Evening star., 1953-01-16
Delegates Fear
Bill Threatens
Montgomery
SobeIoff Measure
Viewed as Bor to
Charter Authority
BY q Sfaff Correspondent Of The sior

ANNAPOLIS, Jan. 16.-Mont-
gomery County's legislative dele
CATION today was checking into
a Senate bill that seems to
threaten the county's charter
inscribed authority to govern it
self.
The threat arose in the Ian
guage of a Sobeloff Commission
bill, introduced yesterday by
Senate President George w.
Della. Ironically, the bill is de-
signed to give more home rule
to Maryland counties.
Prohibit Local Laws.
The bill proposes to amend
the legislation so as to prohibit
the General Assembly from
passing any local laws, or laws
applying to only one county or
city. About 10 per cent of the
laws introduced in. recent ses-
sions have been local.
Under the proposed amend
ment. Baltimore City and Mary
lands % counties would be
divided into three groups, ac-
cording to population and the
Legislature would be permitted
to pass laws applying to one or
more Of those groups.
That's where the rub comes,
so far as Montgomery is con-
cerned.
Montgomery, probably would
be placed in the same group with
the States other most populous
counties-Prince Georges. Anne
Arundel and Baltimore.
The General Assembly, some
lawyers here believe, then could
pass laws applying only to those
four counties. That would mar
row Montgomery's autonomy be-
cause. under it's present charter
form of government, only laws
Of a Statewide nature can ap-
ply to Montgomery.
Montgomery is the only Mary
land county with a charter gov
ernment. Baltimore City has
one, Of course.
Started by Sobeloff.
The bill grew out of last years
recommendations by the Sobe-
loft Commission, a group ap-
pointed by Gov. McKeldin to
study ways of streamlining gov
ernmental machinery. 1t urged
adoption of the constitutional
amendment proposed in the bill
to cut down the work load of
the Assembly and force more
counties to adopt charters and
run their own affairs
The amendment would require
a Statewide referendum.
Senator Della took it upon
himself to introduce the home
rule measure, after the Legisla-
tive Council failed to act on it.
A companion measure to grant
more home rule to cities was
approved by the council and
also is up for consideration at
this session.
Other Area Developments.
Other Montgomery and Prince
Georges developments here:
/. Delegate J. Douglas Brad
shaw. Republican, chairman of
the Montgomery delegation, said
bill would be introduced today
to allow Rockville to annex SIS
acres of unimproved land be-
tween Viers Mill road and the
Rockville-Norb road, adjacent
to Twinbrook.
2. A bill was introduced by
the Montgomery County dele
CATION yesterday to authorize a
50-cent garbage collection tax in
Somerset.
3. A resolution calling on the
Governor to appoint a five-man
commission to study the Dar-
nellie Plan for curing Peace
Cross floods was introduced by
Delegate j. Frank Lillard, jr.,
Republican of Prince Georges.
and referred to the House Ways
and Means Committee.
4. Four town councilmen of
Riverdale asked the Prince
Georges delegation to introduce
bills that would: Cd Provide for
a referendum on proposed an
nexation of Templeton Manor
Templeton Knolls and River
dale Heights-an area with
about $500 population; (2) pro-
vide for annexation of land on
which the Engineering and Re-
search Corp. is located, giving
the town an additional $2,775
in taxes each year, and CD en-
able the town to clean debris
from vacant lots and assess the
cost against the property-oWnerS.