Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1944-10-26
FOR

preceding election we are going to
tell you briefly the important bene-
fits you will gain by adoption of
the Charter. This week we shall
discuss: u Nonpartisan Home
Rule; p Council-Manager; 81
Merit System. Next week we shall
take up Finance, Legislative and
Administrative Functions, and
Changing the Charter.
If no other benefits were to en-
sue with adoption of the Charter,
Home Rule alone would bring
about many reforms in local GO
vernment. Now local laws are made
in Annapolis and we have no chance
to do anything about them. During
the last session of the Legislature
SO Montgomery County bills were
introduced; 81 were passed. How
many of them did you know about?
Did you know anything about any
of them? Were they printed in the
local papers? Were hearings an
nounced? One bill was slipped
through just like the Jai-Alai bill,
but no one caught it. 1t placed
building inspectors, issuance of
building permits, and other Mont
gomery County functions under
the Maryland Park and Planning
Commission. 1t deprived the
County Commissioners Of having
anything to say about membership
or functions of this commission,
leaving power in the hands of the
governor and his appointees who
are not responsible to the voters
of Montgomery County. Did you
hear about this so that you could
petition the governor to veto this
bill which took authority away
from the officials you elected?
An average of about eight local
bills per day was introduced dur
ing the ninety day session of the
last Legislature in addition to all
the bills for the state as a whole.
Doesn't it seem as if two a day-re-
member, SO Montgomery County
bills were introduced in Annapolis :
were introduced here in Rockville
with required publicity, that you
would have a better chance of
knowing what is going on? Would
MT your own Council which you
elected have better understand
ing of the bills and of your wishes
regarding them?
Why should a member of
local Council be elected because he
is party man? We have seen
since before Pearl Harbor Mont
gomery County citizens regardless
of political party giving endless
hours to civic service. Just to men,
ton a few Richard Green in the
BondDrives; members of the Ration
Boards under the County Admin
strator, Julius P. Stadler; Stephen
Cromwell, Francis Hill, Stephen
James, and Frederic P. Lee of the
SeNective Service Boards. Men like
these give service regardless Of
party and without a thought Of
compensation.
The Council Manager plan has
been thoroughly tested in hundreds
of communities. 1t was first tried
SO years ago and has worked ever
since. The County Manager under
the Charter will be a competent
man hired by the Council which
you elect and subject to firing by
the Council. He will be man
trained and qualified for the job,
not an amateur, not politician,
not a part time worker. The Coun-
ell will be the board of directors
for the fiscal affairs of business
in which the citizens of Montgo-
merry County are the stockhold-
ers. 1t will fix general policies
which the County Manager carries
out.
Probably the most potent wea-
pom against machine controlled 60
vernment is the Merit System es-
tablished by the Charter. When a
machine cannot promise jobs as re-
wards to party workers, it mas
lost its power. When employees do
not have to contribute to political
parties or do party work to hold
their jobs when they do not have
to deliver votes they will do q
better job for the taxpayers they
are hired to serve. There is provi-
sion for hiring and firing everyone
including the County Manager and
department heads. All are remov-
able. There are no life-termers.
The provisions of the Charter
discussed this week make It pos
sibse for you to have: u A part in
the passage of local legislation; p
Business-like management of the