Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-03-08
COMMITTEE 0. KS
ANNAPOLIS BILLS
Montgomery Federation Will
Be Asked to Approve
Three Measures.
BY WILLIAM S. TARVER,
STAFF Correspondent Of The Star.

STAFF Correspondent OF The Star.
BETHESDA, Md, March Three
important legislative measures, intro
duced in the House of Delegates during
the past week, are approved, with GER
tain minor amendments, in reports the
Montgomery County Civic Federation
will be asked to adopt at it's meeting
Monday night. The study of the bills
and recommendations thereon are made
by the federation's Public Finance and
Budget Committee
The bills considered are those au-
thorizing bond issues for 1881 1898 for
school and road construction; establish
ing board of assessment and creating
county Disbursement Committee.
ShOrt-term Notes Sought.
The report onsthe bond-issue bill con-
tainS the information that administra-
ton leaders intend to seek additional
legislation authorizing the county COM
miSsionerS to issue Short-term notes in
amount not to exceed 100000, which
must be repaid prior to the expiration
of the term OF the county commission
erS now in office.
1t is said that the plan is to use the
proceeds of these short-term notes, in
part, to pay the interest requirements
during 1922 on $234,00 in bonds.
which, it is said, cannot be financed
from existing sources of revenue, and
also to make available further amounts
for increased operating expenses during
these years.
The report states that it is proposed
to make failure of the county commits
sioners to provide for repayment of the
short-term notes within their terms of
office misdemeanor and a bar to re-
election.
The plan is to repay the Short-term
notes from the increased revenues re-
sulting from the increased property
values which will become subject to
taxation in 1888 by reason of the gen.
eral reassessment, the report states.
Object To No Restrictions.
The principal objection voiced by the
Finance Committee to the bill now being
considered is that the proposed legisla-
ton places no restrictions upon the
amount of bonds to be retired in any
one year, and authorizes a maturity
date not in excess of 40 years from the
date Of issuance.
In this last regard the report states:
While the county commissioners
would have ample discretion to issue
bonds in conformity with the standards
Of safety laid down by the federation.
the committee desires to emphasize at
this time that either the proposed legis-
lation should be amended to require the
commissioners to issue bonds to mature
not more than 80 years from the date
of issuance, or else it should be under
stood that the commissioners will, when
the proper time comes, exercise their
discretionary authority in conformity
with such standards"
The resolution the federation will be
asked to adopt points out that the pro-
jected bond issues would be sufficient to
care for all school and road projects
approved by the federation for the
years 1931-32-33.
The bill, together with another bill
which will seek the authorization of
100000 refunding bonds. calls for a
total bond issue for the three years of
1884 900, of which amount 81 $50 900
would be spent on road construction and
S764 900 for schools.
This total is $234,0 900 in excess of the
amount the committee reckons can be
conservatively financed from existing
sources of revenue. The bond issue
proposed by the federation was ST.
100000, or $234000 less than that
sought in the proposed legislation.
Assessment Board Approved.
Another report approves the proposed
manent Board of Assessment, with an
amendment providing for publication Of
proposed assessments and reasseSs-
ments at least so days before they be-
come final, as well as Immediately fol-
lowing the time they become final, as
the bill provides.
Commencing the bill the committee
states that 1t "is of the opinion that the
creation Of the new Board of Assess
ment will be a distinct improvement
over the existing system. A board of
assessment with countrywide jurisdic-
ton will result in a uniformity of as
sessments and reassesSmentS between
the various sections of the county that
is not possible under the existing SyS-
tenn, where group of men in one cleo
ton district assess and reaSseSS with
out any reference to the standards and
bases governing similar groups in other
election districts. Further, such a
Board of Assessors should be less sus-
ism than would board Of assessors APP
pointed from the particular locality
assessed"
Although there are minor advantages
and disadvantages to each district in
the new schedule of reaSseSsment, they
are equaliZed and no district is dis
eliminated against, the report asserts.
ReasSessment Plan.
The schedule of reassessment follows
1932-The seventh, or Bethesda, cleo
ton district This reassessment will not
be reflected in the tax bills until 1888,
the same year the general assessment
would occur under the existing law.
1888 - The thirteenth, or Silver
Spring Takona Park election district.
This reassessment will be reflected in
the tax returns for 1888.
1934-The tenth, fourth and fifth
election districts. This reassessment is