Evening star., 1953-01-04
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Assembly Action
Bosic Reorganization
| OF County Involved
In Proposed Bills
By Gene Goodwin

to the Maryland General Assem-.
lbly Is out to set precedents tni,
year with several proposals fol
basic reorganization Of the county
government.
The 1858 session Of the Legis-
llature will open In Annapolis
Wednesday.
Probably the most controversial
bill is the fourth edition of a
measure to abolish the Maryland
National Capital Park and Plan
ming Commission and transfer It's
functions to the County Council
The Montgomery delegation
tried three times to get such a
measure through the legislature
lin 1947. 1949 and 1851. It's
never gotten out Of committee.
Similar to 81 Bill.
]. Douglas Bradshaw, chairman
of the all-Republican delegation,
said the bill to be introduced this
year will be substantially the same
las the 1851 measure. Under that
proposal, the bi-county planning
commission. long dominated by
Democrats. would be split into
Prince Georges and Montgomery
sections with the functions Of the
latter section being transferred
to the county. The county thus
would be permitted to expand its
present Upper Montgomery County
Planning Commission to the en-
tire county.
The 1851 bill also set up q BIZ
county planning authority, con-
lsisting of three representatives
from each county, to supervise
broad planning projects and en-
able the two counties to continue
to receive Federal Caper- Cramton
funds for parkway development.
Suburban Sanitary Bill.
Another drastic proposal which
the Montgomery delegation may
try to write into law is one to
transfer the Washington Sub
urban Sanitary Commission from
State to local control. A measure
transferring authority to appoint
members of the commission from
the Governor to Prince Georges
and Montgomery was heavily
amended in the 1851 session and
finally vetoed by Gov. McKeldin
because he considered it unconsti-
ltutional.
t Mr.. Bradshaw said the delega-
ton will decide about re-introduc-
ing the bill after it hears what
the Sobeloff Commission has to
say about that agency and the
park and planning commission.
Would Drop Lindsay Law.
The delegation also plans to
seek repeal of the Lindsay law in
order to permit bipartisan local
elections for the County Council
The repeater also Is q three time
loser. having been defeated in
1947, 1949 and 1851. st@
The Lindsey law was passed in
1945, when Montgomery was en-
tangled in conflict over adoption
lof a home-rule charter and when
Iits delegation to the Assembly
was Democratic The law pro-
vides that in counties adopting
the charter form of government,
non-partisan elections for the
County Council shall be prohibited.
+ Another important bill is one
suggested by the. County Council.
It would allow Baltimore City and
Maryland counties : to make
changes in property assessments
every year. The bill is in the
form of an amendment to a re-
cent law setting up a three-year
lcycle OF assessments to replace the
lpresent f1ve-year cycle. The new
law goes into effect in January,
1854.
Bond Ceiling Involved.
The Montgomery Council noted
that unless it could place its re-
assessments on the books every
year, the ceiling on the amount
tof bonds the county may sell
would be frozen by three-year
periods,
Two major bills dealing with
the courts are being considered.
One, which is definitely scheduled
for introduction. according to Mr..
Bradshaw. would give the county
10 third circuit court Judge. The
delegation is awaiting a report
from the county Bar Association
before drafting a bill to estab-
lish a Peoples Court, similar
Ito that existing in Baltimore City.
MIR. Bradshaw said he favored
"a comprehensive. f1ve-day-a-week
Peoples Court to replace the pres
ent Juvenile Court and three mag
|iStrate courts. His idea is to have
three judges on the proposed
court, one to handle criminal and
civil cases. another for juvenile
cases and q third to concentrate
entirely on traffic.
Teacher-Pay Stand.
Mr.. Bradshaw said the strategy
OF the Montgomery delegation on
the teacher-pay proposals is to
vote to sustain the veto of Senate
Bill 48 and then work to amend
the Green Commission bill, which
has bipartisan support.
State aid benefits to Mont
gomery under the Green bill, as
now drawn, would amount to
$37, 7,155 in the first year beginning
next July 1. $78.475 in the second
and $428,8ll In the third, Mr..
Bradshaw said.
Mr.. Bradshaw and State Sen
ator A. r. Lofstrand. IT.. said they
would seek two. major amend
ments to the Green bill. One
would strike out q provision that
local governments raise at least
IS cents per 500 of assessed prop
erty valuation toward. the cost Of
the minimum education program
prescribed by the State. instead
OF the present 65 cents. Mr..
Bradshaw said that amendment
would mean about 81 million In
State aid to Montgomery In the
third year Of the Green Bill pro-