Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1954-03-18
Montgomery County Sentinel

Editor
Montgomery County Sentinel
The purpose of this statement
is solely to answer your editorial
of March II, Dead Cats" Con
crete proposals by Citizens for
Good Government for the future
of Rockville are being discussed
by our candidates at various pub
lie meetings, and statements will
be published from time to time.
The editorial raises some points
which need answering for the in
formation of the voters who will
select a Mayor and four Council
men on May 3. (These men will
spend some 100000 of your
money and mine in the next two
years, nearly $1,000,O00 in com.
mitments which will be made
prior to their election. This could
well be thought of as the $1,000
600 election in Rockville.
Point-There is no reason in
swinging dead cats at an admin
istration which is not running for
reelection. Answer: The present
administration is very much in
the running; Councilman Milor
asks to be promoted to Mayor;
Mr.. Higgins announced he will
run; Mr.. Hit appeals for support
because he retained in his slate a
man who has been councilman
for the past six years and can
continue the intent and thinking
of the present group'-to use his
own words. Though these three
incumbents run on separate
states, they are the nucleus of the
present administration.
Point-At this stage it doesn't
matter what authority Rockville
has to borrow the money. An
swer-On the contrary it does
matter. For years the city gov
eminent could have raised money
by asking the consent of the
voters it was taxing, but they
chose to disregard the taxpayer
and go to the Legislature instead.
In choosing to do this they dis
regarded the recommendations
of the University of Maryland
survey of Rockville Government
which they themselves requested
be made. They have consistently
resorted to legislation instead of
encouraging home rule methods
at a time when the Maryland Mu-
nicipal League Ito which Rock
vile belongs) was Pumping for
more home rule. This method
served only one purpose; it kept
the citizens in the dark about
their affairs. If the three incum-
bents are reelected this practice
of seeking legislation as author
ity to borrow money instead of
employing the referendum can be
expected to continue in the flu
ture.
Point-The State Health De-
partment lowered the boom on
the town. AnSwer-The present
injunction is not the first time
the He a | h Department was
forced to resort to drastic meas
ures in its relations with Rock
vile. The Department was most
patient with Rockville during
1850, 1851, and 1852 in the Twin
Brook area at a time when the
city had continued to authorize
additional houses served by a
sewage disposal plant already
oVer-taXed. In that instance as a
last resort the Department en-
Joined Rockville from further
connections in late 1851; it
warned Rockville in January
1852 that the Cabin John Dis
posal plant was seriously over
loaded and that plans should be
drawn and contracts let to rem
edy the situation. Is it any Won
der then that the Department
acted forcefully and in the only
way the city administration
would respect when approval of
a plat for a 1400 house develop
ment was announced in the
Washington papers in the fall of
1858? We do not think this can
be called lowering the boom"
when the city had definite and
specific notice nearly two years
earlier.
Point-The time to speak up
on the unused borrowing author
ity was "last summer when the
Department served notice of a
breakdown" AnSwer-The notice
was in late November, about the
oath, if I recall accurately. We
had no suggestion that the city
would ask for special legislation
to cover the borrowing until the
February meeting of the council
which was unannounced and at
which it was decided to ask Sen
ator Lofstrand to introduce legis-
lation on an emergency basis. In.
deed it had been stated in open