Evening star., 1944-10-22
Charter Changes Opposed

We oppose the following changes that Charter sup
porers seek through the terms of the pending county
constitution
l. The prohibition Of the two-party system In future
County elections.
q The creation of County Council of nine unpaid
bers who for each year given legislative
authorization to enact amend all County laws and also
given administrative mad executive jurisdiction for the
remaining II of each year. which combination of
powers contrary to the of the Consu
on Of the State of Maryland and of the United States This
allows the nine unpaid members of the County Council to
PASS the laws. administer the executive fix the
tax rates and the bond issues No such exist
any place in America today.
3. The Charter aboishes the veto of laws by the
Governor of Maryland and fails to provide effective veto
The Charter attempts protection allowing
the members of the Council pass Is days recon-
slider their votes
4 The Charter expressly allows County law to be
passed without notice to the public all the members
Of the Council present unanimously vote for the law This
would only require the votes of the five of the nine council
who might be present There is requirement for
publication of bills pending for enactment into law before
the County Council.
need legislative opportunities such
unchecked veoces in the of home rule because
State Senator and the majority of the members of the House
Of Delegates who elected by the of the County
has failed of passage under the present system during the
past 80 years
5 The Charter permits the County Council to pass
County income tax County sales tax on County
commodities of other type special license taxes
covering such business fields insurance retail merchand
ing real estate etc. for the operation of moving picture
heaters chain stores ETC. to redt the County into
school road districts to issue public utility franchises
to set scheme of socialized medicine to finance
my theory that five out of nine of the unpaid
members of the County Council may be willing to for
s. The Charter provides for the election of unpaid
County, Councilman from each of the five County Com
missioner districts, from which salaried County Com
missioner is elected and further provides for the election
of four unpaid County Counclmen at large. All of
these elections to be by Countrywide vote at
The result is that at least six and possibly eight
of the members of the County Council could be elected from
two of the general sections of the County This plan
bound to result in continual sectional political strife
within Montgomery County So far there has
my record of sectional disputes between the people the
interests of the three great sections of County,
which the Chase Massachusetts
Glen Echo section, the Silver Spring Park Kensns
on-Wheaton section and the Rockville aithersburg and
agricultural section.
Because the difficulty of amending the Charter is equiva
lent to difficulties of the requirements of enactng tho
Charter that Charter amendment can onv be initiated
by twothrds vote of the County Council or by petition
OF 20 per cent of the registered voters which today would
be about 5000 voters, and then only by
majority vote at the next general election
g. Because there is constitutional way repeal this
County Charter once the voters this Charter Neither
the State Constitution State provide any procedure
to repeal County Charter to renstae the
plan OF government that in operation that
County Charter have been adopted The provision in
the Charter which seeks to method to repeal the
Charter as Charter amendment is therefore totally i'm
possible OF operation and is probably unconstitutional
9. Charter takes away from the people of Montgomery
County their existing right to vote Office con-
tnue In office every four the salared executive
administrative officials of the County.
TO- The provisions of the Charter allow life tenure in
Office for department heads we'll Office personnel
H. The provisions of Charter provide new County
department of education County department of health
and County department of welfare although these
activities are now all administered in Montgomery County
under the provisions of Statewide law and by State
statute beyond the jurisdiction of Charter The creation of
these three County departments only lead to great
increases in County salaries and other expenditures and
constant effort by the County Education Health and Welfare
Departments to break into the executive and
of these State and administered
departments.
IL. The Charter will undoubtedly greatly increase the
cost of County and the amount
and types of County taxation because with responsibility
OF the wopary system barred and with nominations for
County Council possible by petitions signed by any 500 out
County voters instead of through the direct primary
system at present. the Importance even the necessity
to appease groups greatly increase with cor
responding increase in total annual County spending
Ihese one dozen are among the objections
OF the Citizens Committee to Defeat Charter to the powers
granted by the Charter More will be included future
statements
a