discussed by
the committee report which viii prob
ably go into the matter in detail and
urge the County Commissioners to
have a general reassessment of prop
erty all over the county. Bills to re-
peal the present exemption law have
already been put in the Legislature by
Delegate Linthicum. 1t is said that a
full and equitable reassessment Of tax
able property in the county would add
sufficient 10 make the taxable basis
enough TO yield from $4,000 TO $50, 600
to the income with the present tax rate
Retrenchment in county expenses, ii
is understood will form an important
section of the report, and recommen-
dation will be made that the Clerk to
the Supervisor OF Assessments be abol-
ished
One question with which the COM
mittee has had much difficulty is the
incorporation of towns 1t has pro-
posed that Brooklyn, Curtis Bay and
Eastport be given municipal charters,
and that they be required TO carry a
greater proportion of their own eX-
penses for special privileges. This was
adopted, and at a later meeting of the
committee was stricken out but is like
" to be recommended by a majority of
the committee. Il is said that sug-
gestion that Brooklyn and Curtis Bay
be incorporated as one municipality
meets with favor in other sections of
the county,, where the plan of having
these towns supported out of the coun-
ty treasury as the rural sections are
has aroused much disfavor Other
districts object to paying for light and
police for Brooklyn and Curtis Bay and
the plant exemption scheme has been
protested against as enabling the up
per part of the waterfront of the coun-
" to escape paying its just proportion
of taxes. In fact, it has been claimed
that Brooklyn and Curtis Bay. in one
way or another. take more out of the
county treasury than they have been
paying in with exemptions. The re-
port of the committee may make
clean-cut declaration in specific terms
of the situation as it is viewed by the
taxpayers of the whole county
The committee has not come to an
agreement as to road legislation, and
this. it is expected. viii have to be de-
cided upon at Tuesdays meeting One
part of the committee is in favor of an
absolute return to contract system.
while another wishes to retain coun-
IL. engineer as the executive and tech
nicaI arm OF the County Commission
ers. in their capacity as a road board.
A bill has been drafted along the lines
of both views, but as yet has not been
acted upon. 1t gives discretionary
power to the County Commissioners to
let out the working or construction OF
roads by contract or TO have the work
done under their own supervision. by
employees and equipment of the county.
The bill has some of the provisions OF
the Montgomery county law, which is
said to be one of the most feasible and
practicable. as we'll as effective. in the
State
Tuesdays meeting will be very inn
portant one, and a large attendance of
citizens and taxpayers is looked for
The more people take an interest in
the machinery of the county govern
ment, the more efficient and economical
that government is bound to be. and
every white man and woman in Anne
Arundel who pays taxes ought to be
,-or,raSartad ar the meeting