Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1954-02-12
Bills 10 Chance
School Funds
Up for Vote
Finance Unit Acts
Today on Lofstrond
Assessment Plan
By Gene Goodwin
Stor Sfoff Correspondent

Stor Sfoff Correspondent
ANNAPOLIS, Feb. 12.-The
powerful Senate Finance Com
mittee was scheduled to vote
on a Montgomery County plan
aimed at drastically revising
Maryland's system of computing
State school aid.
Committee Chairman Louis l..
Goldstein, Democrat. Of Calvert
County. said he will recommend
that the two bills by Senator
Anders r. Lofstrand. Repub-
lican. of Montgomery County. be
referred to the Grotz Commits
sion. a group named by Gov.
McKeldin last year to study the
States fiscal structure.
The committee held a hear
ing yesterday on the Lofstrand
proposals. which State School
Supt. Thomas G. Pullen jr., de-
nounced as IAN attempt to bring
about uniform assessments and
taxation by Furnishing our school
children"
Would Establish Median.
The Lofstrand bills would re-
quire the State Tax Commission
to determine each year the per-
centage Of assessment values to
actual property sales prices in
each county and Baltimore City.
From this. median percentage
would be determined. Counties
where assessment percentages
fell above this median would be
awarded additional school aid
money from the so-called equal
ration and incentive funds
Counties falling below the
medlan would get less.
Equalization and incentive
1und allotments to the counties
and Baltimore City are now COM
puted on the number of school
children in relation to the assess
able bases Of the counties or CITY
Baltimore City. Baltimore
County and Montgomery County
nave such high assessments.
compared to most other counties.
that they now receive no equal
lzation money at all.
DR.. Pullen told the committee
the net result Of the I,ofstrand
proposals would be that the low
er-assessed counties would get
less State aid and probably would
be cut down on school funds.
Says Authority Exists.
Il agree that we ought to have
uniform assessments and taxa
ton" the veteran educator said.
but the Legislature, the Cover
nor and the State Tax Commits
sion have the authority to do that
now. If you've got the nerve to
do it."
Morris Allen. executive secre-
tary of Montgomery County Tax
payers. Inc. who explained the
Lofstrand proposals to the ccm-
mittee. said they would mean an
extra cost of about So million to
the State in the first year.
He said similar systems are
now being used in 10 other
States, because this method is
much cheaper and easier than
forcing reassessments."
Senator Lofstrand revealed.
meanwhile, that he will join
Senator Hubert P. Barton. Dem
ocrat, of Baltimore, in sponsor
ing a bill to effect annual prop
erty reasSessncnts in Maryland.
Mr.. Barton said he is sure he
will have still other sponsors by
the time the bill is ready for
introduction the first of next
week.
RecOmmitted for Study.
The Senate yesterday voted,
II to IL, to recommit for further
study Senator Goldstein's bill to
abolish the State real estate tax.
The tax, now levied at a rate of
SGT cents per 500 of assessed
valuation. goes solely for retire
ment of the State debt.
Mr.. Goldstein's bill goes back
to his own committee and is Ger
tain to be returned to the Senate
floor again. He's put in the bill
in previous sessions, but it never
gets anywhere. It seems to be
picking up support. however.
from lawmakers who see it as
good political move in this cleo
ton year.
In the debate on the measure
yesterday, Senate President
George w. Della seemed to ex-
press the view of most of the
bills opponents when he said:
THE State of Maryland has en-
joyed one of the best bond rat
ings in the United States largely
because bond buyers can count
on this real estate levy"