Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1955-03-22
Lee Proposes
Plan 10 Increase
Equa|izationA Aid
County Delegate
Would Boost Tex
On Beer, Receipts
By Gene Goodwin
Stur Stcff corrsspendent

By Gene Goodwin
Sfor staff Correspondent
ANNAPOLIS, Mar. 22.-Mont-
gomery County Delegation
Chairman Blair Lee III came
up today with a plan for increas-
ing State school equalization aid
by raising beer and gross re-
ceipts taxes.s
Mr.. Lee said he was preparing
for introduction in the House.
possibly tonight. three bills that
would:
l. Set the counties share Of
equalization fund costs, as of
July /, at whatever 60 cents on
the local tax rate will raise.
Since the rate was scheduled to
go up from IS to IS cents July l,
the 68-cent rate would result In
an additional $3.5 million in
State aid to Baltimore City and
the counties.
2. Increase the State beer tax
from 8 to 8 cents per gallon,
which would bring in about $2.6
million toward the cost of the
Increased school aid.
3. Stabilize the State gross
receipts tax on railroads, util-
titles. trust companies and public
service corporations at a 2 per
cent rate. They are now taxed
at rates varying from / to az
per cent. Taxing them all at
Q per cent, Mr.. Lee said. will
produce about STA million.
Sees Larger Counties Hurt.
Mr.. Lee. a Democrat. said the
scheduled increase from IS to rs
cents in the tax rate required
for equalization aid hurts larger
counties, such as Montgomery
and Prince Georges, which are
hard-pressed to keep up with
mounting school enrollments.
The 10-cent increase was rec
commended by the Green Com
mission on Education and
Finance and adopted by the 1858
Legislature.
TIL 68-cent tax rate require
ment would result in an addi-
tional $536.724 in equalization
aid to Montgomery next fiscal
year and $348.185 more for
Prince Georges, Mr.. Lee said.
Under Mr.. Lees proposal, the
equalization formula would work
this way next year:
The counties and Baltimore
City would put up whatever a
tax rate of SO cents per 500 of
assessed valuation would raise.
and the State would contribute
$40 for each pupil and $500 for
each classroom. If the total Of
these county State contributions
does not pay the cost of the min
imum State school program las
to number of school teachers.
their pay, etc., the State makes
up the difference from the equal
iZation fund.
Mr.. Lee said he did not feel
an 8-cent-a-gallon beer tax is out
of line because Pennsylvania
charges 8 and Virginia 10.
Is Bills Introduced
Mr.. Lee, on another matter last
night, introduced bill backed by
rural interests to require that
lands which are actively de-
voted to farm or agricultural use
shall be assessed on the basis Of
such use; and shall not be as
sessed as if subdivided or on any
other basis"
And with the close of the ses-
sion only two weeks off. the
Prince Georges delegation last
night introduced Is bills, among
them measures to:
/. Create a six-member met
ropolitan council, as recommend
ed by the so-called Maryland
City Study Committee. to take
over the functions Of the coun-
ty commissioners Metropolitan
Area Advisory Board. and CO.
ordinate municipal, county and
regional governmental functions
In urban Prince Georges.
2. Revise requirements for
special country club liquor
licenses to allow their issuance
to clubs without golf courses,
but with tennis courts, a SWIM
ming pool and at least five acres
of ground.
3 Empower the County Com
missioners to control and license
cats.
4. Provide for referendums in
November, 1856. on proposed 10
cent fire taxes in the Fourth
(Nottingham) Election District
IOE bIIC MdIlUOlO dAio Ia ohNy
wine-Aquasco Volunteer Fire De-
partments; in the Fifteenth
(Mellwood) District for Forest
vile, Marlboro, Morningside and
Clinton fire departments, and in
the Seventh Queen Anne) Elec-
ton District for the Glenn Dale,
Bowie and Marlboro fire depart
ments.
The joint Montgomery-Prince
Georges delegation put in two
more Washington Suburban
Sanitary Commission measures,
one to require developers to con-
struct the necessary storm drain-
age facilities in their develop
ments and the second to author
lie a 50 million storm drainage
bond issue by the commission.
The Montgomery delegation
also put In legislation to annex
Cabin John Valley to the san
itary district.