Evening star., 1953-01-13
Civic Group
Votes 10 Keep
Planning Unit
Turns Down Move
In Montgomery to
runsfer Duties

hour debate. the Montgomery
County Civic Federation last
night opposed the proposed
abolishment Of the Maryland
National Capital Park and Plan
ming Commission as a planning
agency. The vote was 1928.
At the same time the fedora
ton asked that a special COM
mittee be named to study and
report on the commission and
the Washington Suburban Sani-
tary Commission. The study
would include such things as the
extent to which the commits
sions consult the County Council
and the public.
The county delegation to the
Maryland Assembly had an
nounced it would introduce legis-
lation to abolish the planning
agency and transfer its duties to
the County Council. The delega-
tion was awaiting the action of
the federation on the subject.
Continuation Of Debate.
Last nights discussion was a
continuation of a long and bitter
debate last month which finally
terminated because of a lack of
a quorum.
Bernard Rosen. chairman of
the planning and coming COM
mlttee. presented the resolution
which urged that the six-member
park commission be appointed
as follows:
Two by the Montgomery Coun-
ty Council. two by the Prince
Georges County commissioners
and two by the Governor. All
six are now appointed by the
Governor.
The resolution further urged
that the changes should not cur
tail the terms of any of the
present members of the commits
sion.
An amendment asked that ad-
ministration of the county rec
reatlon program be transferred
from the commission to the
County Council and the scent
recreation tax be terminated. In
this case. the council would as
sumo responsibility for outstand-
ing bonds which have helped
finance the recreation program
in the past.
Cleveland Explains Stand.
Leading the opposition to the
resolution was Washington I.
Cleveland. former federation
president. Mr.. Cleveland argued
that the public has no authority
over the commission, doesn't
know whether it needs the tax
money asked for and has no way
of finding out.
In 1858. he said, it will receive
$805. 5.976 in tax money. He con-
tended that in the past the poll
tically appointed commission has
overruled the recommendations
Of its technical staff in many
Zoning cases.
Mr.. Rosen stated in reply to
this that since 1850 this over
ruling has happened only 10
times out of 262 zoning recon-
mendations.
Mr.. Cleveland contended that
two heads of the technical staff
had resigned in the past because
of this political interference.
Mr.. Cleveland stated that the
planning duties of the Commits
sion could be more satisfactorily
and more economically admins
tered by the County Council un-
der a countrywide planning
agency. Upper Montgomery
County now has it's own planning
agency. Mr.. Cleveland suggested
that the planning programs of
the two counties could be co-or-
dinated through an unpaid BIZ
county commission.
Other Federation Actions.
In other action, the fedora
ton asked the county delegation
to the Maryland Assembly to OBJ
serve the following principles in
enacting legislation affecting the
public schools:
The minimum county tax rate
of IS cents on each 500 of as
sessable property for purposes of
computing equalization benefits
to the several counties should
not be increased.
1t should be required that in
applying the State Aid formula,
the county's aSsessable base
three months before the begin
ming Of the fiscal year should
be used.
The applicability Of the equal
ization fund should be extended
to include kindergarten schools
and Junior colleges maintained
by the several counties.