Evening star., 1955-03-11
|kcKe|din Signs
|Agency0ver
ToDemocrats
Loses Power to
Name More Than
Two to Commission
By Gene Goodwin
Sf1r Stoff Correspondent

ANNAPOLIS, Mar. IL
Thanks to the signature of Re-
publican Gov. McKeldin, Demo-
Gratis will regain control of the
Washington Suburban Sanitary
Commission on June /.
The Governor last night
signed into law a Democratic act
of the Maryland Legislature.
increasing the commission from
three to six members and localiz-
ing its control in the hands of
the Montgomery County Council
and the Prince Georges County
commissioners, two completely
Democratic bodies.
The Governor apparently de-
cided it would be futile to veto
the bill and make fight to save
the three Republicans he ap-
pointed to the commission. The
Democrats have enough votes in
both the House and Senate to
override VeCOeS.
Mr.. McKeldin can, if he
wishes, reappoint two of the
three incumbent commissioners.
He has two of the six appoint
ments under the new law. The
Montgomery Council and Prince
Georges commissioners have two
each.
Increases Payroll
The salaries of the six new
commissioners will total $23, 400,
compared with the total of $15,-
800 paid to the three incumbents.
The new chairman, to be chosen
by the commission from among
its membership, will get $4,000 a
year: the vice chairman, $4,000,
and the other four commission
ers, SO, 800 each.
The terms of the new commits
sioners will be for four years. The
present law provides six-year
terms.
The new law also divides the
present Office of secretary-treas-
urer. It gives the secretary broad
authority to administer the nom
engineering aspects of the BIZ
county commission.
Signs Other Bills
The Governor last night also
signed two other local bills.
One requires the sanitary COM
mission to consult with the
Maryland-National Capital Park
and Planning Commission in the
laying Of trunk sewer lines.
The other Is an emergency
measure increasing the number
of jurors for the Prince Georges
Circuit Court by 10. The bill
was rushed through as emergency
because the new jury was to be
drawn in Upper Marlboro today
Senator H. Winship Wheatley
jr., Democrat, of Prince George.
said the extra jurors are needed
because of the addition of g
second resident judge for the
county court.
The Senate last night unani.
mouSly enacted the twin bill,
abolishing the Prince George.
County Department of Financ,
and transferring control o.
county finances from the treas.
urer to the commissioners.
The bills give the commission
ers the power to establish ar
accounting department, an Office
of licenses and inspections anc
any other departments it needs
House Passes Bills.
At the same time, the House
passed and sent across for Sen.
ate action measures to-:
!. Authorize a SO millior
water supply bond issue by the
Washington Suburban Sanitary
Commission, for the first TINT
without the guarantee of Mont.
gomery and Prince Georges
County governments.
2. Empower the sanitary com.
mission to charge for water sup.
piled to Federal and State agen.
cies which are exempt from the
usual front-foot and ad valoren
taxes of the commission.
3. Require that the County
Council in Montgomery and the
Prince Georges County commits
sioners get the recommendation
of the municipal government in
volved before ruling on zonine
cases in municipalities.
The Montgomery and Prince
Georges House delegations in.
troduced three more Park anc
Planning Commission bills.
Two are companion measures
to transfer authority for setting
| the bi-county agency's admins
trative tax in Montgomery
County from the Legislature tt
the Montgomery County Coun.
Gil. The bills do not restrict the
council to any maximum or min.
lmum rate as had been discussed
The tax is now set at 3 cents pei
500 or assessed property valua.
ton.
Another planning commission
bill put in would empower the
Montgomery County Council tt
adopt subdivision regulations fol
that county as 1t does now or
the coming ordinance.
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