Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1958-02-13
Blair Lees from p. /
Inside Annapolis

inside Annapolis
chinery and inventory assess
ments from 100 percent to zero
over period of four years.
Part of his program, at least,
will require action by the Legis-
IatlIre. 1t may be considered at
the February Is hearing.
Tax Squeeze
No matter how much we may
grippe about the burden of taxes,
most of use realize that we prob
ably get more real value from
our property tax dollar than
from any other investment that
we make during the course of a
year.
This is particularly true in the
case of those of us who have chill
dren in public school, who are in
the prime of our earning capac.
ity and who are in a position
to ride with the wave of slow
but sure initiation.
The one group of taxpayers
who get the least return from
their tax investment and who
are least able to cope with infla-
ton are those people in their
Sos and los who are living on a
fixed pension or annuity and are
trying to hold on to the homes
that they have come to love.
In the interest of protecting
such people from what amounts
to eviction of their home. i have
introduced at Annapolis a bill
which provides an assessment ex.
emption of $500 for any owner.
occupant of homestead who is
over 65 years of age (62 years
in the case of a woman owner)
and an additional exemption in
the same amount if the owner
can satisfy the Supervisor of
Assessments that the gross in
come of all persons occupying
the house did not exceed $500
during the preceding year.
/ do not know what sort of a
reception this bill will have in
the Ways and Means Committee.
j will report to you on that later.
In any event, there is consider
able precedent for it. Indiana
and Massachusetts are among
the states which already have
laws of this type. Similar bills
are now pending in the legis-
latures of many other states, ac-
cording TO the Commerce Clear
ing House.
Many of the southern states
grant homestead exemptions up
TO $1,000 to any home-owner, re-
CARELESS of age. ! will be frank
TO say that I can see no merit in
such a wholesale application. 1t
would simply weaken the tax
base without accomplishing any
desirable social purpose.
My bill, which is limited by its
own terms TO persons Of retire
ment age, may need further re-
filming to prevent abuses. We
shall see what the Committee
thinks of it.
The Big Veto
The overriding Of Governor
McKeldin's veto of the teachers
salary bill was thing of beauty.
The Senate and House CON
vened on Wednesday, February
5. at noon. prior to a joint ses-
sion at 3 Pm. TO hear the Gov.
ernor deliver his message. BY the
time 8 o'clock rolled around. both
bodies had taken formal votes 10
override the veto of lib. 253.
The Governor had TO make some
quick corrections in his message
In order to catch up with the
rapid flow of events, and we were
spared final harangue on the
subject.
The almost unanimous ballot.
ing TO override the veto was not
Intended as personal slap at
Mckeldin or AZ a needless bid
for the favor OF the teachers. II
expressed sober determination
on the part Of the Legislators TO
increase the states share OF tIIe
cost Of maintaining the public
school system.
Copies of Bills
We have resumed the practice
Of delivering one copy of each
bill introduced in the House and
Senate to the police stations at
Rockville, Bethesda and Silver
Spring. You can 60 in and in.
spect them at any hour Of day
or night.