Evening star., 1954-09-22
Council Drops Search
For County Manager
Until After Elections

Montgomery County will not
get a new county manager until
after the November 2 elections,
the county council decided yes
terday.
The council decided unani-
mously to halt its search for a
full time county manager to re-
place Edward T. Beall. who re-
signed last May, until county
voters have had a chance in a
referendum to remove the pres
ent $4,000 salary limitation on
the job.
Meanwhile, Mason Butcher, di-
rector of public works, will con-
tinue as acting county manager
at his regular $4,000 salary. Mr..
catcher took over the post when
Mr.. Beall resigned following dis
missal of charges against him
growing out of q shortage of
funds in Portsmouth, Ohio, where
he formerly was city manager.
so Apply for Job.
Council members said they
have given exhaustive study to
more than so applicants for the
manager job, and have per-
sonally interviewed eight of them.
But, in an announcement yester-
day, the council said it found
qualified applicants were de-
manding more than the top
salary permitted under the
county charter.
The council gave Mr.. Butcher
an added responsibility by ele-
waiting the county's civil defense
organization, which got an ap-
preparation of some $4,000 in
this years budget after being
neglected earlier, to division
status. The new division, which
will be headed by the county
under an appointment
by Gov. McKeldin, will be
charged with planning and oper-
ating a full-fledged civil defense
program in the county.
Action on a new firehouse on
Federal property at the National
Institutes of Health in Bethesda
was deferred by a Stool council
vote. Arthur E. Miller, director
of public safety, and Mr.. Butcher
were instructed to confer with
Of the Bethesda Fire
Board on alternative sites, prefer
ably in the Bradley boulevard
and Burdette road area west of
Bethesda.
Mrs. Werner Opposes Delay.
Mrs. Stella Werner voted
against a further delay in estah-
the fire house on the Ma
tional Institutes property at Old
Georgetown road and Cedar lane.
The proposed agreement on the
would exchange the
Federal property for fire protec-
ton at NTH.
Mr.. Miller also was instructed
to meet with members of the
Chamber of Commerce,
which complained to the coun-
Gil that business places in its
area are being burglarized fire.
because of lack of police
protection.
A letter from the Wheaton
chamber asserted that police
patrols in the area are entirely
inadequate and requested the
council to study the possibility
Of locating a new police station
along Upper Georgia avenue. Mr..
Miller was told to brief the
chamber on considerations being
given to including the police sta
ton in the next budget. But
Thomas Oyster, executive secre-
tary of the Wheaton group, de-
clared the chamber has studied
the problem "and should brief
Mr.. Miller"
The new council also heard
from abutting prop
erty owners to a proposed $227,-
235 widening project on Fenton
street hetween Ronifant street
and Sligo avenue. The project is
the most needed i'm
in the congested Sill
yer Spring shopping area since
the widening of Georgia avenue.
Attorney Einar Christensen
the project, which will
cost abutting landowners $49, 900,
should be paid for with more
han the $178,000 in county
funds already set aside for 1t
u 4 y ~