Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1962-04-19

ct, in particular on the vital
planning part of the budget,
without asking the Commission:
l. How did you spend our
money last year?
2. How are you going to
spend our money next year?
For the rise in our taxes. the
congestion in traffic, the crowd
ing of our schools will depend
upon the type and quality of
the plans this Commission
makes for the future of Mont
gomery County.
Are we getting full value for
our tax money? Judged by re.
suits, there is serious doubt of
the effectiveness and efficiency
of the Commissions planning in
meeting the pressing needs of
Montgomery County in general
and of our key Silver Spring
and Bethesda Chevy Chase COM
munities in particular. The
Commission In five years has
yet to produce a comprehensive
master plan, including high
ways and land use, for either
Silver Spring or Bethesda Chevy
Chase, and its Swear planning
program shows it does not in
tend to produce one in the next
five years.
Why doesn't the Council re-
quire the Commission to Justify
and account for its spending of
planning money in the same de-
tail as it requires the School
Board to account for and justi-
fly school funds? The Commits
sion fails to state and the Coun-
Gil fails to inquire how much
of our tax money was spent for
the three master plans for
Rockville aithersburg, North
west Branch, and Upper Rock
Creek which the Council re-
jected because 'they do not
have community acceptance,
nor do they present desired
goals or practical means of
achievement" How much has
been spent on the current du-
biouS North Bethesda and West
Chevy Chase plans? VIII these
piecemeal plans help ease the
problems of Bethesda Chevy
Chase or will they add to them?
What means are provided to
handle the increased traffic, ad-
ditional school children, and in
creased taxes to be produced by
the large apartment and COM
mercial developments which
these plans would thrust into
Bethesda-Chevy Chase?
Is it not time for the Coun-
Gil to assume its duty of guild
ing the planning policy of the
county and of seeing that
urgently needed plans are pro-
duced before they are too late
and too little? The Citizens
Planning Commission has rec
omended the Council take con-
troll of $250,000 of the planning
money to assure that necessary
planning work be done at the
Councils direction, just as it
assures the proper perform
ance of other county functions
by budgetary controls. This
planning money could be allo-
Gated in the planning commits
sion budget specifically to
urgently needed work, such as
the master plans for Silver
Spring and for Bethesda Chevy
Chase, and to a study of the
economic base of the county
fundamental to proper advance
planning.
Council members assert their
authority as elected officials to
determine public policies" a
majority having publicly
pledged in their Democrats
for Progress Platform" that
The County Council is the
policy making body for Mont.
gomery County. COmprehen-
sive plans are major policy
documents. The Council must
have clear-cut power TO call
for such plans, TO establish
policies which the plans shall
follow, and to approve the
plans or return them to the
planning board for revision In
accordance with council poll.
cies." Further, they have
pledged: 1--WE will strive to