Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1920-03-19
The County Treasurer Bill Dis
cussed.

Of Montgomery county, through the columns
of your paper, some of the facts appearing
at hearing before the members of tn,
Montgomery county delegation of the Stat,
Legislature at Annapolis, March 3rd. will
regard to House Bill 244, introduced b,
Chairman Charles G. Griffith. of the Mont
eomery county delegation in the present
House of Delegates. which bill provide.
for the selection of County Treasurer Of
Montgomery county by a direct vote Of
the people rather than. as at present, by
appointment at the hands of the County
Commissioners.
Those in favor of the bill argued at the
hearing that the passage of the bill would
create proper system of handling the
public moneys of Montgomery county with
the usual checks and safeguards which
the United States Government. the Gov
eminent of the State of Maryland. and
twenty-one out of the twenty-five Of the
other counties Of Maryland have seen fit
to adopt for the control of their public
moneys. 1t was argued that the United
States Government and the Government
Of the State of Maryland have adopted
systems Of spending and holding the public
moneys, making necessary the action of at
least three independent officials or delibera-
tive bodies to actually disburse any Of the
public funds. 1t was further shown, as an
argument in favor Of the passage of the bill,
that twenty-one Of the twenty-five counties
of Maryland have Treasurer directly elect
ed by the people. whose duty it is to inquire
into the legal authority for each expendi-
ture requested by the Board of County
Commissioners. while. on the other hand,
the system at present in force in Mont
eomery county is to have the Clerk of the
County Commissioners. who is also County
Treasurer by the appointment Of the Board
of County Commissioners. and who holds
his office as Clerk and Treasurer at the
pleasure of the Board Of County Commits
sioners, pass upon the legal authority of
all expenditures requested by the Board
OF County Commissioners, which Board, as
stated above, is the Board from whom he
receives his appointment and at whose
pleasure he serves. 1t was argued that
the system at present in force in Mont
gomery county does not throw proper
safeguards around the handling of the
public moneys and that the Treasurer, so
appointed by the County Commissioners
and holding Office at the pleasure of the
Board, is not in proper position to pass
upon the legal authority for the expendi-
lures requested by that Board as an indie
Pendent official. for in reality he is depend
ent upon the Board which is asking the
disbursements.
Those opposed to the passage of the bill
argued that the present law was proper
and safe way of handling the public moneys
and that the change was not justified. The
opponents of the bill further argued that
the bill should not be passed. as it will in
crease the expenses of running the county
government some four thousand dollars
per year. In regard to this latter state
ment merely wish to say that the new
law, If passed, will authorize a total ex-
penditure of $1,000 a year in salaries.
$4,000 Of which may be spent at the dis
erection of the Treasurer for clerical assist
ants, and $500 at the discretion of the
County Commissioners for clerical assist
ants. Figures were produced at the hear
ing to show that the clerical work of this
same office was done at a cost to the
county of $9.84998 in 1918; $9,29O.86
in 1917 $8.091.40 in 1915.
Instead of increasing the expense Of the
County Commissioners office this bill would
be saving over the figures of 1918. The
figures quoted above are taken from the
reports of the County Commissioners, and
include the salary payments for clerical
work made in that office. with the excep-
ton of the salary of Mr. Perry E. Waters,
Supervisor of Assessments. These figures
do not deal with the salaries authorized
for this Office. but are merely the amounts
that have been paid to the clerical assist
ants to the Board of County Commissioners.
1t was also argued in support of the bill
that the County Commissioners had ex-
pressed their endorsements of a $4,000
yearly increase in the salary of their Clerk
and County Treasurer and a 100000
increase to be divided among the clerks in
the Office. which approved increase. to-
eether with the $6,7500O already allowed
by law as clerical salaries in the office of
the County Commissioners, makes a total
yearly amount of $8,500.OO. This amount
II it is not exceeded, as it appears to have
been in recent years. is 100000 less
than the total amount made available in
the bill providing for direct election Of
the County Treasurer.
The following facts relative to the dis
bursement of public moneys in Montgomery
county were developed, which. to my mind.
increase the necessity Of changing our
system from the present system to the
almost universal system Of handling public
moneys. as set forth in the present bill.
1t was shown at the hearing that by the
report Of the County Treasurer one men,
Der of the Board during the year 1918 was
paid $4,000 for services as member of
the Board of Assessors for $50 days at
tendance at $500 per diem. He was also
paid the sum of $1,000 for 200 days at
tendance as a member of the Board of
County Commissioners at $500 per diem.
He was also paid $4,000 for IL days at
tendance as member of the County Board
of Health at $500 per diem. These pay
ments show that this Commissioner re-
ceived per diem wage for 362 days dur
ing the fiscal year 1918. Reference to the
Treasurers report shows that Mr.. George G.
Bradley. Jr.. and Mr.. o. W. Robey were
both paid for 1852 days on a per diem
basis in 1918. There we're only $40 work.