Evening star., 1949-05-18
County Council
Proposes Voting
BeNonpartisan
Montgomery Tux
Rise Hinted, Zonine
Changes Suggested
By John v. Homer


san voting in Council election,
and delved into other issues by:
/. Renewing a hint of tax In.
ereases.
2. Proclaiming 1t lis not obi.
gated to make school appropria.
tions which would guarantee
teacher salary raises.
8. Suggesting number ot
changes to county zoning regu.
lations.
Just past midpoint OF the MAY
legislative session the Council
enacted its first local law by es:
tablishing a fire taxing district
for Burtonsville. This permits q
levy up to 10 cents per 500 val.
uation for fire fighting purposes
beginning in the fiscal year
1950-51.
Committee Recommendation.
The nonpartisan voting legis.
1ation, sponsored by all sever
members of the Council, follow.
recommendations of the Mont
gomery County Charter Commit
tee. 1t runs counter to wishes o1
most organization workers in the
Democratic and Republican par
ties and conflicts with the Lind
say law, an act passed by the
Maryland General Assembly for
the express purpose Of preventing
nonpartisan balloting in charter
counties.
This conflict is expected to pro-
duce q court test. While the
Council fixed hearing on the bill
for 1880 pm. next Tuesday in the
courthouse at Rockville, eventual
enactment is indicated. Members
said they want to pass the law
now to assure ample time to test
its validity before the 1850 Council
election.
Primary Proposed.
To meet one of the most fire.
quently heard criticisms OF nom
partisan voting on the county
level, the bill proposes that q
primary be held in September OF
every fourth year. This would
marrow the. field of candidates
for tine general election in Novem-
ber. Candidates Of any political
affiliation would be eligible for the
primary but the ballots would
carry no party designations.
The prospective tax increase
previously mentioned as a posi-
hility, was suggested In a state
11snt by Frederic p. Lee, council
president. Mr.. Lee quoted one
passage from a preliminary re-
port on a financial survey now in
ptogress. which said: Ft"s'
IAN increase in the county tax
rate for 1949-50 is mandatory"
The report, made by a firm oi
New York tax consultants, sai6
the only way to escape a raise
would be to return to the un-
sound practice Of refunding obli-
cations"
School Fund Statement.
With respect to school funds
guaranteeing teacher salary in
creases, the council issued a pre-
pared statement which read, ir
part:
81 IAN impression exists among
some persons that the County
Council is either legally or moral
w. obligated to appropriate suf-
Acient funds to carry out such
teachers' salary scale as the Board
Dt Education adopts. This state
hient is made to correct that i'm
pression, in fairness both to the
Board of Education and the
County Council.
y 1.-The County Council is of the
view that the Montgomery County
steachers should continue to be
spaid in excess of the minimum
steachers' salary scale established
by public general law of the State
Legislature.
"On the other hand. to be
sobligated to pay whatever salary
scale a Board of Education may
from time to time adopt in excess
aof that minimum would leave the
Scounty treasury open without
limit to such demands as Board
sof Education might choose to
make I"
( Zoning Changes to Be Set.
Zoning changes proposed yes
sterday will be set later for public
@hearing. One provision extends
3rom q year to Is months the
minimum period for filing new
{ EApplications to reclassify property
4 Spreviously considered.
q Another limits the time of filins
Eoning applications to January
Sand July. The present regula'
/ tions permit filings also in Apri
and October.
g. A new Zee system Wolld oe eS'
stablished under the proposal. Al
sapplicants would have to pay $50
I stnstead Of the present rate Of $2t
Tor advertising. plus the actua
cost Of recording testimony a
( hearings. The council said $50 j!
The average figure now.
81 Under still another provision
any interested persor-not merel!
ssthe property owner-could appl,
j for property rezonings
s. Other Bills Introduced.
ss New bills introduced at yester'
4 days legislative session included:
u BY Councilman Lewis Merriam
|. An amendment to Mrs. Ralpl
Himstead's countrywide librar.
system bill. He would establish {
4 library board for the gradual de
velopment" of a system. Mrs
. Himstead wants a county system
in preference to numerous com
8 munity library taxing areas. Thes'
{ bills will be subject to discussion
s at q hearing in the courthouse a