Evening star., 1945-02-13
Civic Unit Backs
Manager Plan
For Montgomery
Federation Against
Creating Office Of
County Supervisor
BY MRS. J. REED BRADLEY.


Reiterating its desire for counciI-
manager plan of government for
Montgomery County, the County
Civic Federation, at meeting last
night In the Bethesda School, op-
posed creation OF an office of county
supervisor. The holder of this Office.
the federation said, would not be
clothed with the powers and duties
which customarily attach to the
ONCE OF county manager"
The action was taken on a voice
vote after report by John Willmott
OF the Legislative and Legal Action
Committee on the council-manager
plan. There were scattered noes"
Mr.. Willmot contended that the
county supervisor proposal made by
the County Postwar Planning Com
mittee is mot only inadequate but
actually dangerous, for it describes
the county supervisor as a policy
determining official.
mo county manager ought ever
to have policy determining powers
or have jurisdiction and control over
policy determining offices. = This
job of a manager is to execute poli-
cies, not to make them" he declared.
A resolution dealing with four
county government issues and pre-
sented by Chairman Walter H. Nc
Clenon of the Legislative and Legal
Action Committee was approved.
The measure called for:
Adpnfiov, ~ -, >,-,&
tenn for all county employees to be
administered by civil service COM
mission or personnel board.
Granting to the County Commits
sioners general legislative power on
all matters appropriate for local
legislation, with certain limitations.
Submission of constitutional
amendment similar to pending
Senate bill to take away from the
General Assembly the power to en-
act, modify or repeal local county
laws.
Establishment of nonpartisan elec-
tions for all county officers, not in
Guiding the Senator or the Delegates
to the General Assembly. This pro-
vision was approved by a 44-to-3
vote.
After more than an hours debate,
the federation approved a resolu-
ton proposed by Washington I.
Cleveland of the Roads, Streets and
Bridges Committee, urging public
acquisition and development of
parking lots in the Bethesda and
Silver Spring business districts. They
would be financed by tax on exist
ing commercial or industrial de-
velopment not to exceed 20 per cent
of the annual real estate tax. The
tax would not be applicable if prop
erty owner provided adequate park
ing facilities
Provides Offstreet Parking,
4 The resolution, which Is the same
as that adopted by the County POST
war Planning Committee recently on
1.-THE subject, calls for provision for
Ioffstreet parking facilities and load
ing space in future commercial and
industrial developments and for the
installation of parking meters in the
central business areas of Bethesda
and Silver Spring, the revenue from
such meters to be added to the pub
lie parking fund.
Maj. Edward A. Keys brought in a
minority report on this subject in
which he objected to the adoption
OF the proposed parking plan with
out consent of the property owners
who will pay the cost.
The Cleveland resolution was op-
posed also by G. Wady Inirie of the
Postwar Planning Committee of the
Bethesda Chamber of Commerce,
who said his committee is making a
study of the proposal but is not ready
to submit accurate cost figures.