Evening star., 1952-05-29
Council Studies
Petition Against
Fire Board Plan
5,748 Signatures
On Protest From
Silver Spring Area

Silver Spring Area
A petition with 5,74S signatures.
obtained since last Friday. against
q proposed Silver Spring Fire
Board to control finances Of the
volunteer fire department was
before the Montgomery County
Council today.
Strenuous objection to Bill No.
20, introduced at the councils cur
rent legislative session. was voiced
by the Silver Spring Volunteer
Fire Department at hearing last
night in Rockville. The council
may take action tomorrow.
The petition contains the names
of residents of the special tax
area which supports the volunteer
department.
The bill was introduced at the
request Of the Allied Civic Group
of Silver Spring. It would give
representation to that group. along
with the Board of Trade. Junior
Chamber of Commerce and the
fire department on the proposed
board.
100000 Outlay Cited.
Everett Schrider. chairman Of
the Allied Civic Groups public
safety committee, told the council
the department spent nearly
$100,0 900 last year.
ut gripes me no end that citi.
zens cannot find out where the
money goes,' Mr.. Schrider said.
Clay v. Davis. department treas
urer, denied this. He said no or.
ganization had been turned down.
but that preparing information
for individuals would place too
great a burden on him.
Page Hopkins. president of the
volunteers. said his department
had invited the Allied Civic Group
to participate in making up this
years budget, but the civic body
had not replied. -.
The department is not opposed
to the public having access to its
financial affairs. Leo Bender. at
torney to the fire department said.
The present 10-man board Of
trustees could make this informa-
ton available in several different
ways. he said.
Other department spokesmen
charged that the proposed board
members would not be qualified
to decide on expenditures for
equipment.
Mr.. Hopkins told the council
that the board. as proposed, would
destroy morale and efficiency in
the 37-year-old department. He
said the department gives Sill
yer Spring the lowest insurance
Irate in the Metropolitan A,ea and
handles one-third of the county's
fire calls. e. #
Councilman J. Louis Monarch.
sponsor of the bill. assured Mr..
Hopkins that he did not question
the departments efficiency.
Other Bills Discussed.
Three other bills were discussed
at the hearing, which lasted until
nearly am.
Bill No. II would create .
countrywide board of appeals. to
take on the functions of the pres
ent Board of zoning Appeals and
Board of Standards and Appeals
and also deal with appeals from
administrative orders.
j. Bond Smith, general counsel
for the Maryland-N National Park
and Planning Commission, told
the council he has some doubt
as to the legality of the bill. since
the Board of Zoning Appeals was
set up by the State Legislature
and he knows of no specific dele
cation of power to the County
Council which enables it to abol-
ish such a body.
Representatives Of several other
groups spoke in favor Of the bill.
Bill No. 18 would consolidate
and make uniform the laws deal
ling with the county's four public
parking areas in Silver Spring.
Bethesda. Wheaton and Mont
Igomery Hills. A delegation from
the Wheaton Chamber of COM
merce asked the Council to lower
the tax rate provided in the bill
for the Wheaton area.
Bill No. 10 provides that all
subdivision plats must be ap.
proved by the Department of Pub
lie Works before they can be re-
corded.
Mr.. Smith charged that the bill
would be a direct invasion of the
Iprerogatives of his commission.
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