Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1960-02-18

Sentlng the budget to the Gen.
eral Assembly, Gov. Tawes ex-
planned it was not his intention
"in formulating this budget to
present an austere program for
our state"
Biggest chunk Of the proposed
budget, STAT million, will go for
public educatiOn-$12 million of
the $28 million increase in gen.
eral funds expenditures.
The greatest part of this $12
million increase is mandatory
because of increases in enroll.
ment. Salary increases for pub
lie school teachers and for fac.
ulty members of the University
Of Maryland and other state col
leges account for IS million Of
Of the $12 million increase.
The proposed budget provides
for an increase in spending for
public welfare, but does not In
clude all that was requested by
Welfare Director Thomas J..
Waxter. General funds expendi-
lures for welfare would increase
from $14.146,000 to $15,944,295
under the proposed budget.
Waxter requested an increase
of $6.2 million in welfare spend
ing, but the Governor Topped
$4.4 million off this request.
The budget provides 81 mil
lion to raise standards of care
in Maryland's mental hospitals.
Most of this increase will be
used to fill 149 new staff posi-
tions at the six mental hospitals.
The Health Department would
be given an increase of about IS
million.
After Tawes submitted his
budget to the General Assembly,
legislative leaders introduced
the budget bill simultaneously
in both houses. Hearings are
now being held on the budget
bill by the Senate Finance and
the House Ways and Means
Committees.
The General Assembly has
limited powers In considering
the Governors budget. 1t may
reduce but not increase his re-
quests for the executive depart
ments. If legislators should
think that the Governors re-
quest for the Department of
Public Welfare, for example, is
not sufficient, the General AS
sembly could not increase that
part of the budget.
There are, however, some
ways the Legislature can get
around this limitation. It may
persuade the Governor to sub
NIT supplementary proposals,
which he may do at any time
before the budget bill is passed.
Also, 1t may pass a bill requir.
ing money not budgeted, in
which case, the Legislature
must find the money to finance
that bill.
The time for citizens to take
action Thy writing the Cover
nor) on any appropriation is
any time during the budget
preparation period. After the
budget is completed and sub
mitted to the General Assembly,
it is too late for citizen action.
When Tawes submitted his
budget, it was the climax of a
long period of work. Here's
how the proposed budget came
into being:
July, 1959-The State Budget
Bureau sent out request forms
to agencies. The Governor sent
a letter, stating the general poll.
cy he wished the agencies to fol.
low.
September, 1959-The request
forms were due from the agen,
cies. The States Road Com,
mission could not submit its
final request forms until De
cember because it couldn't know
the amount of money available
to 1t until that time. The money
required for assistance to the
public schools could not be esti
mated until after the school cen
sus in October.
September to November-The
budget ANALYSTS, who were as
signed to budget needs of spe
cific agencies, went over the re
quests carefully. They visited
agencies to obtain information
They prepared questions to ask
at later hearings.
Last week of September
through November Budget
hearings were held for each
agency.