Evening star., 1944-10-31
Pro-cko,lrtsr,

taxing areas Of their powers,
Pro- Charter
Experiences Ia $40 counties. and
cities shows that the council il-naan-
xser plan Siyes smore for the, tax
dollar. : II win 'be.up to .McptSDunery
citizens TO say whether they wish
To tincreases servicsss and. keep taxes
at the present level :cr keep services
at the present level and. reduce
taxes. ,'f
Don't hea misled BY. comparative
tax rates. Keep in mind the ratio
Of assessments. to- values. Remem-
ber that iA Addition 10 the county
tax rate. there are extra water con-
pecticn and refuse charges, the san
ttary. park, suburban, fire and other
speeial taxes i and your share of the
state income tax that IS turned
BACK 70 the county. Add these %
togather and you have . tax rate
that iss high In terms Of service
reudeted. ias.
The 1rokinss survey showed that
IT. would take annually So cents q
each tar dollar, to pay principal and
interest dn cur county debt. The
reuainine n CENTS was not enough
70 run the county; consequently We
hxe large refunding operations
This piles sup Interest. !
= Taxns sIJn- - Pr Cent.
So to ls4O. Sq1as, 500 III
o. ~ cent went tIaiA. Il
/ |a1dittoa 111 40 snGwS1o6aG. vteu
tsslied. nce, 1e10. wax eosd{ d{ticni
Ind pG)1qe heve HQplnin 11a1os,
eoaEf & pfojecty Iiqe tn
& assessa ~ In
drGass <sp6f cent, hein 81, n
per cent n3ore tax receipts.
: Nessrthtaesss the, county paid Oh
IN than; half the 1900 00U falling
due, 8 ,poof allowing compared with
debt .Fsductions in other commune
itiss.. In tt1is unuiually favorable
perlod. Cur peesent DEBT, inciudixs
s6nIt&Syescommtesion, park commls-
dSn, yubsdb distliEt, liquor dis
pensffy. readdistyiet and magellan
eone bouals on which the county Is
lix5le. stetslsa sasahcs,t 10000 A0e. This
is shout III ip2r chit sof the present
tutsi sseed svkhies. !,
!, ChArter sk1rs. these uneconomic
prAetjeee. s n : pruliibits = reminding
fiiture. be4d issues. It .alss has !
feeersndu,a s2scsiEon rsaxjcttns
new bcndsisaes. -
,oharters sns5ponents. say thit since
1871 thea NV has, psoiihited bond
issues except Thy re1erendun and
thst -tHs law has been lived up to-
The aWthoittes have lived up. to-
the present referend,fm law By
mating an amendment excepting
fs6qn It sysAr, BY year eteh. bond 'ssue
authorised: Since 1857, over A.
000 80 Ia %bonds have been author
i1ed ann there has never hsen any
refersndun. When the .charter Is
adopted the referendum restrictions
EN- only Be changed by vote Of the
people. 81. : u
K1acisney Key to savinss.a
The anal step In, reducing taxes
isS efficiency In daily Operations.
Tue charter. provtdes efficiency
tbrou6h the county manager, per-
sonnel merit system, consolidation
Of functions into six departments,
abolishing jobs, unpaid county coun-
ell, genuine budget and centralized
purchasins systems, elimination. OF
two and three salaries TO the same
ofnceholder, contract specifications,
elimination of fAvoritism. 'a s.
The charter Will not mean shift
In tax burdens either In areas or
classes. For instance the scare as
sertiOn that the County Council
could enact an income tax Is false
for It cannot legislAte. on matters
already provided for by general
public. law"
The Maryland Constitution spe-
officially. provides that the charter
cannot deprive Incorporated towns,
villages or municipalities of their
powers. The Attorney General of
Marylxnd has ruled that the 10
special taxing. areas In .Montecmery
Cpunty are '..incosporated towns,
Villages OF municipalities"
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