Evening star., 1951-01-06
PrinceGeorges
Funds for Town
Police Sought
municipalities Ask
County to Share Cost
Of Such Protection

W S0SH totSStIOH
Towns in the metropolitan are.
Of PEnce Georges County wan
the County Commissioners to hel.
pay the cost of municipal polio,
protection. They also want resi-.
dents of adjacent unincorporatee
areas to bear a greater portion o1
the cost of fire departments.
The requests were outlined al
the Republican commissioners
first meeting in Hyattsville. The
newly y-elected body will meet II
the Hyattsville County Building
the first Friday of each month.
Mayor Herbert w. Reichelt Of
Mount Rainier, was spokesman
for the delegation which included
Mayors Caesar Aiello, Hyattsville;
Merrill L. Harrison, Laurel: James
L. Russell, Brentwood: John N
Torvestad. Colmar Manor; Fred
erick w. Waigand, Riverdale, and
Ross Beville. Takoma Park, and
Town Manager John Mcdonald,
Greenbelt.
Cost is Cited.
Mayor Reichelt told the COM
missioners the eight towns spent
a total of $126,000 on municipal
police forces and, at the same
time. contribute total of $68, 500
toward operation of the county
police department. He said the
total cost of municipalities for
police protection amounts to S194,-
500, while the county appropriates
only $251 900 for its police depart
ment and trial magistrate courts.
we arc not complaining, Mr..
Relchelt asserted, "but we feel
that residents of municipalities
are paying a tremendous amount
for police protection.
The county police are Cooper
ative, but for the most part they
stay out of the municipalities.
We do have the use of the county
police radio system, the county
Jail and the courts, however"
Laurel Held Example.
May Reichelt said Laurel, be-
cause Of the distance from Hyatts-
vile headquarters, receives less as
sistance than the other communi-
ties. He said Laurel is aided by
the State police at Waterloo.
I'VE are not asking for the re-
bate of any specific sum-" he con-
tinued. "It is not the purpose
. to wreck the economy of
the county government. We ask
that you consider the figures and
see if you don't feel the municipal
residents .are being taxed more
than their share"
Adrian Fisher, commissioners
counsel, said he is of the opinion
the commissioners do not have
legal authority to rebate the mu-
nicipal contributions under pres
ent law.
Il think there are ways and
of accomplishing this"
Mayor Reichelt replied.
Fire Protection Discussed.
On the question of fire protec-
ton, Mayor Reichelt pointed out
that all of the fire departments
are in municipalities but that at
least half of their calls are in the
surrounding unincorporated areas,
in the Chillum 4th and 5th voting
precincts.
He said all county residents pay
a 2-cent fire tax which goes into
an equalization fund, Residents
If municipalities pay an additional
fire tax. /
Walter F. Mulligan, president
If the county Civic Federation,
and several members of the
Law and Legislative Com
nittee, l.eaoed by Chairman
Daniel M. Green, appeared before
the commissioners.
Requests Listed.
Their requests included the
following:
That the county appoint an in
spector of weights and measures;
indorse a proposed bill increas-
ing the commissioners borrowing
power from S1.2 million to SIS
million for special improvement
district funds. indorse a bill au-
thorizing a $500 900 bond issue for
Improvements in the metropolitan
area, including a tWo-lane high
way from Branchvilie to Beltsville
over the abandoned railway right
of-way, and institute trash and
garbage collections in the metro
politan area
Ernest L, Hines of the Friendly
(Md.) Citizens Association, asked
the commissioners to repeal the
county ordinance requiring bitum-
inous su1facing of subdivision
streets in the Piscataway, Oxon
Hill, Surratts and Spauldings
election districts.
Stop Sign to Je Erected.
The commissioners gave the
Friendly Citizens Association per-
mission to erect stop sign on
Allentown road at the intersection
with Old Fort road, cost to be
borne by the citizens group.
Resignation of Edward A. Will
liams, University Hills, as assist
ant county engineer, was accepted
He told the commissioners he hao
accepted another job.
The commissioners voted to pay
mileage to their secretary, Mrs
Mamie King Wilson, to reimburse
her for the expense of her trips te
Hyattsville for the Friday meet.
ingS.