Montgomery County sentinel., 1950-03-23
County Housekeeping
BY MARJORIE GARFIELD

This week want to tell about a
booklets which has recently come
into my hands. 1t is entitled
Your County Government, and con-
tains within it's sixty four glossy
pages the first Annual Report of
the County Manager of Montgom-
cry County. Whether read by an
enthusiastic supporter of Charter
government, a lukewarm recipient
Of it's services, or a downright
"aginner", the material presented
is of direct and intimate interest
to every county resident.
Your County Government
The County Charter specifies
that the County Manager prepare
and make public a comprehensive
annual report to the County Coun-
eli regarding the county govern
ment". In presenting this report
Mr.. McNayr says to the Council,
"The form of this report follows
suggestions made by various ma
tional organizations for annual re-
ports which have more public ap-
peal than have reports in the past
which merely stated the whole
picture of government in detailed
figures. Public officials have found
that the citizen is interested in the
broad social aspects of government
as well as the financial picture.
Citizens will be provided from time
to time thu oughout the year with
complete fiscal information which
Can be used to supplement this
type of annual report"
Details of Services
Mr.. McNayr obviously asked de-
partment heads to present details
of the services which they render
in terms which would make the
purposes and methods of their
work as well as its extent plain
to John @. Taxpayer. Under the
editorship of research assistant
Richard l.. Black there emerged an
attractive, well-printed booklet,
literally sprinkled with good photo
graphs, maps, charts, and tables.
The text is written with a min
imum of "gobbledygook" and is
broken by varied headings and
occasional catchy phrases such as
PURCHASING "The Price Must Be
Right" or PUBLIC HEALTH "For
Your Health's Sake.
An Optimistic Report
In this report the business man.
ager, i. e. County Manager, ac-
counts for his years stewardship
to the Board of Directors, the
County Council, and to the esti-
mated $4,000 stockholders, the
people of Montgomery County. Mr..
McNayr makes an optimistic report
of this first year. He names
twenty seven separate accomplish
ments of 1949 in his highlights of
the year, giving star positions to
the administrative reorganization
of the government, the five year
capital budget, and the indepen-
dent financial survey which certi-
fled that the credit of the county
is still good. Among the nineteen
plans for 1850 and the future he
lists an improved budget document
from his office; continued improve
ment in reporting county business
and affairs to the citizens; and
specific programs for improving
road building, public parking lots,
traffic, control, and school con-
struction.
Various Departments
The major portion of the book
describes the various departments
of the county government and is
full of facts about each. Just in
s1imming we learn that the Coun-
ty Council enacted 80 laws at its
legislative session in May, and
passed nearly 500 resolutions at
over 100 meetings. There are lab
men on our present police force.
Approximately 20 miles of new
roadway were constructed in 1949
by the county, and 1400 miles of
streets and roads were constantly
being maintained. tuberculosis
control in the first year Of the
"Five-year Plan" aimed toward re-
dIcing tuberculosis in the county
to a minimum, 800 county resi-
dents were checked by photo
fluographic surveys. The number
OF public welfare clients receiving