Evening star., 1935-06-21
TWO DEMOCRATS
RAP COUNTY LEVY
Minority Members Refuse to
Sign Montgomery Tax
Rate.
BY JACK ALLEN,
san CORRESPONDENT Of The star.

ROCKVILLE, Md, June 21.-The
levy for the new fiscal year was
adopted late yesterday by the Fusion
bloc controlling the Board of Mont
gomery County Commissioners during
a fiery session marked by frequent
verbal clashes between Fusion and
Democratic organization members.
Aroused by the Fusion commission
erS' wholesale dismissal of Demo-
cratic organization appointees earlier
in the day, Robert D. Hagner and
Richard H. Lansdale, members of the
Democratic minority group, refused to
sign the levy. but it became legal with
out their signatures.
Won't Sign Checks.
Hagner also informed the board he
would refuse to approve the pay checks
of any Fusion appointees who are
named to succeed the IL Democrats
fired from jobs in his district, and
further said he would refuse further
approval of the check for Mrs. Kath-
crime Turner, whom the new admins
tration appointed clerk in the county
building inspectors Office in Hagner's
district.
The Democratic commissioner de-
clared the law authorizes him to ad-
minister the suburban fund, from
which the employees in question re-
ceive their salaries. Ira c. Whitacre,
board clerk, said this point was de-
batable and an opinion would be OBJ
tanned from Edward Peter, counsel
to the board.
Il am not going to sign thing
to pay any of them" Hagner said.
IF the Fusion commissioners insist
upon laying of my employees, they will
have to find some other method to
meet their appointeeS' salaries. There
isn't any one who is going to dictate
to me as to how I will run my subur-
ban fund. was elected the same as
Coughlan."
ASSaiIs Aud.
He referred to Paul M. Coughlan,
commissioner for the eastern suburban
district, who was elected by the Fu-
sion party.
Hagner next attacked the new levy
as being entirely too high" and at
tributed the increase to the inability
and lack of activity" of william Aud,
county assessor appointed by the new
administration.
IF the proper assessor had been
appointed and all the new property
put on the books" he asserted, 1T
would not be necessary to have such
a high rate. There are many houses
which have not been assessed. If
they had been, there would be very,
very large cut in the levy"
He pointed out that earlier in the
day a resident who recently COM
pleted a new brick home in the
county called on the commissioners to
inquire about his assessment and an
examination disclosed it was not on
the tax records for the new year.
Hagner said the assessment would
have been at least $4,000 or $1,000.
Lansdale Joins In.
Lansdale Joined Hagner and de-
clared Montgomery has been placing
about 100000 additional property
on the assessment books each year
since 1881 and that, in view of the
recent real estate boom, nearly
$5,000000 should have been added
this year instead of the $2,0o0,000
recorded by Aud.
7horIor 4 Yiro0 a v,nay,oher of the
Fusion bloc, came to the defense OF
Aud, asserting the latter had been
serving eficiently. King stated that
the assessor had devoted great deal
of time to entering property which
was not placed on the tax books by
his Democratic predecessor.
Coughlan then moved the levy,
providing for a $1.50 general tax rate
to meet a 1851, ,407.68 budget during
the year beginning July I, be adopted.
King seconded his motion and the
three Fusion members, Coughlan,
King and President Frank H. Karn,
affixed their signatures.
Both of the Democrats spurned
the document when it was offered
them. Lansdale told newspaper men
that the FusionistS seemed determined
ito grab control of everything" and
they also can ''take the credit or
discredit'' for the raise this year. The
former rate was 80 cents on the 500
assessment.
The heated afternoon session was
an aftermath of the Fusion commits
sioners' dismissal of % Democratic
organization jobholders and the dis
continuance Of the county's con-
tribution to three road supervisors
salaries during the, morning session,
as published in yestS Sfday's Star.