Evening star., 1960-04-02
$43.5 Million Budget Lifts
Prince Georges Tax Rate
Teacher Ruise,
Five-Doy Week
For Police OKd
By WILLIAM TALBOT
Star star Writer

ETu1Ce georges county resi-
dents will pay an additional IL
cents on their real estate tax
rate next year to help finance
record $43.5 million budget
adopted yesterday by the
county commissioners.
The increase, which estab-
fishes a new levy of $2.42 per
$l00 of assessed valuation, will
provide increased teacher Sss-
aries, a flve-day work week for
policemen, longer vacations for
county employees. highway i'm
provement and expanded pro-
grams in all county depart.
ments.
Under the new tax rate. own
ers of a $4,000 home will pay
$l93 rather than the present
tax of Sl84. Property is assessed
at about so per cent of its
value.
The budget for fiscal l96O-6l,
including estimated Federal
and State contributions. is a SIS
million increase over the S38-5
million appropriation in effect
this year.
The commissioners approved
the new expenditure program
after two weeks of lengthy ses-
sions during which they pared
SIS million from the total S45
million requested last month
by department heads.
Revenue Search
Herbert w. Reichelt, preSi-
dent Of the commissioners. said
the county probably will be
faced with school construction
costs during the l96l-62 school
year so large that revenue
sources other than the property
tax will have to be found to
meet the county'S steadily in
creaSing financial obligation.
The commissioners, he said,
plan to meet with the county's
legislative delegation to discuss
other possible revenue sources
lin order to relieve the terrific
burden on the home" Legis-
lation to provide new tax
sources could be passed by the
Maryland General Assembly
during its next session early
next year.
The commissioners trimmed
$l.l million from the school
boards 1853 million request,
yet increased school funds by
S2.l million to. provide 323 ad-
ditional teachers and a pay
scale placing beginners on a
par with others in the WASH
ington Metropolitan Area.
A new teacher pay scale pro-
videS annual 5000 increments
extending over Is years instead
of the present Is years.
Non-degree teachers will be
paid on a scale of $500 to
S6,400; degree teachers. from
$4,000 to $1,000 and those with
masters degrees from $4,000
to $7,4O0.
Those with 80 hours credit
toward a doctors degree will re-
ceive an additional S4O0 after
six years.
School officials had requested
a scale for degree teachers Of
$4,000 to $500 after IL years.
The present degree teacher
scale is $4,000 to $4,000 after
l6 years.
One-Man Patrols
A Sl4 million police depart
ment appropriation, an in
crease of $4,000 over this
year, provides for Is additional
men to bring the force to 1876.
The police chief had requested
38 additional men to give the
county adequate protection de-
spite a five-day police work
week.
Mr.. Reichelt said the board
plans to buy additional police
cruisers and begin a system
OF one-man instead of two
men patrols in some areas so
that protection will not be
sacrificed.
Police will receive pay incre-
ments provided by the present
scale.
A SIS million request by the
welfare department and a
$l52,000 recreation department
request were approved.
The library boards S3O2. 900
request from county funds was
trimmed by 1927 900. The health
department had requested
$4,000 from the county, but
got s35.OOO.
County employees now get 10
days vacation. Next year they
will get l3 days for up to three
years of service: 20 days I'D to
IS years and 26 days after Is
years.
The budget provides for en-
gineer plans for improvements
to Glendale, Telegraph and
Ardmore Ardwick roads and
bridges over Henson Greek on
Tucker and Oxon Hill roads.
County officials anticipate
Federal and State contributions
of Sl8 million toward the
budget. leaving S25.5 million to
be raised locally.
The budget is based on a
total property assessment of
S794 million, up $50 million
over this year.