Evening star., 1952-05-31
Council Votes
Bonds Tota|inq
$q,7S8,OOO
Passes Seven Bills,
Kills LoytonsviIIe
New Fire Tex Area

Kills LoytonsviIIe
New Fire Tex Area
The Montgomery County Coun.
Gil yesterday passed seven bills
including two authorizing bone
issues totaling $9.788. 900.
Yesterdays action in the clos
ing days Of the May Legislative
session brought to II bills and
resolutions the measures passed.
The council yesterday. in effect
killed Bill No. % authorizing 9
new Laytonsville fire tax area
The area would have been carved
out Of the Damascus, Gathers
burg Washington Grove and
Sandy Spring areas.
Tabling Of the bills brought to
two bills and one resolution meas
ures which failed to pass. -Four
bills, Nos. 10, 18, 10 and 40 are
still pending before the council.
The major bond bill, No. IS, was
amended yesterday on motion of
j. Louis Monarch to be increased
100000 to $9,588. 900.
Notes Loss Of Suit.
Mr.. Monarch said he made the
amendment in light Of the ruling
against the county Wednesday in
It's suit to regain title to the arm
ory lot in Silver Spring.
The half-million dollars is the
amount the Hecht Co. has offered
the Maryland National Capital
Park and Planning Commission
for the lot. The council has indi-
Gated it may want to purchase the
4.5-acre tract itself if it fails to
regain title through the courts.
Also included in the bond autho-
rization bill were So million for
school building projects; 81 mil
lion for road and sewer projects;
$4,000 for a health clinic build
ing. and Sos, 900 for the Bethesda
Public Library building.
Other Bills Passed.
Other bills passed yesterday
were:
No. ITO extend limits of the
suburban district to the outskirts
Of Rockville and into the area
north Of Viers Mill road and
Wheaton. To become effective
July /, 1858, the bill will put an
additional IS cent per 500 assessed
property value tax on residents of
the new sections.
No. 8-To permit the council to
abandon roads and drainage
rights -of-way when they are no
longer necessary for public use.
The bill passed was a substitute
bill which does not apply to aban-
donment of roads which have been
used by the public or accepted for
maintenance by the county.
No. 1+To authorize bonds
totaling 5000, 900 for acquisition
and Improvement Of parking lots
in the Wheaton commercial area.
Creates New Appeal Floored.
No. ITO create super coun-
ty board Of appeals to replace the
present board Of coming appeals
and the board Of standards and
appeals.
No. 21-To authorize the county
council to pass an anti-smoke or
dinance for the county.
No. 23-To increase from 10
cents to Is cents the special fire
tax which may be levied for the
22d precinct of the 18th election
district. This bill, introduced and
passed yesterday, was promoted by
the Takoma Park City Council.
Mayor Ross H. Beville explained
yesterday. at public hearing on
the bill, that the area lies just
outside the city limits and receives
IRE protection from the city.
Mayor Beville said residents of
the precinct pay a 10-cent tax,
while the share borne by city resi-
dents amounts to a 20-cent tax
rate.
Councilwoman Stella B. Werner
yesterday hit the Council in its
weak spot when she asked for an
explanation of the area involved
in Bill No. 13. She was informed
the bill had been explained in the
three-hour session preceding the
open meeting.
Not at Secret Session.
IT wasn't here for the secret
session" !" she said. She added that
she thought such matters should
be explained in open meeting so
the public could be properly in
formed.
Yesterdays open session, as
usual. was marked by a unanim-
ity Of opinion among Council
members. No opposition votes
were cast on any bills considered.
Councilman Grover Walker of
Gaithersburg, who has opposed
two resolutions during the MONTH
long session. was absent during
:. yesterdays balloting.
The council passed over con-
troversial bill No. 20 to create a
FIRE board to control finances Of
the Silver Spring Volunteer Fire
Department. A later move to bring
it up for final reading was op-
posed by Mr. Monarch.
Petition Of Opposition.
The firemen appeared at a
public hearing on the bill We'd
nesday armed with petition
signed by STAB property owners
opposing the bill.
Mr.. Monarch yesterday con.
tended opposition to the bill was
not well founded. He charged that
residents had been misinformec
on the effects Of the bin. The