Evening star., 1933-02-27
MONTGOMERY MAY .
CUT TAX TWO Cents
County Announces Effect Of
Abandonment of
Bond Issue.
BY JACK ALLEN,
staff CORRESPONDENT of The Star,

SILVER SPRING, Md. February 81.
The action of the Democratic admin
istration in Montgomery County in
definitely shelving Saturday its plans
to seek authorization for the issuance
Of bonds with which to finance COM
pletion of the road and school construc-
ton programs will enable county Off
cials to effect 2-cent reduction in
the tax rate for the next fiscal year.
The 2-cent reduction would be in addi-
ton to the slash Of 80 2-10 cents which
can be effected In the $l.55 combined
State and county rate charged in
Montgomery II the cuts Gov. Ritchie
has proposed in his original budget are
ratified by the State Legislature.
Lacy Shaw, president of the Board OF
County Commissioners, said today that
in abandoning steps to have the State
Legislature approve the proposed bond
issues, administration officials have
made it possible to slash i y cents from
the tax to be levied for roads and
y cent from the tax for schools.
Yield to Public Demand.
Shaw announced last night that coun-
ty officials had yielded to what seemed a
popular demand and would make no
attempt to have the State Legislature
authorize the sale of $500, 900 in bonds
for roads and 100000 for schools dur
ing its current session at Annapolis.
The announcement followed lengthy
conference held by Shaw at his Office
here with members Of the county's
Democratic delegation in the General
Assembly. county commissioners, cleo
ton district chairmen of the Mont
gomery Government Club and other
administration leaders.
That the administration considers 1t
would be politically unwise to support
legislation for the additional bonds at
this time was indicated in the action
Of the election district chairmen, who
have spent the past week In consulting
taxpayers and voters Of the county, In
voting against the proposed issues.
The question of issuing the new bonds
has been a violently debated subject
before county people for many years.
A number Of organizations have opposed
the sale of additional bonds, including
the Farmers Convention of Montgom-
cry County, while others have voted in
favor of the bond sale, including the
powerful Montgomery County Civic
Federation.
Club Postpones Session.
The question was to have been acted
upon by the Montgomery Government
Club at a meeting tomorrow night, but
the meeting has been postponed in
definitely as a result of the action taken
at last nights conference here.
The action of the administration
leaders means an indefinite postpone
ment of several major road projects
including the extension of Massachu-
sets avenue to Conduit road, the paw
ing of Philadelphia avenue between
Silver Spring and Takoma Park, and
the improvement Of Wisconsin avenue
while several items of the school con-
struction program must Of necessity be
dropped.
However, a program totaling at least
$528. .092.19, the amount available and
unexpended from bonds sold in 1891
and 1882, will be carried out on school
projects during the coming year. This
amount has been allocated to particular
schools.
There also remains $4,000 in con-
struction bonds to be issued under the
1891 authorization, but county officials
have not definitely decided whether
they will sell the bonds. OF this
amount, 1000 Is for road construction
purposes, while the remainder has been
allocated for the Alta Vista School.