Evening star., 1949-05-04
McNaW Election
Brings First Big
Split in Council
Silver Spring Group
Protests Front-Foot
Benefit Assessments
By John v. Homer

-
q. .McNayr was chosen yesterda.
TO be Montgomery County man
ager brought the first serious po
htical split in the Montgomer!
County Council.
In retaining the acting count!
manager on a permanent" basis
the council rejected majority rec
concentrations of a committe,
which 1t intrusted to investigate
candidates. The committee -op
posed Mr.. McNayr by a 2-to-.
vote.
The appointment during an ex.
ecutive session overshadowed 9th.
er events of a busy council day
There was, for example, a protes
by Silver, Spring residents agains
proposed front-foot benefit assess
ments. In. addition, the council
received two important bills dur
ing its second legislative session.
Object to Paving Cost.
The Silver Spring citizens OBJ.
jected to an ordinance which
would require them TO pay thu
$2S,S17.50 estimated cost of stree
paving, curbs, cutters and side.
walks on Ellsworth drive from
Cedar strete to Dale avenue. They
said they would be willing to beal
half the costs of the street sur
facing (or one-fourth Of the cost
on each side of the drive).
The new legislation. all pro.
posed by President Frederic P
Lee. would create two new county
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES and Ii
censes and public safety.
OF these, the inspection ano
license agency would be the more
important. 1t would give Mont
gomery County. for the first time
an agency to enforce laws and
ordinances dealing with permits
for amusements, building, coal
weights. refuse collection, licens-
ing Of hucksters. licensing OF
plumbers, enforcement of Zonine
regulations and fire codes.
Election Is Squeeze Play.
The selection of Mr.. McNayr al
this time was a political squeeze
play engineered by the county
manager himself. He required
the council to give him a yeseor-
no answer by early May.
The council. therefore. had tc
decide the question at its busiest
period-the legislative session now
under way and the new budget
discussions next month. Had il
failed to name Mr.. McNayr, the
council would have been faced
with the problem of preparing the
biggest Montgomery County bud
get in history with the help oi
a green" county manager-or
with no help at all. The council
itself has had no previous expert
ence with a county budget.
Even without this consideration
some councilmen who voted yes
terday for Mr.. McNayr may have
backed him anyway. The minor
ity was willing to take the conse-
quences of dispensing with his
services at a critical time.
Motion Made Quietly.
The motion to elect Mr.. McNayr
was made quietly and passed when
Mr.. Lee cast the final vote. Coun-
cilmen were almost casual about
their balloting except that Mrs.
Ralph e. Himstead made a state
ment. She said she was not vot-
ing against Mr.. McNayr on a per-
sonal basis but because, in accept
ing Office, she promised to seek
'the best qualified man for the
position.
"I believe we have found q
better qualified man who is avail
able" she explained. Mrs. Him
stead declined to discuss any
names. 1t was known, however,
that her committee received at
least II applications for the job,
considered approximately 80 per-
sons and eventually interviewed
six or seven.
The council went on to routine
business but returned to the Nc
Nayr subject on the insistence OF
Mrs. Himstead. At her request,
Mr.. Lee then emphasized that a
majority Of the committee had
disapproved Mr.. McNayr.
No Salary Increase Voted.
In the final formal vote, Lewis
Merriam, Thomas c. Kelley, j.
Douglas Bradshaw and Mr.. Lee
put the election over. The dis
senters were A. r. Selby, P. Gar
land Ligon and Mrs. Himstead.
Political antagonists of the
county manager were quick tc
note that the council gave him
no increase in salary from the
$4,000 he has received as acting
manager. The limit for the joE
is $4,000.
MIR. McNayr is IS years old. Ii
county service only three years. he
is the most controversial figure ir
county office. He is frankly dis
liked by such organizations as the
League of Women Voters, Parent
Teacher Associations and. Other
civic groups. He is persona non
erata to some organization Demo
Gratis and some organization Re-
publicans. But he also has his
supporters, some of whom were ir
the council chamber yesterday
and applauded when he won the
job.
Zoning Request Rejected.
Sitting as District Council
for regional zoning purposes, the
council dismissed an application
filed by Nellie Arliss for reclassi-
fication from residential A tc
residential c, a little more than
two acres along Long Branch or
Piney Branch road. Silver Spring
The council ruled that a one-year
prohibition on reapplication ap-
plied.