Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1954-06-27
Tax RiseSeen
Virtually Sure
In Montgomery
T. to Scent Boost
Expected as Budget
Items Are Increased

Items Are Increased
A Z to 8-cent increase in the
present $1.87 per 500 tax rate
in Montgomery County appears
virtually certain today as the
result of increases in budget
items announced yesterday.
The county council on the eve
of the primary elections an
nounced increases that would
raise the operating budget for
the fiscal year beginning Thurs
day from a recommended SIT
million to STA million.
County operating expenditures
will be increased SIS million
over that appropriated last June
80.
The council also proposed to
increase former Acting County
Manager Jeptha j. Carrell's rec
commended capital budget nearly
so per cent from $8.4 million to
$12 million.
Lions share of the increase
with the council proposing to
allow the full $6.3 million re-
quested.
In going along with the school
board request the council said
it was doing so on the basis OF
an assurance from the board
that it would not ask for more
than $3.2 million next year.
A public hearing is set for 2
pm. Tuesday on the proposed
increases all agreed on by the
council in closed session. The
hearing will be held in the coun-
Gil hearing room.
In raising the budget. the
council went along with the
strong pressures exerted by Pa
rent Teacher Associations, Civil
Defense and civic groups.
$1,562,OOO Surplus Listed.
The council said the county
now has a 81 ,562,00 surplus.
Some $4,000 of this will re-
main unappropriated in case OF
emergency needs as Mr.. Carroll
had recommended.
But the council failed to go
along with the ex-manager'S
recommendation that another
$745,668 be used for capital i'm
provementS to cut down the issu-
ance of new bonds.
The council said it was pro-
posing to use only $4,000 of
the surplus for the capital pro-
gram.
To hold the tax rate around
the $1.94 level proposed-3 cents
less than Mr.. Carroll recon-
mended = the council will dip
into the surplus to the tune of
$467 900 for operating expenses.
At the same time the council
said it was going along with Mr..
Carrell's recommendation that
6 cents of the tax rate be used
for putting the county on a
partial pay-as-you-go capital
program.
Without this raid on the sur
plus, the council would have had
to increase the tax rate to at
least So. Mr.. Carroll had rec
commended that all the surplus
available should be used to hold
back the issuance of new bonds.
The council also got another
$4,000 as the result of an in
crease in the county's aSSeSSable
base from approximately $705
million to $710 million.
Police Raise Proposed.
The council proposed an in
crease of 100000 for police
salaries to provide an average
$3.50 per man raise in annual
pay.
The council also proposed g
$93.433 increase in funds fol
teachers salaries to provide fol
all 214 additional teachers asked
and a maximum of $350-a-yeal
pay hike for all teachers.
The biggest share of the oper'
ating increases announced BY
the council went to the schoo
board to allow it $11, 552,778 Of
about SO per cent of its oper'
ating requests and their full
capital requests. Mr.. Carroll haC
clipped about a half million OF
the boards operating requests
A $4,000 increase for clerk
salaries in the schools also wa
provided, granting the board 1T
full request.
The council increased ten-folt
Mr.. Carrell's recommended $7,35I
for civil defense.
The council proposed to Spen'
$71,92O for civil defenSe-onl'
$1,000 less than asked by the Civi
Defense Association. The fund
will provide for a six-man stan
installation of an attack warn
ing system connected with a con
troll communications center an
all funds requested for voluntee
units such as auxiliary police an
wardenS.
The council agreed to establiS
a car pool and provided a $llO'
600 increase in the $4,000 rec
commended to put it into effec
The funds, however, were take
out of other departmental bude
cts.