Evening star., 1953-06-07
Hearings Set
County Budget
Record Turnout
Due Wednesday
At Court House
By Chorles [. Hoffman

By Chorles [. Hoffmon
Montgomery County residents
this week will tell their govern
ing officials just how they feel
about the county's proposed $25
million budget and rising tax
bills.
The County Council will begin
public hearings on the proposed
budget Wednesday night with
school board funds slated for dis
cussion that evening at the Rock
vile Court House.
Then Friday evening the hear
ingS will be held on budgets for
the departments of public safety.
health and welfare. The hearings
will wind up the following Mon
day with all other departmental
budgets up for discussion.
The proposed budget includes
$l5.6 million for operating ex-
penSes and $9.3 for capital prof.
ectS.
Lower Tax Rate Asked.
The budget would call for q
$1.90 general county tax rate
20 cents lower than the present
rate.
The pressure. however, is on
the council to restore 81 million
to the school operating budget
and $3.2 million of school con-
struction bond issues which
former County Manager Irving
G. McNayr Topped off board re-
quests in submitting his budget.
The County Council of Parent
Teacher Associations - one Of
the strongest and best organized
groups in the county-has cir
culated a petition which has
been signed by thousands Of
residents urging the restoration
of funds.
Such action-if the council
Succumbs to the pressureS being
applied-would mean that the
recommended tax rate would
have to be increased about 20
cents. killing the proposed re-
duction.
Large Turnout Expected.
The PTA group is not alone in
its support of the heavier school
budget. The League Of Women
Voters already has come out for
the proposal.
Last years school budget
hearings drew several hundred
residents. A standing room only
sign will be out come Wednesday
night.
In past years public hearings
on the budget have been moonr-
olized by groups-each support.
ing an increase in a par..cmar
departments funds.
This year. however, the council
probably will hear from a number
Of individuals and organizations
urging spartan" budget. Sure
to be represented are the vari-
GUS taxpayers organizations and
civic groups which have given
hundreds of hours to study Of
the proposed expenditures.
Burden on HomeOwnerS.
Many residents are seriously
concerned over the rising bur-
dens being carried by home
owners. Even with the proposed
tax rate reduction, most subur-
ban area residents will be getting
a bigger tax bill because of re-
cent reassessments that added
over 500 million to the assess
able base-and this was not on
new property that had never
been assessed before.
The proposed tax rate would
be less than a 10 per cent re-
duction whereas the average as
sessment increase for some S..
600 suburban homeowners is ex-
pected to be about Is to 30 per
cent.
Montgomery in the last six
years has spent some $50 million
on new school construction and
since World War II some 43 new
schools and IS additions have
been built.
Despite this, the school board
says. the building program has
been unable to keep up with in
creased enrollments.
Debt Service Rising.
But county fathers are con-
cerned over the rising debt serv-
ice and the county's financial
standing. The last bond issue
cost the county a 1886 per cent
interest rate and this is ex-
pected to go higher if the coun-
tvs credit rating does not i'm
prove.
II the county allotted all the
school construction funds the
school board says 1t needs in the
next five years, residents would
be paying some $3.5 million a
year by 1957-58 to retire school
bonds. This year some SIT mil
lion was spent for school debt
service.
While council members are
considering the budget-which
must be adopted before July l.
there hangs over their head q
suit filed recently to throw out
all reassessments made during
the last year. If this suit were
successful the tax rate would
Skyrocket even with a. tight