The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1932-11-24
Favor ALLEGATION of Portion of
Gasoline Tax to Counties of the
State For Road Work
RESOLUTION is PASSED

Favoring the ALLEGATION of
part of the receipts from the
State gasoline tax to the coun-
ties of Maryland for road work
and the reduction of the amount
each county must include in it's
tax rate in order to participate
in the public school equalization
system, the county commission
ers of % counties of the State,
meeting at Annapolis last Fri
day, adopted two resolutions
setting forth their recommendations.
All three members of the County Com
missioners' board of Garrett county
attended the meeting and took part
in the discussions as questions arose.
The commissions recommended that
portion of the funds now raised
from a tax on gasoline and expended
under the supervision of the State
Roads Commission for maintenance of
State roads, be allocated to the sew
eral counties to be spent under the re-
spective boards of county commission
ers for maintenance of county roads.
Opposition to the resolution on this
suggestion was registered by Brooke
Lee, member of the State Roads Com
mission and spokesman for Governor
Richie, who said the State was pre-
pared to aid the counties in the upkeep
of their roads to the extent of be-
tween $1,20O,0OO and $1,5OO,O0O, but
insisted that the commission have the
right to eXpend the money.
The second resolution requested a
reduction of 81 cents in the sum each
county must include in it's tax rate
in order to participate in the public
school equalization system. The pres
ent system requires each county to
collect CT cents on each 500 of as
sessable property before the State
will provide any deficit between the
collections in that county and the ex-
penses of it's school system.
Garrett County Commissioners rec
commended that part of the reduc-
ton be made up by an assessment or
tax on the salaries Of every public
official of the county and state above
$1,000. "This would cause no greater
State assessment and would neceSsar-
lily reduce the tax rate on all assessa-
BILE property in the countless" George
D. Browning, president of the local
board, said in the meeting. Nothing,
however, was done with our recon-
mendation at the session on Friday"
Mr.. Browning said yesterday in con-
versation with the writer.
Only one county in the State was
not represented at the meeting and
only one county voted against the res
olutions.
Would Cut County Road Costs
Enactment of legislation as provid-
ed in the gasoline tax resolution, it
was pointed out, would reduce materi-
ally the sums the respective counties
now must raise for local maintenance
purposes. 1t would make a cores
ponding cut in the total now expended
in the State for new highways.
Seek Permanent Relief
Proponents of the resolutions as
serted they had not been drawn with
a view of shifting the tax burden from
the counties to the State, but in an
effort to gain permanent relief and
to cut down the overhead, especially in
the schools.
The resolution as adopted by the
Eastern Shore commissioners meet
ing on October II, and ratified at the
meeting of the Western Shore COM
missioners in Frederick two weeks
ago, was the one adopted at the joint
meeting Friday.
The Resolutions Adopted
l. ROADS. The burden of main
tenance Of county roads should bere-
lieved by a change in the law rela-
tive to the gasoline tax and the mo-
tor vehicle license fund, so as to per-
nit revenues derived from such tax
and fund to be applied to the mainte-
nance of said roads, under the direc-
ton and supervision of the local
boards of County Commissioners of
the various counties in the State, I'M
der the present method of ALLEGATION
of State road funds.
2. SCHOOLS. We recommend that
legislation be enacted so that no coun-
ty will be required to levy more than
thirty cents (.30) on the one hundred
dollars ($100.00) in order to share in
the equalization fund.
8. LAW ENFORCEMENT. We
recommend that the law relative to
fines paid by violators of the automO-
bile law be changed so as to permit
fines collected Hereunder to be re-
turned to the county treasurer of the
county where the violation and trial
took place, instead of the Automobile
IHo.ASn,,oJ IN Don,o Eo,1rl