Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1927-01-28
FsvOrs Gas Tax To Cut Crossings

Pointing out that 1t would be far more
equitable to increase the gasoline tax in
Maryland to help pay the cost of removing
railroad Grade crossings than to saddle the
property owners Of the State with the cost,
by bond issues or otherwise, Mai. E. Brooke
Lee. Speaker Of the House Of DELEGATES,
has Just made public statement favorine
the tax. He added that those who use
the roads should pay for the elimination
Of the crossings, and. as il was a luxury
tax they could cut down their pleasure
driving II 1t was too heavy at times, but
II 1t is saddled on the property owners they
could do nothing to reduce their expenses
in this regard.
he also asserted that to require the State
TO issue bonds for the elimination Of these
crossings would throw such a burden on
the poorer counties of Maryland that it
would prevent thsm from issuing bonds
urgently needed to provide funds for the
erection Of school houses.
The proposal to raise the gasoline tax
rather than issue State bonds to eliminate
grade crossings" said the statement, land
rather than continue TO issue State and
county bonds to build lateral roads, seems
purely a question Of determining the most
equitable and sound method Of raising the
money for these important purposes and
should be considered entirely from a bust
ness standpoint
Either the States half of the money
needed to eliminate grade crossings will
have TO be produced by a l-cent increase
OF the gasoline tax. or by the issuance Of
SlO.OOO.O00 worth of additional bonds
upon the real estate of Baltimore City and
the counties during the next TO- year period,
or the proposed grade crossing elimination
will have to be dropped.
TO continue to build lateral roads $780,
900 Of additional State bonds have to be
issued each year (of which fund 20 per
cent is spent in Baltimore City,, to which
sum is added 100000 in county lateral
road bonds. each county being required to
match its share Of the State bond issue
fund in that particular county for lateral
road construction, or State participation in
lateral road construction will cease.
IF the bond issue plan is followed all
OF the cost Of grade crossing elimination
and lateral road construction will be placed
upon the homes, the farms and the bust
ness properties and the assessed personal
property Of Baltimore City and the counties
III the gasoline tax is raised, the auto
mobile users who benefit by grade cross
ing elimination and who use lateral roads
will pay the cost Of these improvements,
which are largely made necessary by the
increasing use of the automobile.
Under either plan, probably more than
half Of the total tax will be paid by prop
erty owners who operate automobiles, but
under the plan Of raising the gasoline tax
foreign automobiles. of which thousands uss
the Maryland roads annually, and the auto
mobile residents of the State who do not owl
real estate or assessed personal property,
as well as commercial vehicles using tn,
State roads, will undoubtedly make up tc
a considerable portion of the total fund |
the gas tax plan is followed
IF the Gas tax plan is adopted the ad
ditional tax really becomes a luxury ia,
because In those cases where the extr,
amount collected is actually burden upoI
the taxpayer the operation of the tax
payers automobile for pleasure purpose
can be cut down to save in automobile
operating cost for the year the amount o
the additional tax paid. No such opera
ton is possible for the home owner, tn,
farm owner or the taxpayer owning
business property. They will have to pa,
the fiat tax put upon them through con
stantly increasing bond issues each yea
without regard to how much the additions
burden on the home. the farm or the bust
ness hurts.
The counties are now being requires
each year TO issue county bonds to NEE
their respective share Of the States $500,
900 of the lateral road bond issue spen
in the counties. This constant increas
in the bonded Indebtedness Of each coun
~ Is serious increase In the burden o
direct county taxation and is using up tn,
ability Of certain Of the poorer counties t
issue school bonds for the construction o
new school houses. which have to be bull
entirely from the funds Of the county who's
children need additional school facilities.
Surely 1t is sounder county financing {
increase the gas tax and pay for the latera
roads as they are built rather than to con
tinue annually to increase the bonded in
debtedness Of the individual counties IL
an endless effort to match the $500, OO(
spent in the counties from the Statewide
lateral road bond issue. Of which latte
100000 the counties also pay consider
ably over so per cent.
THE richer counties could then issue from
time to time county bonds for such add
tional improved roads as their taxable
basis and outstanding bonded indie bted
ness justified.
AN"NN hNhA NhC montgomery COunll
standpoint. to continue to build latere
roads from State and county bond pro
ceeds will require the property owners o.
Montgomery county to assume approx
mately $4,000 worth of county bond.
each year and to Become liable Annually
along with the rest Of the State, for $780,.
900 worth Of State bonds, Of which latter
amount Montgomery county taxpayers will
actually pay of through direct State taxes
over $4,000 in State bonds each year.
Building the lateral roads from an in
crease in gasoline tax will on the other
hand. require Of the automobile users Of
the entire State to pay for the lateral
roads as they are built. so that the prop
erty owners of any county will actually
nav smallar nercentaoa If tho ,o,.t -