Evening star., 1953-07-01
.$1.S9 Tax Rate
Set As Council
Adopts Budget
Montgomery Farmers
And Businessmen to
Get Lower Bills
By ChorIes [. Hoffman


cut in real estate taxes. while
rural residents receive a 21-cent
reduction.
The new general county tar
rate is just short of 81 ga cent
lower than the rate recon-
mended by former County Man
ager Irving G. McNayr. The ole
rate was $2.10.
Suburban residents also re-
ceived a Scent slash in the old
15-cent suburban district tax
rate and a SIS cent cut in the
16-cent rate supporting the
Maryland National Capital Park
and Planning Commission.
The new rates are 9 cents and
los cents, respectively.
S26,S5S,OO9 Budget.
The tax reductions were voted
yesterday as the county council
adopted a record $26.858, ,009
operating and capital budget for
fiscal 1854.
The budget was adopted over
the bitter objection of the county
School Board and Councilman
Lathrop E. Smith. Both scored
1t as highly inadequate.
Tax rate reductions will be felt
by farmers and businessmen
whose new tax bills should be
some 10 per cent lower than last
years. Their properties were not
reassesSed this year.
Higher tax bills, however, are
in store for the average suburban
homeowner.
The combined cuts amounted
to about Is per cent of the old
rates. Recent reasSessments in
the down-county area however,
increased the valuations there
about IS per cent, according to
Acting Finance Director Newton
Butts.
The tax rate cuts-including
those for special taxing areas
and fire areaS-ranged from 81
cents in the rural area to ASS
cents in Chevy Chase Section S.
S15.9 Million for Operation.
The budget included $15.9 mil
lion for operating expenses, some
$26 million more than was ap-
propriated last year.
The capital budget totaled
500 million. including 81 mil
lion for school construction and
$4.5 million for roads, streets
bridges and sotrm drainage prof.
ectS.
Included in the roads budget
was $1.6 million for projects to
be paid for by special assess
ments on abutting property own
ers.
The council held it's economy
line fairly we'll, increasing the
expense budget only about $347,.
900 over the recommendations oi
Mr.. McNayr.
The lions share of this in
crease went to the School Boarc
to provide for hiring 100 new
teachers at an average salary
of $4,000 and providing for nor.
NAL yearly increment increases
More than 100000 was added
to the budget for schools bring.
ing the total appropriation tt
$8,098,783.
S8.9 Million Under Request.
This still fell far short of the
$50 million requested by the
board and brought charge yes
terday that the appropriation
would be $4,000 short on teach
ers' salaries alone.
A request for an increased
teachers pay schedule and 8
new scale for policemen failed
to get favorable action from the
council. A plea for an appropri-
alton for civil defense also fell
on deaf ears.
In a last-minute action, the
council restored $4,000 for q
school health consultant. The
council originally had cut the
sum out in favor of raising the
recommended appropriation fol
school health nurses. The coun-
Gil provided $10,700 for the lat.
ter.
The council budgeted $265 .00C
for operation of the recreation
program formerly administered
by the planning commission
Another $16,383 was provided
for the recreation department
Office plus $37,636 for paying of
recreation bonds sold by the
planners.
The county has some $174,00
for operation of this program
through funds received from the
planners and receipts from th'
golf courses. The council set 6
1.8 cent tax rate for the pro
gram and is still undecided
whether it will be county wide
or limited to the suburban area
If the program is limited. tht
general county rate will be 81 81
and the proposed recreation dis
trict residents will pay the Ii
cent tax rate.
S5OO,OOO for eIf-Insurance.
A $500,000 sum was set up II
the capital budget to put thu
county on a self insurance plan
The plan was authorized during
the last May legislative session
and will go into effect August Is
The new tax rate returns t.
the 1947-48 level. The new rat
includes 81 cents for count,
government operation, IL cent
for county debts service, $1.2
for operation of the schools, 8
cents for school debt service an
1.8 cents for the recreation pro
gram.
In setting its tax rate tn
council used $750,000 Of surplu
funds for school construction
$35O,000 for operating expense