The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1936-01-16
MONTGOMERY
SEEKS SHARE
OF GAS TAX

contemplated legislative program
originating in Montgomery county,
which would take out of the hands
Of the Maryland State Roads Com
mission the maintenance of county
roads and return them to the
various counties, will be presented
60 the Western Shore County
Commissioners Association for the
approval of the members, as the
association meets in Frederick,
Md, today.
The program will be presented
by the Montgomery County Com
missionerS, as members Of the
association.
Faced with the necessity Of eras-
Gng the deficit of nearly $245,000
now existing in their State roads
account before any more funds
will be advanced to the county for
maintenance or improvement of
lateral roads, members of the
Montgomery county board feel
that several other counties, also
members of the association, are in
the same position and they would
be willing to lend their support to
having the necessary legislation
enacted during the coming special
session of the State legislature
next month, to return the roads to
the counties.
Act Will Be Needed
County Commissioner Paul M.
Coughlan said today that since an
act of the legislature was neceS-
Sary to turn the maintenance of
county roads over to the State
Roads Commission. another act
will be necessary to obtain their
return to the various counties.
Since DR.. Homer E. Tabler.
chairman of, the State roads
body. informed Montgomery and
the other lin the red" counties
that further extension of credit
for maintenance and debt retire
ment would be halted until the
accounts showed credit balance,
the local board members have
conducted an exhaustive study of
various methods of paying off
this debt and maintaining their
roads at the same time.
DR.. Tabler declared his action
was necesSitated when one Mary
land county, whose account was
in good condition, threatened to
bring suit against his commission |
to halt further extension Of credit |
to these lin the red" counties.
Turn Over Gas Tax
One of the most favorable
methods of payment is to obtain.
through enactment of necessary
legislation, the return of main
tenance of county roads to the
counties, and then have the
State Roads Commission turn
over to each individual county
their share of the lateral gaSo-
line road tax.
AS Montgomery county'S share
OI G11Eo U1A cS41SCo III VIC fAN1L1AOy
of $4,000 annually, the COM
misSioners point out that with
this amount of funds, they could !
easily maintain their present road |
system and pay off their debt |
without placing any further
bonded indebtedness on the local
taxpayers.
But should this plan not prove
acceptable to the other counties
involved, Commissioner Coughlan |
declared today he would be heartily
in favor of issuing county certi. |
ficates sufficient to clear up this |
account, if they could obtain from
the State a written agreement !
that it would not expend any
further funds on road mainte.
nance or improvement without |
first submitting to the local county,
board an estimated cost of the
project in mind for their approval.
Work Would Be Halted
And, if at any time it was found
that more funds would be necessary
to complete started project, all
work would be halted until the
commissioners authorized further
appropriation and expenditure of
funds.
Unless such a method is fol-
lowed, the commissioners declare,
they have no knowledge or means
of checking on the amount of
funds expended, and with the
state officials having full author.
ity to expend what funds they
deem necessary on any project
they might choose, even if the
account was put in first-class con-
dition, it would only be matter
of months until it would again be
Gin the red"
Should the latter method of
payment be accepted, one item on
the auditors report of Mont
pomery county's roads account
labeled $105 900 for over expendi.
lures on various items over the
period of from 1925 to 1928 will
have to be more thoroughly ex.
planned before the commissioners
will approve payment of it.