Evening star., 1955-02-24
'Intercounty Teamwork

--"
am not a delegate to the Mont
gomery County Civic Federation. but
as a reader of your paper. I am shocked
by the editorial, "Intercounty Team
work." which appeared in The Star
on Saturday, February 10.
You rebuke the federation because
it refused to support recommendations
on planning made to the membership
by one of its study groups. Does The
Star seriously believe that an organic
zation is obligated to approve rec
concentrations made by its committees
even If they are contrary to the Will
of a majority Of the members? Your
editorial states that the study group
had explored the problem thorough
ly," but fails to mention the fact
that the recommendations which were
adopted by the Federation were based
on the minority report Of this same
study group.
The editorial ignores completely the
real issue of responsible local planning
with which the people Of Montgomery
County are now much concerned. Citi-
zens are becoming increasingly aware
of the need for planning within the
framework of the county government;
they are also aware Of the Importance
of regional planning - co-ordinated
planning with Howard and Frederick
counties as well as Prince Georges;
they want community and neighbor-
hood parks as well as stream valley
parks.
The Maryland National Capital
Park and Planning Commission was
created in 1927 when the population
of the Montgomery County portion Of
the Regional District was less than
10000 Problems and county govern
ment of that period were largely rural
in character. Many changes have oc-
Cured in the past % years. The county
has experienced tremendous urban
growth. The County Council has re-
placed the Maryland General Assembly
as the total legislative body, and large
measure Of local self-government has
been obtained. In addition, new, con-
cepts of planning have developed.
Is it unreasonable for the people
to ask for modernization and reorgani-
zation of the Maryland National Capt.
tai Park and Planning Commission to
meet the changed situation and provide
more effective, efficient planning for
Montgomery County?
Helen Derryberry.
was somewhat surprised by your
editorial, "Intercounty Teamwork" be-
cause you seemed to miss the point Of
the Civic Federation's purpose in
recommending the establishment of
Montgomery County Planning Commits
sion. The action of the Civic Federation
was neither reputation of metropolis
tan planning nor recommendation for
a change in the operation and acquiSi-
tion of the parks. 1t dealt with the
Montgomery County planning function
now exercised by the Maryland National
Capital Park and Planning Commission.
The point of the Civic Federation was
"home rule" It Is difficult to under
stand how The Star, with its tradition
of strong advocacy Of vigorous democ-
racy, could overlook this major issue.
The report adopted by the Civic Fed
Grafton explains this position in some
detail and SO does the final report Of
the Citizens Committee to Unity Mont
gomery County Planning.
The "home rule" issue Is essentially
this. The Park and Planning Commits
sion is not responsible to either of the
governing bodies of the two counties,
and yet it is charged with the planning
functions for the urban portion Of each
county. The cost Of the planning func-
ton is borne by the two counties "a
Scent tax in Montgomery, 2-cent tax
in Prince Georges) and yet the tax rate
is set by the State Legislature. The
members of the Park and Planning
Commission are appointed by the Gov
ernor. In short, it is an independent
agency removed from the people and
neither responsive nor responsible to
the wishes of the electorate. In the face
of the county's obvious desire to govern
itself and the States Endorsement of
local self government under the recent
constitutional home rule amendment.
the Park and Planning Commission,
from the viewpoint of democratic con-
troll, is an anachronism. The aim Of
the Civic Federation is to put respon-
sibility for planning where it belongs
under the county's elected representa-
tives, the County Council.
Effective local control Of the planning
functions means County Council ad-
pointment of, the members, County
Council ALLEGATION of planning funds,
and an organizational arrangement that
clearly shows that the planning agency
is responsible to-not independent Of
the County Council. The Civic Fedora
ton position accomplishes these objec-
tives. Under it Montgomery County
Planning Commission is established, its
members are appointed by the County
Council it receives its funds from tax
rate set by the County Council (not by
the Legislature). and it performs all
those planning functions desired by the
County Council.
Metropolitan planning is not an issue
in this proposal. We now have Ma
tional Capital Regional Planning Coun-
cil It was created to look after our
metropolitan planning problems and
certainly is better equipped to do so
than is a planning agency with juris-
diction over but portions Of two OF the
counties.
Your editorial emphasizes the i'm
portance of continuing the park func-
tion on a bicounty basis. Regardless OF