Evening star., 1951-06-01
Council SIashes
81 Million Off
School Program
Other issues Voted
Will Raise Totoi
Above 1919 Limit

ABOVE tUTO LIHliT
The Montgomery County Board
OF Education will receive nearly 81
million less than the $11 1928 ii
had asked the County Council tc
appropriate for school construction
during the IL months beginning
July /.
And the Silver Spring Board Of
Trade request FOR a $500. 900 bond
issue to buy more public parking
lots in the community's business
district has been cut In half.
These were the highlightS Of the
councils final legislative meeting
yesterday, as the county heads
wound up their annual one-month
law-making session in the Rock
vile Courthouse.
School construction funds total
ing $7.3 million are provided in a
bill authorizing the issuance of an
additional $1.7 million in bonds for
roads and storm water drainage
facilities and $4,000 to complete
and furnish the new county build
ing under construction in Rock
vile.
Recreation Program Provided.
The council also passed the
Silver Spring parking lot bill and
two other measures, one of which
provides for a countrywide recre-
alton program under a newly
created Recreation Department
The other eliminates requirements
that the School Board approve
library sites and that the council
approve school sites.
They bring the number of bills
approved at the 31-day session to
II, all to take effect on August Is
Two others were tabled.
Originally. the council proposed
So million in bonds for school
construction and $18 million fol-
roads and storm drainage.
The cuts were made, the council
explained. in an attempt to keep
within the county's bonded debt
limit of 10 per cent of its assess
able base.
In a statement, the council ex-
planned it's bond attorney had de-
cided that $4,715.000 in State
school loans and about So million
in certificates of indebtedness and
parking lot bonds would have tc
be included in the county's bonded
debt.
To Pay OFF Excess.
The council pointed out the
bond bills passed yesterday, along
with other bonds approved during
the session, will authorize indebt-
edness that will exceed the debt
limit by about $1.0B8. 600.
The group added, however, that
the proposed budget provides for
paying off $1,084,750 of old debt
between August 81 and the end
of the fiscal year on June 80, 1852.
THE County Council feels that
1t is further safeguarded against
any excess of issuance" the state
ment asserted, "since it can, if
necessary, out of current revenues,
buy up bonds in the small amount
(which might be necessary to keep
Indebtedness within the 10 per
cent limit"
When notified of the councils
action, Mrs. Ben B. Baylor, jr.,
school board president, said:
ave deeply regret any cut be-
cause we feel there is a definite
need for the full appropriation OF
11,192,582. The smaller amount
can't help but delay the school
construction program"
Court Decision Suggested.
Mrs. Baylor said the board had
suggested to the council, in a
closed meeting earlier yesterday
that a court decision be sought
on the question of whether State
school loans. certificates of in
debtedness and parking lot bonds
should be included in the debt
limit.
She said the Council replied Il
had to pass a school bond bill that
day and could not wait for a court
ruling.
After yesterdays legislative ses.
sion, Council members agreed that
a court decision exempting the in.
debtednesS in question from the
10 per cent ceiling would be one
way Of breaking out of what they
described as a financial strait
Jacket. =.
Alternatives Cited.
Other alternatives, they said
would be to increase the hmita.
ton, impose more taxes or revive
the omnibus tax bill that wa.
killed at the last session of thu
General Assembly. That measure
would have authorized the Coun,
Gil, among other things, to ta1
utility bills.
In other actions, the Council
eliminated a proposed $4,000 ap'
preparation for library construc,
ton and voted down a motion b,
Councilman Harold F. HammonC
to reconsider a bill passed las
week, banning fortune tellers. ex'
cept at benefit performances.
Mr.. Hammond said he wantec
to amend the bill to exemp
licensed amusement parks. Earli
er, G. B. Price. general manage
of Glen Echo Park, had asket
for such an exemption, explaining
the amusement parks palmistr.
concession would be put out o