Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1957-02-15
31-Cent Tax Boost
Seen inMontgo;nery
Record Budget
Requests Would
Increase Rates
BY CHARLES L. HOFFMAN

Montgomery County residents
lace The prospect Of a tax rate
increase CT 81 cents per $l00 Of
assessed valuation if funds re-
quested by the County School
Soard aro other county Depart
mentS are approved.
Budget requests repeatedly to-
tai a record breaking $685. nil
'ior. That is sore $52 million
n excess OF funds budgeted fo-
operating expenses during the
present year.
These figures have beer COM
piled BY county officials and have
been useo by County Manager
M. l. Reese In meeting with
county organizations.
May Be Conservative
The threatened TAX rate in
crease appears 10 be corserva-
tive based on budget requests.
Mir. Reese estimates the school
tax rate alone would have to go
up "a cents but other sources
have calculated tie increase at
% cents to finance the proposed
school spending program
Mr.. Reese estimates it will take
a tax rate of 81 cents-a q
cent increasc-to finance pay
ments on the principle ana in
terest Of bonds sold for school
construction.
He estimates the budget re-
Guests OF all other county depart
ments would require a 2-cent
tax increase raising the total to
So cents for day-to- day opera
tons and payments on debts.
General Rate Goes Up
The general county rate would
be increased from S2.03 to 1921
if the county continues its IL
cent levy for pay-as-you-go
financing Of some capital i'm
provementS and budget requests
are granted in toto.
Added to this is accent State
real estate tax levy-a Scent
hike-putting the total tax rate
for rural residents with no special
assessments at SEAS per $10O Of
assessed valuation.
For most suburban residents
living OUTSIDE incorporated areas.
however, a tax rate just short
of S2.39 per 500 is the prospect.
added to this would be at least
another 30 cents for all bust
.neSses in the Bethesda, Silver
Spring. Wheaton and Montgom-
cry Hills shopping areas. raising
The tax rate in these areas to
1928 pei 500 of assessed valua-
ton.
Some Exceed SO Rate
1t also would mean that resi-
dents Of Drummond. Chevy
Chase Village. Chevy Chase Sec
ton Three. Martins Addition to
chevy Chase, North Chevy Chase.
Takoma Park and Rockville
would have total tax rates in
excess of SO With some OF them
being closer to 50.
For the average suburban
resident with a $4,000 assess
.Eent the increase would be SCI,
or iaX bill of 1898.
Requests for county depart
ments other than schools are up
$847 900 20 SOS million. The
total debt service required next
year is $4.8 million. The debt
service this year was $4.3 million.
MI. Reese and his aides now
are working or his budget rec
concentrations. Those recon-
mendations are slated 10 GO to
the county council March 5.
The council must adopt
budget by April Is. 1t will re-
quire at least five votes of the
seven-rcember council to in
. crease any item III the Reese
recommendation and a simple
lmajorit" to decrease any item.
Last year the council edopted
a budget that had pared about
SIP million from departmental
requests Of S317 million.
If the requests are not pared
farther This year residents at
best will see their tax rate going
lup some 90 cents.