Montgomery County sentinel., 1950-03-23

financial aid has been declining
even as the population of the coun-
ty has been increasing. More than
half the time of Welfare Board
workers is devoted to helping solve
problems which threaten to break
UP families, and to giving chill
dren better care. There were "a,
302 pupils enrolled in county
schools in 1949, an increase of
almost $500 in a year.
Whence The Money
After reading all the things the
county did in 1949 the housekeeper
in me wanted to know where the
money came from to pay for all
these services which cost an aver
age of $4.88 per person per month.
A money bags" chart tells US that
the county received nearly eight
million dollars in 1949 ($7,907,-
574.00 to be exact) from a num-
,ber of different sources. Just above
the chart we find that the county
is assessed at nearly $3.50 million
dollars, an addition of $85 million
during the last year. 50
This is no 81 Remember Mama"
scale of financing, but the manager
retains his optimism as we turn
the page to answer our question,
"Where does the money go after
the county gets it?" The financing
department has prepared semi
humorous table showing the cost of
different kinds of county services
each month in terms of everyday
purchases.
We all pay. Every man, woman,
and child of us pays the County
Council, Manager, Attorney, Per-
sonnel Board, Animal Shelter, and
more for the cost of three Scent
stamps month. All judicial serv-
ices, including all courts, states
attorney, sheriff, are worth a
pound of beans. For a stick of
gum a month we get all the ex-
tension services of agriculture
agent, cattle testing, and home
demonstration agent. Two punches
OF radishes buy our welfare pro-
gram, and the street and road pro-
gram would take US to one movie
during the month with the price of
loaf of bread paying the bonds
and interest on those same high
ways.
Other Features
Added features of the book in
clude a brief description of all
other governmental services not
within the responsibility of the
Council and Manager. There is a
back page of basic information
about the county, and an election
calendar for 1850. Officials of the
county are listed at the front and
there is a full table of contents.
The chart on page 2 portraying
How County Business Is Managed
is the clearest picture l have seen
showing the relationship between
the people of the county, the gov
ernor of Maryland, and all the
various independently elected and
appointed officials and boards
which are part of our complex
governmental setup. Imaginative
figures in miniature, gesticulating
to prove a case, weighing in the
baby, or opening the safe, add
interest to a complicated business.
If the reader wishes to compliment
a government official (Oh happy
day!)or take exception to Mr.. Nc
Nayr's optimism, he need only
turn to page SO for a detailed
table. "If you want information on"
this or that "call' some office or
other "at" such and such a number;
and if my experience is typical,
you will receive courteous atten-
tion.
Copies Available
The county has printed some
5000 copies Of this little book.
Your copy is waiting for you to
call in at the County Managers
office on the first floor Of the Rock
vile County Building. Or you may
call Rockville 2121, Extension II
o. AZ; or write to the County Man
ager, Rockville, Maryland and ask
that your copy be sent to you. 1t
won't tell you everything, but it
will tell you a great many things.
YOUR COUNTY GOVERN
MINT