Evening star., 1945-04-01
Tax Boost Promised
# Montgomery Bond
Bill Is Vetoed

A veto by Gov. O'Conor of the
pending s50OO,0OO bond authorize
ton bill for Montgomery County
recently passed by the Maryland
Legislature would also prevent the
Board of County Commissioners
from refunding any part of the
county bonds that mature in the
next "a months, and would require
practically a 40 per cent increase
in the county tax rate" Lacy Shaw
president of the County Commits
sioners, said last night.
Answering recent declaration by
the Charter Committee that ii
would urge the Governor to veto
the bill because it charged, "the
county Democrats hope to use the
funds to defeat the Charter move
ment in the November election, u
Mr.. Shaw said this objection, if
sustained by the Governor, would
not permit the issuance of any
county bonds until after the Novem-
ber election of 1948.
At this time, he stated, the Char
ter Committee hopes" to again sub
NIT a county charter to the voters.
This could only mean," Mr..
Shaw asserted, that there could
be no additions of any kind to the
county school, road, public build
ings or park systems for the next
four years.
Higher Taxes F0reseen.
IF refunding is prohibited, it will
require practically a 40 per cent
increase in the county tax rate to
pay off the $1,2OO,OOO in county
bonds that mature during the next
two years." Mr.. Shaw said. This
seems an undue burden on the tax.
payers. particularly since there has
been practically no increase in the
total taxable basis of the county
during the last two years.
1T is surprising" the Commits
sioner declared, that the leaders
of the charter movement only
state their opposition to the county
bond authorization because of what
they say may be its possible polit-
ical effects on their cause In the
county elections in 1916 and 1948
They make no attack on the bond
authorization in the name of econ
omy.
Those of us who have been elect
ed by the people of this county to
administer the county government
feel that the question of necessary
additions to the county school sys-
tenn, the road system, public build
ings and other county projects are
of greater importance than any
groups political interests. We also
feel that it is of the most i'm
portance that the County Commis-
sioners be placed, as the pending
bond authorization provides, in a
position to participate in Federal
public building programs that may
be authorized by the Congress to
provide postwar employment that
may prove absolutely necessary"
Surprised by Opposition.
Mr.. Shaw said the opposition OF
Charter leaders to the bond authori-
zation is more surprising since the
Civic Federation has adopted a
resolution favoring authorization for
the issuance of county bonds up to
8 per cent of the county's taxable
basis for schools and postwar pub
lie works. This per cent limit is
81 100000 more than the $5,000,000
stated in the bond authorization
bill, he said.
A similar resolution also was
adopted by the County Advisory
Planning Committee Mr.. Shaw
pointed out that more than a dozen
Charter leaders participated in the
meeting that approved this bond
issue, and are on record as voting
for it.
These same Charter leaders, he
said, right now are making a fight
to give the County Commissioners
unlimited powers of ordinance,
even to create new bond issues. At
the same time, he added, they op-
pose limited authorization of that
responsibility through an act of the
lori c1 q t,1re