Evening star., 1955-06-09

4uC uldI1dSSE, IlOWCtcT, SdlQ IS
proposes to hold the board to its
original plan Of last year calling
for three years to get fully onto
the new scale. The PTA coun-
CHS chief goal is restoration Of
the salary proposals.
Mr.. Reese, in his recommenda-
Itions that present school stand
lards be retained but not i'm
proved. also Topped some $4,000
of the boards budget requested
to relieve students of special fees
in some courses.
The county manager said the
construction budget recommen-
|dations were made on the basis
|of the overall county debt pic
|ture.
Unless the rapid capitalization
is decelerated, he said the county,
in 10 years will be paying more
for debt service than it will be
shelling out for new construo-
tion.
Former county managers have
expressed similar alarm over the
county's moving into a pay-as-
you-go-system in reverse"
The manager also took cog
nizance Of a statement in last
June's county budget that the
school boards request this year
would Approximate $3.2 mil
lion"
The board asked for $8.5 mil
lion.
Based on Survey
Its proposals were based on an
area -by-area survey of the pres
Ient capacity and anticipated en-
Irollment increases.
The requests have been labeled
conservative" by the PTA lead
Iership
The PTA Council says it will
cost only an additional 2 cents
on the tax rate in fiscal 1857 for
the school board to get the en-
tire amount requested.
The real estate tax rate re-
quired to support the entire
school boards budget plus debt
service on school bonds would be
$1.72. The managers budget
would require a $1.58 tax rate
for schools alone.
The PTA council. however.
feels the tax bill is loaded against
the school board. The PTA group
believes part Of the cost of
schools should be borne by other
revenues the county receives.
The PTA group also has OBJ
Ijected to the managers proposal
to use all the withholding tax
Iwindfall for public works prof.
ects. At least 54 per cent of
the $667,00O should be allotted
for school construction, Council
President MacKnight said.
Hot Political Issue
The sound and fury over the
budget has caused one Mont
Igomery Democratic leader to
term it the hottest political
issue since Charter"
Some Of the sting would have
been taken out of the school
budget slash if Mr.. Reese had
detailed his original recommend
Iations.
Yesterday was the first dis
closure of the specific spots Mr..
Reese believed were loaded
against the taxpayer.
In his original budget message,
Mr.. Reese made no bones about
his intentions.
The budget recommendations
twas designed in the interests
of economy" he said.
The manager, however. has
emphasized his decision to at
tempt to hold the tax rate was
his alone.
Although the present County
Council ran successfully on an
ECONOMY" platform, it promised
I"good competitive salaries for
school teachers" and an "ade-
quate and financially sound"
school program.
Budget DeadIine June 30
The county council which
must adopt a budget by midnight
June 30. is in an unenviable
position.
Generally, the council in the
past has been able to restore
some of the managers cuts
while reducing his recommended
tax rate.
The present council, although
it appears likely to restore some
of the reductions, has little
chance of doing it without in.
creasing the tax rate their man.
, lager recommended. Increasing
the managers recommendation
takes a 5-to-2 vote.
Mr.. Reese has said he will rec.
ommend no restorations unless
the council requires the schoo
, staff to provide him with budg.
etary details he wants through.
out the year to consider in pre-.
paring his next budget.
At the same time, the manager
! has urged the school board tx
: spend some $4,000 for a man.
, agerial study of the school op'
erations. Such a study, he says
will result in a saving to the tax
: payer.