Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-03-09
BROADER l POWERS
.'s0uGHT FOR TOWN
~ Hz,fT
GaithersDuly BIZ! introduced
: in Legislature by Dr..
=. Edmonds.
Z q staF Correspondent of The star.

fe BY q StaH Correspondent of The Star.
- ANNAPOLIS, Md, March s.-Broader
powers which they may exercise for the
Improvement of the town are given the
: mayor and council Of the town of
tCaithersburg in bill introduced in
the House Of Delegates yesterday by
=. DR.. George L. Edmonds of Rockville.
4dTfe proposed law, which takes the form
Of amendments to the present town
charter, and some additions, would
give the town fathers authority to pro-
vide for the improvement Of streets,
Sidewalks and cutters, whereas now
they have only authority to establish
streets. 1t also would remove the fixed
limitation the amount of money which
> can be borrowed by the town for public
! Improvements. and makes it flexible on
the basis Of & percentage of the assessed
valuation of the real property.
Whereas the town officials are now
limited to $4,000 in the amount of
money which they may borrow for pub
lie Improvements, the proposed change
: would make the amount not to exceed
per cent of the assessed valuation of
real property.
q New Minimum Set.
l. ilC iJiSS~4ll t11dILET likes Il minimum
amount which can be borrowed at $3.50.
and the proposed new law would make
it not less than one-twentieth of the
amount Of the indebtedness.
section Of the charter gives the
officials authority to assess the cost of
opening, repairing. widening. extending
or improving sidewalks in Whole or in
part against the abutting property own
ers, which the town officials NAV COL
lect either before or after the work is
cone. However, an owner is given the
right to elect to pay the total assess
ment in five annual installmCnts. the
deferred payments to bear interest at
per cent. But. before aa1y such
assessment is to be made against the
abuttlng property owners, the officials
must give 10 days notice by publica
ton, prior to the passage of an ordi-
nance Tor this purpose, and give any
cWner the right to be heard. Anv de-
clslon OF the mayor and council in this
respect may be appealed to the Circuit
Court OF Montgomery County and the
issue to be tried by jury. Provision
is made for further appeal to the
Court OF Appeals of Maryland at An
napolis
Another amendment provides that
the TWO members Of the town council
electeo IN 1923 shall serve their four
year terms from the first Monday in
June, 1923, and the two to be elected
at the election on the first Monday in
may, 1880, shall serve four years from
the 1st OF June Of that year.
Provides for Registration.
A new section to the charter pro-
vides that the mayor and council must
furnish the election registrars with a
book in which to register voters and
supply place where they may sit.
1t is provided also that the registrars
must give at least two weeks notice
by publication Of the time and place
for their sittings. Another, provision
would make it mandatory that regis
trations be held on the last Monday in
March or the first Monday in April
Of each election year, but for the con-
venience Of the citizens of the town
the mayor may appoint another day
1t is made mandatory on the regis
trarS in another new section proposed
to record the names Of all persons who
appear and make application, together
with such information as the mayor
and council may by ordinance require.
They also would be compelled to strike
off the names of all deceased persons
and those who have moved or remain
ed absent from the town for a period
of six consecutive months, except those
who are charged on the books as tax
payers. Provision also is made for
those aggrieved by any decision of the
registrars to appeal to the Circuit Court
Of Montgomery County which is given
final jurisdiction.
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