Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1962-07-19
PAS Report

4
which they have no control, the
existence of special taxing dis
tricts and Incorporated towns.
special legislation enacted prior
| to adoption of the county char.
ter, and involved state consti.
tutional and general statutory
provisions"
To a major extent, the re.
port says, the PISA recon-.
mendatiOns are aimed at in.
creasing the authority and
responsibility for local affairs
of the County Council.
The key role played by both
the M-NCPPC and the WSSC
in development of the county
and determination of it's future
through their planning and lay
ing of sewer and water lines
was cited by PISA as its reason
for arguing that these activities
should be controlled by the
County Council.
Strong resistance to many of
the changes proposed, if the
present or future County
Council should undertake to
bring them about, is certain.
]. Newton Brewer, Jr., chair
man of the Montgomery County
Planning Board which is under
the M-NCPPC, Immediately
branded the report as "a rehash
of unrealistic, backward think
ing" He said the report "sug-
/ geSts fractional, parochial APP.
proach" and mot only displays
a shocking lack of knowledge of
this areas planning problems
but contains several major err
rors in the section dealing with
this commissions procedures
and responsibilities"
Willard A. Morris, vice chair
man of the WSSC and a Mont
gomery County member of the
water and sewer body, said he
had not seen the report "but I
don't believe they know what
they're talking. about" Bi-county
operations of the agency are SO
closely linked, he said, sit is i'm.
possible to separate the two and
he indicated the commission
would strongly oppose the rec.
concentrations.
Both the WSSC and the M.
NCPPC have had powerful al.
lies in the General Assembly
where any changes in their
status would have to be ap.
proved.
Equally proud Of their indie.
pendent status are the cOun.
ty volunteer fire departments
and PAS recommendations
concerning them are certain
to evoke stormy protests.
Last fiscal year, the report
said, the county's 16 fire depart.
ments handled $1.4 million-9O
per cent of which was from
county taxes-but "they are
completely Independent Of the
council and neither justify nor
answer to the county regarding
the need or disposition of the
tax monies"
Public accountability for tax
monies has been an universally
accepted principle in the United
States since the Boston Tea
Party" the report said. THAT
the County Council would ex.
pect a lower standard of &C.
countability for the expenditure
of taxes equal to one-third of
the general county tax levy than
for other tax monies is neither
understandable nor justifiable,"
it added.
Complete budgetary, pur-
chasing, accounting, and other
county financial controls should
be extended to the fire depart
ments as soon as details can be
worked out" the report said.
In an understatement, the re.
port states: "This extension
will not be met with open arms
by the independent fire dis
tricts" and it added: "the tax
payers of the county could
hardly expect a dual standard
of accountability to exist in its
county governmental struc.
ture."
Creation of a county fire or
ganization with full power and
jurisdiction" should be accom-
plished with "some traditional
steps," the report declared.
Recommended abolition Of
long-standing county offices,
some of them dating back to
Colonial days, is certain to stir
up hornets nest of opposition.
Such state offices as Register of
Wills, Sheriff, Clerk of the Cir
cult Court, and County Survey
or should be done away with,
the report says, and their func.
tons transferred to county of
fees.
COnceding the legal obsta.
cles to some of the recon-
mended changes are $50 for.
bidding in their cOmplexity
I