Evening star., 1954-04-23
Planning Units
Budget Is Hit
In Montgomery
Called Meaningless
And 'ConceoIing' at
Silver Spring Session

Members of the Maryland
National Capital Park and Plan
ming Commission got a baptism
of fire at the first public hearing
on their budget since the COM
mission was formed 27 years ago.
For some time" said Jerome
j. Harris, there have been sew
eral groups in the county which
have advocated the transfer of
all of the functions of the com
mission, or at least its budget
control, to the County Council.
and if this budget is adopted as
proposed. it will present strong
evidence for these groups in
support of their stand"
The speaker appeared in Sill
yer Spring, where the commits
sion was holding the second Of
two public hearings on its ST.
591 ,487 budget. But yesterdays
hearing was concerned primar-
lily with the Montgomery County
share of the budget. accounting
for 1.843.179 of the total.
Tract Brings $3.50, 1888.
The day before the commits
sion held hearings on the Prince
Georges portion of the budget.
1t was announced yesterday that
a bid by Safeway Stores of
$260,838.75 has been accepted
for the purchase of a 4.8-acre
tract in Hyattsville, bounded by
Ager and Queens Chapel roads
and Hamilton street. Nearly
$500,000 had been expected ear
lier as a sale price.
At the Montgomery hearing,
Mfr. Harris complained that the
proposed budget "is not accept
able, either as to form or sub
stance. In the first place, it is
meaningless. :"
Mr.. Harris said he represented
the Homeowners' Tax League,
Inc, and the Chevy Chase Gar
dens Citizens Association.
Except for the letter of trans
INITIAL" he said, "the budget
contains no justification or sug-
geStion of a detailed program,
and while it may be that there
Is such a program, the budget
does not indicate it. The
recommended budget is simply
a mass of figures without explain
atory material to make it clear
what the commission proposes to
do, when it will do it, and what
the various projects will cost"
Charges COncealment.
A similar complaint was voiced
by Harold P. Morris of the
Montgomery County Charter
Committee, who declared: "The
figures presented in this budget
represent a masterful job of con-
cealment of the operations of
the commission"
Commission Chairman Robert
M. Watkins and Jesse F. Mich
olson, secretary-treasurer. pro-
tested that copies of the current
budget are available for public
inspection. They displayed copies
on the table in the hearing room
which were available to the audi
ence.
The hearings are the result
Of legislation enacted by the
1853 General Assembly which
saw a fight for transfer of the
planning agency's functions to
the County Council.
Chairman Watkins announced
that a citizens advisory COM
mittee to the planners now is
being formed. He said the COM
mission hopes to work more
closely with the public through
the new group.
Mr.. Morris said, THE salaries
total in the administration fund
show a 80 per cent increase over
last years budget.
Blair Lee III, former member
of the commission, defended the
proposed salary increases and
expressed the hope that they
would not be Cancelled when
final action is taken. He said
he could see justification for
some of the complaints voiced
there and he particularly COM
planned that the proposed
budget does not show what will
be done with $500,000, plus in
terest, from the sale of the
armory lot in Silver Spring last
December.
Commissioner Donald E. Gin
gerry replied that it is unwise,
from a business standpoint, to
''pinpoint" proposed park ac-
Quisitions because of the effect
on land values.
Among other speakers who
presented specific objections
were j. Alvin Waits, president
of the Wheaton Citizens As
sociation; Paul Golovato. presi-
dent of the Connecticut Avenue
Estates Citizens Association;
Stephen HotSco of the Allied
Civic Group of Silver Spring.
and Kenneth Perry of the Mont
gomery County Civic Fedora