Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1942-11-18
Charter Board
Calls on Public
To Give Views
Montgomery Citizens
To Be Heard on
County Setup

SOuIty SStuP
The Montgomery County Charter
Board today announced a plan o.
procedure under which county resi-.
dents may present their views in thu
preparation of proposed new form
Of local government to be votec
upon in November, 1914.
At the same time, through it.
chairman, Frederic P. Lee. the board
propounded several specific ques-
tons on which 1t desires the public's
reaction and which will have a vital
part in the preparation OF. the new
plan.
The board, elected November 3
has six months to draft new form
of government within the limita-
tons of an amendment to the Mary
land Constitution. At the end OF
six months the final draft will be
handed to the Board of County
Commissioners, after which time it
may not be further changed. The
voters will have an additional 18
months to decide whether to accept
or reject the plan.
Three Steps in Program.
There are three steps in The pro-
gram announced today by the Char
ter Board.
First, individuals and groups are
urged to submit to the Charter
Board on or before December 81 a
written statement of their views on
matters regarded by them as being
of primary Importance for inclusion
IN the proposed charter. The writ
ten statements may be informal and
need not necessarily be based on &C
ton by formal resolution, in the
case OF organizations.
I'm submitting such statements, i"
Mr.. Lee said, "the Charter Board
asks that citizens bear in mind that
a charter is broad document like
q constitution and does not deal
with details that can be left prop
erly to legislation or regulations OF
a county council which, under the
homerule amendment to the Mary
land constitution, will be se6 up in
the charter"
Second, sometime in January,
public hearings will be held at which
oral statements may be submitted.
The board then will prepare tenta-
tive draft of a charter.
Public Hearings Planned.
Finally, public hearings will again
be held on the provisions of the
tentative plan to obtain citizens
views, after which the board will
prepare its final plan to submit to
the commissioners in May.
"The Charter Board particularly
invites the attention of citizens to
certain questions that must be dealt
with one way or the other in the
framing OF any proposed charter"
Mr.. Lee declared. He listed the fol-
lowing questions which may form a
basis for discussion:
What should be the approximate
number of members of the pro-
posed county council? Should the
number increase proportionately
to increase in population as
shown by each decennial census?
Should members of the council be
nominated from districts or elected
from such districts, or both. or
should they be nominated or elect
ed, or both, on a countrywide basis?
Should members of the council
be elected on a non-partisan ballot
that shows no party Affiliations, as
in the case of judges? Should coun-
Gil members be nominated by petit
ton of the voters or by political
parties
Manager Plan Studied.
The Charter Board also suggests
that consideration be given the ques-
ton of whether there should be pro-
vided county manager form OF
government, under which all the ad,
ministrative and business affairs OF
the county government and Its
agencies would be supervised by a
technically trained, experienced and
well-paid manager selected from
time to time by the county council
It also is asking whether the pro-
posed charter should provide for an
independent county controller with
full and final authority to disallow
expenditures or contracts made con-
trary to law and whether all coun-
ty employees, except department
heads and county manager
should be chosen and removed un-
der a strict civil service merit sys-
tenn
Mr.. Lee said, 1.-THE Charter Board
solicits statements on the foregoing
and other questions from civic
women's, farm, service, parent
teacher, firemen, police, school
teacher, garden, patriotic and sim
liar organizations, clubs and asso-
Citations in the county.
ut is expected the process OF
receiving and considering written
statements and holding subsequent
public hearings in January will take
q little more than the first two
months of the six-month period
The board plans that the remainder
of January and February will be de-
voted to tentative draft, while the
final months of March and April
will be given over to a revision OF
that draft. AS part OF such re-
visory process. further public hear