Evening star., 1935-02-10
MUNICIPAL BILLS
FACING HEARINGS
Proposed Legislation Gets
Prominent Place on
Program.
BY GEORGE PORTER,

AAoAA W. N-+N
ANNAPOLIS, February 9.-Pro-
posed municipal legislation will be
accorded a prominent place on the
program of the Montgomery and
Prince Georges County delegations
during the coming week.
Hearings are to be held on sug-
gested changes in the Mount Rainier
and Colmar Manor charters and the
Gaithersburg fire tax law Bills af-
fecting Brentwood and Hyattsville also
fmay be introduced.
Reluctance of the Prince Georges
delegation to take the responsibility
for introducing legislation designed to
enlarge the borders of the town of
/ Mount Rainier and to authorize new
taxation in Colmar Manor. caused
Delegate Charles C. Marbury. chair
man, to announce hearings would be
| arranged on those proposals.
First Tomorrow.
The first will be held after Mon
day nights session in the State House
on three proposed bills submitted by
Bird H. Dolby, town solicitor of
Colmar Manor. on behalf of the mayor
and council. Those officials are to
attend the hearing and explain the
need for the suggested measures.
which would:
Authorize a referendum on 10
! cent fire tax for Colmar Manor.
Give Colmar Manor authorities
power to borrow up to 8 per cent of
the towns taxable basis for street i'm
provements.
Make technical changes in the law
under which town officials are ap-
| pointed.
The question of permitting the
! mayor and council to levy fire tax
, of not more than 10 cents per S100
| would be submitted to the voters of
Colmar Manor at a special election,
and if defeated could be resubmitted
at the next general town election.
| Receipts from the tax would go to
some fire company or companies af-
fording protection to the town, whk&
has no fire department of its own.
Beaten in 1888.
The same proposal was defeated at
referendum in 1888.
Receipt of protests from the prop
erty owners involved caused the dele
cation to order a hearing on a bill
which would extend the fourth ward
of Mount Rainier to take in land near
Queens Chapel road.
Members of the delegation said the
town apparently wants to annex the
area for the purpose of increasing its
assessible basis, but declared they be-
lleved the sentiments of the property
owners should be the first considera-
ton. If the citizens gain nothing in
police protection or other municipal
service, there is no reason why they
should be subjected to municipal tax
alton, the delegates declared. No
date has yet been set, however, for
the Mount Rainier hearing.
Fail to Fix Date.
Likewise the Montgomery County
delegates had failed to fix a date for
hearing to Gaithersburg residents
! who are opposed to the change in the
existing Fire Committee membership
suggested this week by a group from
the fire department. The opponents
will be heard within the next few
days, however, Delegate T. Yellott
Candy, chairman, said.
Brentwood is seeking authority to
raise the limit on its borrowing from
6 to 10 per cent of the assessible basis,
and bill to that effect is expected to
be ready during the coming week.
The town hopes to get P. w. A. loan
to improve all its streets. Cottage
City, an adjoining town. is the only
Prince Georges municipality to carry
out P w. A. street improvement
program to date.
Corporation Counsel H. WinShip
Wheatley is working on bills to make
several minor changes in the Hyatts-
vile town charter.