Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1954-05-27
HOmeOwners

ties IN the ratios of assessments
to sales ranging from TWENTY-FIVE
per cent in Calvert County, fifty
per cent in Montgomery County,
and as high as sixty per cent in
Baltimore City; and
Whereas, the Appeal Tax for
Montgomery County, by letter
dated TTovem b er II, 1853, in.
formed the Chairman of the State
Tax Commission of MARYLAND
that the maintenance of uniform
and equiv alent assessments
among the Maryland Counties is
of vital Importance to this Court
and to the citizens of Montgom.
cry County," and emphasized the
widespread lack of uniformity of
assessments among the Counties,
as a result of which "Montgom-
cry County has suffered a decline
in School Equalization Fund paw.
ments from the state" (totalling
nearly a million dollars within
the past few years, which should
be applied to the County's ever
mounting budget; and
Whereas, the Appeal Tax Court
for Montgomery County in the
same letter insisted that it will
not condone and sit idly by if
other counties are deliberately
maintaining low assessments
in order to maximize their Equal
ization Fund payments" and that
at will be highly unfair to the
citizens of Montgomery County if
the State Tax Commission acqui-
esces in or fails to take i'm
mediate action to correct the in
equities among the Counties;
and
Wherea the Montgomery
County Council in Open Execu-
tive Session on December 2, 1858,
adopted Resolution No. 2-2256
confirming the foregoing pre-.
amble, and stating that "the ap-
proximately one-quarter million
citizens of Montgomery County
have the right and duty to de-
mand that the State of Maryland,
through its Chief Executive Off
Ger and its State Tax Commits
sion, take immediate action to
bring assessments among the
Counties into uniformity and
called upon the Governor of
Maryland and upon the Maryland
State Tax Commission "to insti-
tute steps to bring uniformity be-
tween assessment ratios in the
several Counties; and
Whereas, the Chairman of the
State Tax Commission, by letter
dated December %, 1858, in effect,
replied tn t the Commission
would take no positive action to
correct the situation but would
even rely upon self-correction by
delinquent county tax assessors
throughout the state, a process
which is wholly inadequate II not
a dubious transaction; and
Whereas, members of the Mont
gomery County Council, despite
the demands in their Resolution
of December 2, 1858, now report
that the State Tax Commission
continues to vacillate and give
us the run-around" by refusing TO
equalize assessments among the
Counties in Maryland; and
Whereas, the Homeowners'
Tax League, a Maryland Corpo'
ration, composed entirely of tax
paying citizens of Maryland, has
almost exhausted its resources
seeking writs of Mandamus and
Injunction to obtain judicial re-
lief from this unconsciouable SIT
uation, only to have the Maryland
Court of Appeals rule that the
State Tax Commission can be
sued only in the Courts of Balti-
more City; meanwhile the State
Tax Commission of Maryland
stands arrogant and Indifferent to
the demands of it's citizens; and
Whereas, the interests and
aims of the Homeowners' Tax
League. with respect to state
wide equalization of assessments
closely parallel those protested
by the Montgomery County Coun.
Gil and the Appeal Tax Court for
Montgomery County, y
Now therefore be it resolved:
1. That the Officers and the Ex-
ecutive Committee of the Home
owners Tax League, as and on
behalf of all citizens of Montgom-
cry County, Maryland, hereby
call upon the members of the
Montgomery County Council as
the duly elected representatives
of all citizens of Montgomery
County to institute at County ex'
pense, a Mandamus action in the
Superior Court for Baltimore
City, against the members of the
Maryland State Tax Commission,
demanding that they perform
thnirr eta t1ltnrNr dl1tinc and carry