Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1962-06-07
City Heads
Hit County
OK Of Levy

NOleu lueSudy IllSIlI W DISH
TIL e Montgomery County
Council to reconsider its ap-
proval last week of a 10-cent
fire tax to be levied on prop
erty in the Rockville area.
City heads said they acted be-
cause they did not feel the coun-
ty government had complied
with their plea that a close
study be made of the Rockville
Fire Departments proposed
budget for the coming year.
An estimated S160,000 would
be raised by the fire tax and
City Councilman stated unani-
mously Monday night at their
regular meeting that:
Q The fire department should
be required to reveal more de-
tails about its assets in order
to justify imposition of the 10
cent tax, first in the fire depart
ment's 41-year history, and,
. Present accounting stand
ards and requirements regard
ing standards of service and
equipment are not clearly
enough spelled out for volun-
teer fire departments receiving
large sums Of public money.
''The time has now come
when the fire department
must make use of public rev.
enues and our position Is that
high standards of account,
ability must be maintained"
Mayor Frank Ecker declared.
Ecker stressed that his crit
cisrn, and that of the City
Councils, was not directed at
the fire department but at the
County Council.
I'VE don't see how any mem
Der of the County Council
could have known whether the
tax should be five cents, or
eight cents or 10 cents" he de-
clared.
The Monday meeting was
marked by a clash between Les
lie Able, longtime Rockville
civic leader, and David E. Belts,
volunteer general counsel for
the firemen.
81 begin to sense" Able
told City Council, that mem
bers of the private club
known as the Rockville Fire
Department are now begin.
ming to get cold feet on the
basis of insufficient data
presented"
He suggested a further ac-
counting" to determine if the
10-cent levy is an appropriate
one"
Belts denounced Able for re-
ferring to the fire department
as "a private club" and said
volunteer firemen had provided
free fire protection to the Rock
vile area for al years, "often at
the cost of great personal sacri-
flee"
There is no better way to de-
stroy the volunteer spirit that
has given so much to Rockville
than this" Belts said. 81 feel it
Is a kick in the teeth
City Council members re-
peatedly stressed that they were
in no way criticizing the fire
men and that their concern was
only over proper accounting
procedures and requirements Of
high standards of service when
large amounts of public money
are involved"
1--WE want to be as helpful and
friendly and constructive about
this as it is possible to be-"
Mayor Ecker emphasized.
County Manager Mason A.
Butcher, who forwarded the fire
departments tax request to the
County Council, strongly defend
ed his handling of the matter
and that of his budget officials.
You don't budget assets"
he declared In reference to
city claims that fire depart
ment assets should have been
considered in approval of the
new tax. did the City Coun-
Gil budget the Civic Center?"
he asked a reporter querying
him on the subject.
County Attorney Alfred H.
Carter told the Sentinel he was
unaware Of the City Councils
request to reopen the matter but
said that If the County Council
wishes to do so lit is still legal.
" possible between now and
July 1st."