Evening star., 1954-04-21
Hearings SET
0nNontgomery
Improvements
$7.3 Million Budget
Represents Heavy
Cuts in Requests


next week on tentative proposal.
by the Montgomery County man.
ager for a 1954-5 capital i'm.
provements budget of $7.3 mil.
lion, representing decrease o1
nearly So million from the cur.
rent fiscal year.
His suggestions include a cut
in the Board of Education's re.
quest for $92 million by more
than half.
At the County Councils meet.
ing in Rockville yesterday. how.
ever. President Harold F. Ham.
mond described the school rec.
concentrations as a realistic ap.
proach" to what the county
would be able to undertake dur.
ing the next fiscal year.
Would Eliminate Projects.
Acting County Manager Jep-
tina j. Carrell said the reduction
N school items is accounted fol
by elimination of those projects
which could not be undertaken in
the forthcoming fiscal period.
The recommendations for cap-
1tal improvements totalling ST.
352,O95 compare with requests
from departments amounting to
$13.238, ,799-a reduction of S.
886,704. The current fiscal years
capital budget amounts to So
263.600, which is $1,911,5O5 more
than proposed for next year.
The proposals do not neces-
sarily represent the county man.
ayers final recommendations
but are offered as a basis for
discussion at the public hearing
set for 8 pm. April 20 in the
County Office Building in Rock
vile. The county manager has
until May Is to revise his rec
concentrations.
Follow Beall Proposals.
"Basically. it is Mr.. Beall's
budget" Mr.. Carrell said. 1--WE
followed as nearly as possible
what we believed to be his rec
concentrations.
He referred to County Man
ager Edward T. Beall, who was
given a leave of absence April l3,
pending outcome of an investiga-
ton concerning an Ohio State
auditors report naming him in
connection with a hospital fund
shortage at Portsmouth, where
he served as city manager prior
to coming to Montgomery or
September 1.
His budget includes $2,116, 900
for roads. drainage and side
walks, OF $685., $50 less than re-
quested by the Depafement OF
Public Works. An additional
$1,458. 500 would come from as
sessments against property own
ers. The current years budget
for the department provides ST.
823,900.
Recreation Requests Slashed.
The Department of Recrea-
ton request for $155,85O was
drastically slashed to $39, 1000
Biggest cut there was from $101,-
$50 to $35,000 for acquisition
of playground sites in the Grose-
venor lane and Wheaton City
areas while land is still avail
able The manager anticipated
being able to make alternate
arrangements with other gov
ernmental agencies to utilize
public-owned land.
Examinations Listed.
Eliminated entirely from Rec
reation Department requests
were 100000 for a swimming
pool in the Wheaton, Silver
Spring area. and $2O.10O for ac-
ouiring school buildings and
land in the Smithville, Laytons-
vile. Scotland. Norbeck. Sell
man. Spencerville and Steward
town areas.
Among items approved were
S135,0O0 for a Wheaton-G Glen
mont police substation and an
additional $4,000 to enlarge the
site of the Silver Spring police
station. A proposed 100000
liquor dispensary warehouse also
was recommended, as was $685.
600 for the Silver Spring Library
Details Of the proposed $9.1
million capital outlays budget OF
the Board of Education were an
nounced earlier. Here are some
OF the eliminations or curtail-
ments the county manager would
make from that figure:
Cut from $1.355,38O to
S175,000 for site and construc-
ton of a new Rockville Junior
High School. The managers
report said the sum approved
would permit land acquisition
and preparation of plans but
there would not be sufficient
time to get construction under
way prior to the 1866 fiscal
year.
Similar reasons were given for
cutting a $2,866.00O request for
a North Bethesda senior high
school to 1921 900 for plans and
site.
The manager trimmed the
Wheaton Junior High School
item of $1,235,424 to $15O,OoO
because construction could not
begin until the next fiscal year.
The sum approved would i'm
prove the site. already acquired,
and cover costs of planning.
In one case an increase would
be made for schools. The item
of $224.760 for a new Grosvenor
Lane Elementary School to pro-
vide relief for the Alta Vista
area, would be raised an addi.
tional $4,000. The present
landlocked site of eight acres
would be accessible to an exist
ing road If additional land were
purchased with the increased
sum. the manager said.