WM. PRESTON LANE, JR., GOVERNOR. 1953

not exceeding One Hundred Thousand (f 100, 000. 00) Dol-
lars in any fiscal year, the proceeds of the said bond issues
and of all of them to be used for the purpose of acquiring
those tracts or parcels of land or parts thereof included in
said reservations, which, because of imminent development,
building construction, encroachment, or other use, are in
critical jeopardy of being lost for right-of-way purposes,
and to provide for the repayment of said bonds and the
interest thereon by a general tax levy against all of the
property assessed, for State and County taxes in Prince
George's County; to provide for the allocation and the man-
ner of expenditure of the proceeds of said bonds; to pro-
vide for temporary use of funds from general tax levy for
emergency purchases of land; to provide reimbursement to
the County Commissioners from Federal, State, and/or
other funds which may, from time to time, become available
for highway development, acquisition, or construction pur-
poses; to provide, in certain cases and under certain condi-
tions, for relief to owners of land reserved for highway pur_
poses by means of tax abatement or exemption, purchase
of rights in land and/or highway development rights, op-
tion, and acquisition, through donation, dedication, gift,
grant, devise, purchase, or condemnation, and to permit the
County Commissioners to exercise and grant such relief in
appropriate cases; and to provide for a time limitation and
extension thereof, subject to certain conditions, on reserva-
tions of land for highway purposes.

This Bill has been opposed by the State Roads Commission
and my own examination of it discloses several provisions, the
wisdom of which may well be doubted. For instance, if the
State Roads Commission takes any property formerly acquired
under the provisions of this Bill, if approved, the State would
be compelled to pay the County Commissioners the full amount
of the purchase price thereof, together with interest, irre-
spective of its then value. Furthermore, under its provisions,
the County Commissioners may take an option on property
which it desires to purchase at a future date and during the
existence of the option the property is exempt from State and
County taxes. I believe the objections to the Bill are sound
and, therefore, I have vetoed it.

PROCESS

SENATE BILL No. 54

AN ACT to repeal and re-enact, with amendments, Section 157
of Article 75 of the Annotated Code of Maryland (1947

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