Evening star., 1948-12-01
20fficiaIsGe
Interim Posts
Charter
Commissioners Act
At Final Meeting
Held in Rockville

Two Montgomery County officias
whose jobs were abolished by the
new charter will continue in ONCE
until the first elected County Council
is seated.
The Board of County Commits
sioners, meeting for the last time,
yesterday reappointed F. Barnard
Welsh as attorney. and J. Ernest
Hawkins as clerk for the interim
council.
The five commissioners automat-
ically become the first council to-
morrow, when the charter takes
effect. Later they will be replaced
by an elected seven-member council.
Election Set for January 6.
The charter provides for a council
election January and its seating
January 10. But the four Republic
can commissioners have filed suit to
block the election, in the hope Of
continuing in Office until 1850. This
case will be argued at Rockville next
week.
The charter specifically abolfshes
the jobs of attorney to the com.
missioners and clerk to the COM
missioners. The board held yester-
day, however. that the work per-
formed by these officers has to be
done by some one and therefore
reappointed Mr.. Welsh and Mr..
Hawkins to serve them until the
elected council takes over. They
will be paid at the same annual rate
as heretofore, $4,000 and $500,
respectively.
The resolution declared "' 1t
is necessary that the affairs Of
Montgomery County continue to be
administered in an orderly and
proper manner during said interim
period which will begin December
2, 1948, and will continue until the
first elected County Council shall
take Office.
Must Perform Duties.
90 . Although by said charter
it is provided that the Offices of
the county attorney and clerk to
the county commissioners are abol-
lshed, it is, nevertheless. necessary
that the duties heretofore performed
by such offices continue to be per-
formed"
The measure was presented by
County Supervisor Irving G. Nc.
Nayr in open meeting. but Com
missioner Wesley Sauter declared
he would like to take it into the
back room and work it over with
our counsel"
About two hours later. the COM
missioners ended their executive
session and the final resolution was
announced 1t differed from the
original draft in that it omitted
termination date for the interim
period.
One source said that the secret
vote was to O, with Mr.. Sauter
and Commissioner George Ace"
Esworthy walking out without ball
loting. Mr.. Sauter said after the
meeting that he had voted in favor
of the resolution.
Questions Right.
The Bethesda commissioner de-
clared that he did not believe the
body had the power to adopt the
resolution prior to the effective date
of the charter government at mid
night tonight.
Il also question whether we have
the right to appoint officers whose
posts have been abolished" Mr..
Sauter said.
Schools Supt Edwin w, Broome
appeared before the commissioners
and requested a grant of 100000
for school maintenance from jan
uary l until the end of the fiscal
year. June 80.
Mr.. Broome pointed out that the
county commissioners had cut the
school budget by $4,000 but had
told him if the funds ran out to
come. to them.
Mr.. McNayr asked the commits
sioners for permission to investigate
the need for the $4,000 and the
availability of the funds. This was
granted and the supervisor will re-
port back to the commissioners.