Evening star., 1947-03-12
Bond Reiunding
Prohibited in
Charter Plan
Montgomery Board
Studies Program
Offered at Hearing 7

SISIeu ut HeufIn9
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Refunding of bonds issued after
adoption of charter form of gov.
ernment for Montgomery County
would be prohibited under a County
Cnarter Committee plan which is
being studied today by the Charter
Board.
Indebtedness al the time of the
Charter may be adopted by voters
could be successfully refunded with
new issues however, it was recon-.
mended in a 7-point program sub
mitted by Frederic p. Lee. Chairman
OF the Charter Committees special
subcommittee, last night in the Dis
pensary Building, Silver Spring.
The session was the final of a Sc
ries OF eight public hearings by the
Charter Board. Recommendations
were discussed by Mrs. Dean Din
woodey, Allen H. Gardner and Lewis
B. Sims of the Charter Committee.
Changes in Proposal.
Major changes from the charter
rejected by voters in 1914 are that
the number of members of the
County Council be seven instead of
nine; that salaries of council mem.
bers not exceed 81 500 annually, in
stead of $500 expenses, and that
creation of departments in the
county government be left to action
of the council.
The committee urged that the
charter be made as brief and non-
technical as possible.
The program recommends: IF
and when the Lindsay Act Is made
inapplicable to Montgomery County
or held invalid by final decision Of
the courts, members of the County
Council be nominated by petition
and be elected on a ballot without
party designation. Otherwise mem.
bers Of the County Council are to
be nominated under the present
system and on the present form of
ballot"
Suggested Policies.
Policies suggested by the commit
tee include: 81
!. County Council-One member
would be elected from each commits
sioner district and two members at
large.
2. Legislation-It would be the
duty Of the council to file intro
duced bills promptly in a register
maintained In the Office of the colln.
Gil clerk to be available to the pub
lie during reasonable hours.
Veto provisions similar to those
In the former charter would be
included.
3 Finances-In accordance with
the Express Powers. Act, a referen-
dunn would be required on all bond
issues and all money borrowed in
any one year in excess Of one-fourth
of per cent of the countys assess
able basis.
Refunding Would be Prohibited.
The refunding OF any bond or
other county Indebtedness would
be prohibited, except that issues
made prior to adoption of the char,
ter or refunding issues, could sue
cessiyely be refunded after adoption
Of the charter.
Issuance Of obligations for term
in excess of IL months for current
operating expenses Gas distinguished
from capital improvements) would
be prohibited.
4. Merit system-A county per-
sonnel board, as set forth in the
former charter, would be estab-
lished.
5. Departments-While a depart
mentalized county government Is
favored, the charter should leave
the setting up of departments and
abolition Of old offices and creation
Of new Offices Except the County
Council and county manager) to the
County Council.
County Manager Provided.
6. County manager-A county
manager form of government should
be provided, the manager to be ap-
pointed and subject, after reason
able public notice, to removal at will
by the council.
z. Budget system. There would be
an. expense budget and capital
budget substantially as set forth in
the former charter.
Clarence N. Smith, a charter lead
er in Silver Spring, urged that pro-
vision for initiative, referendum and
recall be incorporated in the charter,
If possible.
Mrs. Horace j. Nickels presented a
number of recommendations by four
Silver Spring precincts. She recon-
mended that the terms Of council
members be staggered.
William Dahl appeared for the
Charter Committee of the Sligo
Park Hills Citizens Association.
+ Col. Norman B. Ames, chairman
of the charter board, who presided,
announced preliminary draft Of
the charter is expected to be ready
early next month.