Evening star., 1941-05-25
MontgomeYUrged
To Make ; Changes
In Road System
Brookines Expert Says
Competent Engineering
Stoff Is Needed

Three basic changes should be
made in the Montgomery County
roads system, Charles L. Deering
of the Brookings Institution told the
Executive Committee of the Great
er Kensington Civic League last
week.
In discussing the Brookings re-
port on reorganization of the county
government, which he helped to
write. Mr.. Deering declared there
is no excuse for existence of
county roads department if Mont
gomery continues to rely solely on
gasoline tax funds for road con-
struction and maintenance.
Problem No. l involves estab-
fishing a workable balance of au-
thority between the policy making
body and the technical operating
staff" Mr.. Deering said. At pres
ent the Board of County Commis-
sioners is the policy
agency of the county. The func-
tioning agency of the county is the
county engineers Office. There
should be a clear-cut division OF
authority between the Board Of
County Commissioners and tie
county engineering department. The
engineering department should ex-
ecute the general program of con-
struction and maintenance, while
the Board of County Commission
ers should operate strictly as a
policy making BODY and should be
prohibited py law from engaging di-
rectly In the day-to-day supervision
of road construction or mainte-
nance.
Needs Competent Engineer Staff.
Problem No. 2 involves the estab-
lshment of competent engineer
ing Office and staff. Under exist
ing law, the Board of County Com
missioners is empowered to appoint,
discharge and fix the compensa-
tion of both the county engineer
and his assistant. The personnel
structure of the county engineers
Office is in need of substantial re-
vision. The salaries now being paid
to county engineer and to the as
sistant engineers ranging from
81 300 to $1,000, are inadequate. Part
of the present county engineering
personnel fails to meet even the
minimum desirable standards of
professional training and expert
ence.
Cost records, which are indis-
pensable not only to the intelli-
gent formulation of programs but
to the evaluation of past perform
ance, are not being maintained by
the county engineers Office. The
county engineer should set up
simple cost-keeping system which
would supply information on ex-
penditures for various phases of
construction and maintenance op-
erations. Considerable improvement
could be made in the method of
purchasing county road materials,
more than half of which are now
bought in small lots without COM
petitive bidding. Under existing
statutory provisions, purchases not
in excess of $500 can be made with
out SOlllpCCIOlNC dllo lllClC
is no limit to the total quantity
that can be purchased in this man
ner. Generally speaking, material
and equipment should be purchased
only after advertisement for COM
petitive bids"
County Wide Levies.
The third problem outlined by
Mr.. Deering dealt with the sub
ject of financing the county high
way system. The financing of coun-
ty roads as distinct from State
roads should be carried out through
a county wide system of levies with
at least some portion being levied
against rural property, he said.
Mr.. Deering cited the city Of
Baltimore as an illustration of a
municipality which is getting a
much larger share of State gasoline
tax funds than should be applied to
the city. He said there is no rea-
son why special tax areas or in
corporated towns should receive
part of the county's share of the
lateral gasoline tax.
"The theory on which q munich