Evening star., 1932-05-17
BUDGET AND LOWER.
LEVY IS REJECTED.
Estimates Are First Adopted
and Then Rescinded in
Takoma Park.
Special Dispatch to The Star.

special DlSpatCn 10 L ne otdT
TAKOMA PARK, Md. May IL
After unanimously adopting an ordi-
nance approving the 1928 budget, the
Town Council subsequently rescinded
the action and declined to adopt an or
! Ginance reducing the present tax rate
from $11O to IS cents for the next
fiscal year.
The budget was presented by the
Finance Committee. composed of Coun-
cilmen H. E. Rogers, John r. Adams
and Peter RemSen, and provided for an
65-cent rate. 1t estimated receipts as
: follows: From general taxes, S36,5O0
road refund taxes from Montgomery and
Prince Georges Counties, $4,000; miscel-
laneous. $500; dog licenses. $500; sur
plus 1892, S2,500-a total of S44. 300.
The estimated disbursements were
For salaries, $4,000; Police Department,
81 800; general street work, $4,000;
street lighting. $780, garbage and
trash collections. $4,000; parks. 81 900;
office supplies. $500; printing and post
age. $3.50; Fire Department rental,
81 200: Fire Department contribution,
300; miscellaneous. $3.50; reserve
81 ,500-a total of s44,3O0.
Tax Ordinance Presented.
In order to make the budget ordi-
nance legal the ordinance providing for
the reduction of the tax rate from 81 10
to 30 cents was then presented to the
Council for action. The vote was about
to be taken by Town Clerk Bryan
Davis, when Councilman Remsen, who
had signed the new budget, blocked the
vote by saying that it was unfair to
the incoming mayor to reduce the tax
rate, as he might have some ideas of
his own, and that he could not vote
for It,"
At this point retiring Mayor Ben G.
Davis explained to the Council that it
was necessary to adopt an ordinance for
the new tax rate when a budget ordi-
nance is adopted. After a brief discus
sion of the situation, the poll of the
Council ended and the budget ordi-
nance was rescinded. The same Coun-
Gil which was present last night will
continue in Office for the next year, as
three OF the present Council were re-
elected for another trem Frederick L.
Lewton, mayor-elect, will take office
June /.
The meeting was enlivened by the
presentation in a lengthy address of the
resignation of J. Bond Smith, corpora
tion counsel, who has been appointed
annually for the past six years to that
office. At the same time he also re-
signed as delegate from Takoma Park
to the Montgomery County Civic FEEDER
alton, both designations taking effect
June next. In his address he stated
that Mayor-elect Lewton said the night
he was elected that he would look to
Mr.. Smith for guidance, but Mr.. Smith
declined the offer to serve longer as
corporation counsel.
Discusses Recent Election.
He went at length into the recent
municipal election, when Mayor Davis
was defeated due to the injection of
partisan politics when no political ques-
tions were involved He stressed the
fact that within the past 10 years
$642, ,251.13 had been expended for pub
lie Improvements in the town. with ap-
proximately $290,000 planned for the
Mayor Davis for his faithful and eff
cient service TO the town and regretted
his retirement from that Office. The
Council declined to accept Mr.. Smiths
designations and referred them to the
Ordinance and judiciary and Civic I'm
provement Committees for report.
The Council awarded the paving with
concrete of Hodges lane and Holy ave-
nue. to F. I. Ray of Washington. the
lowest bidder last night, amounting to
IS. .808.
The Council sat as a board Of review
to receive complaints against increase OF
assessments as provided by the report
of the board Of assessors. Those who
presented complaints against increases
were: D. c. Dewey, Woodland avenue;
H. E. Dodge. Philadelphia avenue; W.
Titrington, Eastern avenue; F. H. Rob-
bins and M. Cleo Auld. Holly avenue.
In connection with the building line
on Carroll avenue, it was announced
that the line on the property OF the
Citizens Bank was established In 1873
by the town.