Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1957-01-10
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/ perhaps the Board oil Education
has enough problems without
my adding to them CDR. Norris
will mutter amy more than you
already have") but I would like
to see a course in County Civics
taught in the high schools with
local government officials as
guest lecturers.
The high school students of to-
day in a few years will be receiv-
ing county tax bills, trying to
get their property rezoned, ask
fling for sewer and water line ex-
tensions, applying for building
permits, and in many other ways
tripping through the red tape of
municipal, county, and bi-county
government.
They ought to be briefed.
Probably many of the students
parents wish they could have
learned the workings of the
areas overlapping governmental
bodies other than by the "try
and try again and again and
again" method.
And who would be better quail
flied to lecture on the workings
of the County government, the
Board of Education. the park and
planning commission, the sani-
itary commission, etc, than the
County Manager, the superintend-
ent of schools, the commissioners
of the MNCPPC and the WSSC.
etc? The County Attorney, the
Director of Licenses and Inspec-
tons, the County Finance Direc-
tor, the Chief Assessor, and
many others could lecture on their
specific departments.
The text book" would consist
Of documents like the county bud
get, the coming regulations, a
typical tax bill, and most of all,
the newspapers.
Field trips to watch the various
bodies in action would be part
Of the course.
Maybe the County Civics course
won't replace Elvis but think it
will interest inquisitive young
adults and make them better cit.
liens.
"Woofp
That was Rockville councilman
Alex Greene's response instead
of the usual AYE" when Mayor
Dickran Hovsepian called for a
vote at last weeks Rockville may
or and council meeting.
Councilman Greene, it should
be pointed out, has not turned
rabid. He was injecting some
humor into the discussion of
Rockville's proposed dog ordi-
nance.
The vote, incidentally, was in
favor of returning the whole dog
gone question to City Attorney
David Cahoon who hopes his
draft of the proposal will not put
him in the dog house.
The vote came after council.
man John Oxley complained that
the discussion might last until
"the dog days next summer"
After the vote, we all went
home, dog tired.
The rezoning of Contee's 225
acres for industrial use near
White Oak will have many eff
fects.
Obviously, with the county's
industrially-zoned acreage dou.
bled, new plants will be coming
with their tax contribution and
employment opportunities. One
research plant has already sign
ed for plot and two others are
Interested, according to Contee.
The rezoning action will be
tested in court, however, insid-
ers indicate. And at least one
lawyer - not connected with
either side = isn't sure the recon.
ing will be upheld.
The county may have hurt its
own case when the County Coun-
Gil deleted from its official recon,
ing opinion declaration that re
strictive deed covenants on the
industrial land, did not influence
the decision. (The covenants bar
undesirable Industry
The declaration was eliminated
despite County Attorney Irelan's
advise that it would be ''unwise"
to delete the statement. He said
the county would be in a Strong
er position" to defend the recon
ing in a court test if the opinion
contained the declaration.
Still another result of the in
dustrial rezoning (if Council
member Stella Werner has any
thing to say) will be the prepare