The globe-independent. (Hagerstown, Md.) 1943-19??, 1953-12-10

10 pdIdpnTdSe oil Olu SdyiilS - Liz
proof of the Town Hall meetings is
in the attendance - and there was
abundant proof on Tuesday evening,
that the fifth annual Town Hall
meeting, sponsored by the Chamber
of Commerce, was to the liking of
the citizens of Washington County,
for $50 of them paid $3.50 each to at
tend the dinner meeting, the largest
attendance ever recorded for the an
nual event
AS a friend reminded me, a cur
tain was drawn across Franklin
Court auditorium, halfway down the
hall, when the first meeting was
held, with the tables set up in the
front half, but on Tuesday night
every available seat was occupied.
AS for the meeting itself, it was,
i'm my opinion, far and away the best
ever held. While there were the
usual needing" questions, dealing
with such subjects as the parking
question on North Potomac Street,
the shopping center and overpasses,
the bulk were highly constructive
and ran the gamut from Annexation
to Taxation.
A feature of the meeting, which
was handled in a mastery manner
by the Moderator, Herman B.
Hopes, was the facing up to all the
questions by the Mayor and Council
and the members of the Board of
County Commissioners - in other
words, there was no buck passing.
Both the Mayor and Council and
the Board of Commissioners had
their heads of departments present,
with the result that when detailed
answers were necessary, the right
men were there to give them.
Both Mayor Winslow F Burhans
and President E. Lester Mobley
weer asked whether there would be
any increases in the city and county
taxes respectively, and they both
were very frank in their answers.
Mr.. Mobley pointed out that be-
fore the County Board could decide
on the 1854 rate, they would first
have to get the taxable basis from
the county tax assessor, after which
they would examine the 1854 pro-
posed budgets from the several de
partments and agencies who receive
funds from the county, before they
could arrive at the actual tax rate
These studies he added will be held
in the near future, so that the 1854
rate can be announced by the end of
the year.
Mr.. Burhans, who like his Coun-
Gil, is in much different position to
the County Board, since they are
facing their first job of setting up a
budget and tax rate - the 1853
budget and rate was already fixed
when they took office last April :
went into much more detail in
answering the question.
Like Mr.. Mobley, he told his
audience that he and his Council are
just getting into the tremendous job
of going through the budget require
ments for 1854, the preliminary
figures of which have been prepared
by the city auditor, and that the 1854
tax rate cannot be decided on until
final budget is approved and weigh
ed against the anticipated revenues
from all sources.
The Mayor added however, that
the job of his administration was be-
ing made more difficult, due to the
fact that the present fifty cent tax
rate was "a Subsidized Tax Rate be-
cause, for the past six years, it has
been subsidized by the use of ac-
cumulated and unappropriated sur
pluses." Mr.. Burhans then referred
to the use of these SURPRISES as '"The
sins OF the previous Administra-
tons"
Due to the fact that had to go to
press yesterday, l did not have time
to write a detailed account of the
meeting.
Elsewhere on this page, you will
find very thorough report by E.
Lester Mobley, president of the
Board of County Commissioners, re-
garding the status of the County's
School Building program, which 1
urge you to read.
AS stated in the report, the Board,
by unanimous vote at their regular
meeting Tuesday morning, approved
resolution authorizing the Wash
ington County Board of Education
to add eight rooms to the Fountain
dale School and also to prepare plans
for twelve-room, new elementary
school in the East end.
l am very happy to be able to re-