Evening star., 1946-06-22
$3.50 Basic Tax RATE
Continued for Year in
Montgomery County

montgomery I0unfy
Montgomery County's basic taz
rate Of $1.50 on each 500 of assessed
value was continued for the next
fiscal year in the county levy signed
this morning by the County Com
missioners at the Rockville Court
house.
The. Commissioners rejected
County Supervisor willard F. Days
recommendation that the tax rate
be raised Is cents on each 500 OF
assessed property value. The tax
rate adopted has been in effect for
the past nine years.
In statement issued today by
County Commissioners Julius P.
Stadler, Richard H. Lansdale and
Harvey j. White, they emphasized
that they had provided all of the
funds In the new levy asked by the
county Board Of Education for the
operation, maintenance and i'm
provement of the county's school
system, including $4,000 asked by
the Board of Education and rec
commended for removal from the
school budget by the county super
visor.
Teachers Salaries Raised.
The items provided include $238,
600 gross increase in school teach
ers' salaries and school bus driv-
ers, which is the amount that the
county teachers association request
ed, and the increase in janitors
salaries asked by the Board of Edu-
cation.
The school budget also includes
q $4,000 appropriation to start a
Junior college in the county and
includes the increased operating
allowance requested by both the
Board of Education and the county
parent-teacher associations.
I'VE have further voted" they
continued, Ito add the county levy
Of $11,167 in welfare board salary
increases which are now being paid
but which the county supervisor
recommended be not included in
the levy"
Changes made in signing the
budget and levy which differed from
the recommendations of the county
supervisor include recheck of the
probable earnings of the Montgom-
cry County liquor control boards
which indicates net profit of $440,-
600 instead of the $325, 900 estimate.
Bond Refund Planned.
The Commissioners said they had
also decided to refund all long term
county bonds that mature during
the county fiscal year which begins
June l. This makes $780, 900 recon-
mended in the supervisors budget
estimate for the payment of county
bonds available for operating costs.
I'VE have also voted" they said,
ITO eliminate the county commits
sioners contingent fund of $85 900
which the county supervisor had
included in his budget estimate.
I'VE have further declined to levy
to pay off $79,500 worth of short
term county notes which mature
during the next IL months and
which notes we will either pay from
tax receipts on new construction
which are not included in the bud
get estimates of the county SUPER
visor, but which are in our opinions
practically sure to Be Received, Of
will vote to extend these maturing
notes for Is month period"
Police Budget Cut. 4, f,
These items total $512 500 to
which We have added a cut of $29,-
667 in the police appropriation as
recommended by the county super
visor" These are the only yaria-
tions the commissioners said they
had made from the budget recon-
mendation of the county supervisor.
The Commissioners stated they
felt justified in not increasing the
tax rate because the tremendous
post war growth in construction
indicated for the suburban area
will provide a substantial increase
in the county's taxable basis in the
next several years.
I'VE believe" the commissioners
said, that enough new taxes that
have not been estimated as receipts
in this levy and budget will actually
be received by the county to replace
the $29, 9,667 in the police operating
fund and to pay off the s79,5OO
worth of county short-time notes
maturing this year.
I'VE see no reason in this year,
which is the beginning of one that
will undoubtedly prove to be the
county's largest period of growth to
increase the tax rate to pay off ma
turing county bonds which can
equitably and safely be extended at
the lowest interest rate that has
ever been available. The total out
standing bonds now equal 5.56 per
cent of the taxable basis of the
county. For county that will have
regular increases in assessed values
. debt limit of 10 per cent of the
assessable basis is regarded as con-
SerVatiVe," the statement concluded