Evening star., 1950-11-03
Turner AssaiIs
PrinceGeorges
Policies
Presents Analysis
Of County Finances
For 5-Yeur Period

The Prince George County gen.
eral fund "has a peculiar cycle
that happens to coincide-up-
wards-with four-yearly election
of the county commissioners"
spokesman for the Citizens Com
mittee for Good Government
charged last night.
William r. Turner, 30-year-old
Chilluum engineer who is con-
ducting a crusade. backed by
the Good Government Committee.
against what he calls the COM
missioners' "heltey-skelter" flnan-
cial reports, released "prelimi-
nary analysis" of county finances
from 1945 to 1850.
He said his report is the first
comprehensive publication OF in
formation on the financial oper-
ations' of the county.
Hearings Called Meaningless.
At a meeting of the Prince
Georges County Civic Federation.
Mr.. Turner charged public budget
hearings held by the commission
ers haven't meant thing" be-
cause they only included discus
sion of revenue from taxes.
1.-THE county has many other
sources" his copyrighted report
declared. Apparently expendl-
lures from unlevied funds have
been made as the need has arisen
and without budgetary control.
He asserted actual expenditures
by the commissioners exceeded
budget estimates by as much az
40.6 per cent during the five-year
period of the report. Money
actually spent in fiscal 1850. which
ended last July /, exceeded the
Ipublically announced budget by
26.8 per cent. the report con-
tended.
Mr.. Turner said the record
shows that in 1945-46 and in
1949-50-both election years-the
commissioners lowered taxes from
Off -election-year levels.
Charges Surpluses Hidden.
apparently a policy of (the)
administration has been to hide
surplus funds during the first
three years of a term so that
taxes can be cut in the fourth"
Mr.. Turner said.
The commissioners lowered the
tax rate Z cents to $190 per $100
assessed valuation last spring.
According to Mr.. Turner, the
county's general fund in 1949-50
totaled $1.377, ,668-a $490, ,494 in
crease over 194S-49-making way
for the misleading" tax reduc-
ton.
'"The suddenly increased general
fund shows where the money that
should have been spent on roads
and other services has gone" he
said.
The report also charged a num-
ber Of budget items Should be
investigated to determine the
effectiveness with which revenues
have been collected and utilized"
Records Termed "Hodgcpodge."
Mr.. Turner. who is former
executive secretary of the Citi-
zens' Committee for Good Gov
ernment and now is one of its
board members, told the Civic
Federation, the county's financial
records at Upper Marlboro are
"a hodgepodge." He said that
other than the commissioners
published reports of the tax levy
and a tax bill pamphlet contain-
ing the same information, the only
other financial sources are the
auditors records in Upper Marl-
boro.
But these are helter- -skelter in
their organization and are apt to
confuse rather than inform" he
added.
He said auditors files from 1945
to 1850 had been copied on micro
film for use in preparing his re-
port. The listings used in the re-
port follow approximately those
recommended by the Maryland
Commission on Uniform Accounts,
Mr.. Turner declared.
He added in the course of his
investigation he discovered inter-
est-bearing bonds in safe de-
post box with redeemable cou-
pons dating back several years"
still attached.
There is enough revenue lost
this way" Mr.. Turner continued.
Ito go a long way towards paying
for a county government survey"
The survey is main issue in next
Tuesdays election.
Mr.. Turner announced he will
make a 15-minute speech about
his report over radio station
WGAY at las pm. Sunday.
Mr.. Turner is an electrical en-
gineer at the White Oak (Md.)
Naval Research Laboratory. He
lives at 1907 Chillum Manor road,
Chillum.
Last nights meeting, in the
County Service Building at Hy-
attsville, was conducted by Walter
F. Mulligan, president of the Civic
Federation