Evening star., 1947-04-03
SOCIETY AND EENEtNf&kkl
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Oppressive Tax
In Montgomery
Democrat Attacks
Lows Sponsored by
6. 0. P. Delegation
By J. B. Zotmon

By J. B. Zotmon
The all-Republican Montgomery
County delegation to the General
Assembly today was accused OF
sponsoring bills at the session just
ended which resulted in a series
Of schemes for new and oppressive
county laws and the largest total OF
bond issue authorizations ever
passed for the county in four-year
term
The charge was made by Lacy
Shaw, chairman of the Democratic
State Central Committee for the
county.
"Since the Republican State Sem
ator and the six Republican dele
gates were elected by number of
thousand charter supporters" Mr..
Shaw added, "the legislative record
just finished at Annapolis can be
taken as an accurate preview of
what charter county council legis-
lature would accomplish"
A preliminary draft of a proposed
charter for the county was made
public Tuesday. The final draft will
be submitted to the voters at the
1948 general election.
Bill on Taxing Cited.
To support his charge, Mr.. Shaw
cited the bill passed by the Legis-
lature to give the county commits
sioners every tax power now held
by the State.
Under this bill, according to Mr..
Shaw, the county commissioners
would have authority to levy a
county income tax, county fran
chise taxes, use taxes, taxes on
utility bills and any other tax the
State could constitutionally levy.
In addition, Mr.. Shaw pointed to
another bill permitting the county
commissioners to levy a tax not to
exceed percent on all residential
or commercial rentals, to be paid
by the tenant.
"As far as we have been able to
find out" he asserted, there is no
such law any place in the United
States. Remember, this one ex-
pertinent can cost the renter of a
place to live or do business, and
PROBABLY of a farm, county tax of
percent on his or her annual
rent"
Turning to the bond issue ques-
tion, Mr.. Shaw said the delegation
passed 100000 worth of new
bonds for schools, roads and sewers.
Sewer Tax Assailed.
"These and other bond issues
introduced and passed by the Re-
publican delegation in the 1947
session not only represent the larg-
est total amount of bond authorize
tions ever enacted for Montgomery
County but they bring in an entire
ly new scheme of taxing every one
everywhere to build local sewer
systems to serve favored small COM
munities."
Mr.. Shaw apparently referred to
q bill authorizing the county COM
missioners to issue $500,000 in bonds
for the construction of sewage
systems.
"This law" he declared, means
that no matter where you live in
Montgomery County, you will be
directly taxed to build community
sewer system to serve group OF
houses 10 to 40 miles distant in a
community that you may never
even visit, while throughout the
suburban area of the county, all
such sewer construction is now paid
for on a front foot benefit tax
against property served"
Mr.. Shaw also said the charter
Republican-elected" delegation spon-
sored a bill for bond issue to
refund the approximately 1900 900
worth of county bonds which will
mature within the next few years.
Such action, he contended, 'is
contrary to all of the previous long
continued attacks of charter leaders,
Republican leaders, civic federation
leaders and the League of Women
Voters. AS far as we have heard.
they have all refrained from such
attack when their recently chosen
legislative representatives followed
this course"
Ripper Bills introduced.
Mr.. Shaw emphasized that all bills
introduced by the delegation, which
would come within the jurisdiction
of a county charter, were approved
by heavily Democratic Legisla-
ture.'
Democrats in Montgomery coun-
ty, he explained, confined their op-
position to ripper" bills and other
measures which sought to amend
Statewide or bi-county laws.
Under the State constitution, he
asserted, legislation dealing with
Statewide or bi-county laws "are
denied to the legislative jurisdiction
Of any county council that might
be created through approval of a
county charter"
The delegation had introduced
bills to exempt the county from the
Lindsay nonpartisan election law
and to make certain changes in the
laws under which the County Liquor
Board and the Maryland National
Capital. Park and Planning Com
mission operate. Both measures
were defeated.
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