Evening star., 1952-02-06
County Wage
Rise Proposed
In Montgomery
Personnel Bourd
Proposes 5 Per Cent
Cost-of-Livinq Boost

SOSt-Of-IINIn9 BOOST
A recommended per cent cost.
lof-living salary increase for all
Montgomery County employees. ex-
Icept department heads and work.
Iers paid by the hour, was being
considered today by the county
Council.
For those paid by the hour, the
Personnel Board yesterday rec
commended an average 8 per cent
raise, but accompanied by a cut
in their work week. This would
result In a net wage increase for
this group of about per cent ac-
Icording to Board Chairman Lewis
lSims.
At the same time, the Council
denied q request by attorneys for
Mrs. Helen H. London for per-
mission to ask the county heads to
reconsider their rejection of Mrs.
Iondon's rezoning petition in
August, 1850. The county has
ordered Mrs. London to stop op.
Grating her tourist home at Wis
consin avenue and Langdrum lane.
Chevy Chase.
Retroactivity Asked.
The Personnel Board urged that
the proposed salary increases.
which would include police and
teachers, be made retroactive to
last Friday. Total cost was esti.
mated at $190,170 for the five
month period ending June 80 and
l$456, ,408 annually thereafter.
OF this amount, $348, ,252 would
be required for Board Of Educa-
tion employees.
County Manager Irving G. Nc
Nayr said funds to pay for the
proposed increase are available IN
the current county budget.
The request for permission to
file reconsideration petition in
the London coming case was made
by John r. Reeves. Mrs. Helen
London had applied for a zoning
change from Residential A to B
to permit her to continue operat-
ing her property as a tourist home.
Such use is prohibited in a Resi-.
Dental A zone.
She subsequently appealed to
the Board of Zoning Appeals and
to the County Circuit Court, but
was turned down each time.
Mr.. Reeves explained he was
not applying again for a Zoning
change because the 18-month
waiting period had not expired.
And he could not ask directly for
reconsideration of the councils
zoning decision because that Is
permitted only within 20 days
after the ruling is handed down.
Would Challenge Ordinance.
He warned the council that, II
his request was denied. he in
tended ultimately TO- challenge the
zoning ordinance.
Meanwhile, Assistant County
Attorney L. Clark Ewing said he
would file suit in Circuit Court
within few days for an injunc-
ton to compel Mrs. London to
stop operating her tourist home.
The resignation of Brig. Gen.
George F. Wooley, U. S. A., re-
tired. as director of the county
civil defense program was ac-
cepted with regret" Gen. Wooley
said he is leaving, effective Feb
ruary is, because the job inter-
fered with his personal business.
His assistant, Col. Robert B.
Ransom, U. S, A., retired, was
named acting director pending
appointment Of a permanent sue
cessor to Gen. Wooley.
Amendment Sought.
Mr.. McNayr reported that hO
and Assessment Supervisor VIII
ton T. Allen will seek an amend.
ment to the new Statewide as
ISeSSment law which would permit
property evaluations to be placed
on the tax books at the end Of
each assessment period.
AS it now stands, he explained.
the law provides that all prop
erty in each county be assessed
at least once every three years,
beginning in 1858. But assess
ments may be placed on the books
only at the end Of the three-year
period, he said.
This. he said, would prevent the
county's assessable base from in
creasing from year to year. And
the county. therefore, could no&
borrow for annual capital i'm.
provements, particularly schools.