1308                                      VETOES

House Bill No. 464—Prince George's County, Unincorporated Areas

AN ACT to add Section 464 (e-1) to the Code of Public Local Laws
of Prince George's County (1953 Edition, being Article 17 of the
Code of Public Local Laws of Maryland), title "Prince George's
County", sub-title "County Commissioners", said new section to
follow immediately after Section 464 (e) thereof, authorizing
and empowering the Board of County Commissioners of Prince
George's County to establish boundaries of unincorporated areas
in Prince George's County for the performance of certain municipal
and governmental services, AUTHORIZING PROVISION FOR
CERTAIN GOVERNMENTAL FACILITIES, AUTHORIZING
REFERENDUM ELECTIONS, authorizing the imposition of a
special tax for such services and relating generally to such services
and to the taxes imposed therefor.

May 16, 1955

Honorable John C. Luber
Speaker of the House of Delegates
State House
Annapolis, Maryland

Dear Mr. Speaker:

As originally introduced House Bill 464 authorized the County
Commissioners of Prince George's County to prescribe boundaries of
unincorporated areas within the county in which it would perform
certain municipal and governmental services, such as garbage and
trash collection, street lighting and cleaning. By amendment, au-
thority was given the Commissioners to provide for construction,
maintenance and operation of public library facilities. The Board
of Library Trustees of Prince George's County has advised me that
it feels this amendment will complicate orderly development of the
County Library system in this fast growing county.

Under the provisions of Article 77 of the Annotated Code of
Maryland (1951 Edition), and particularly Section 182 thereof, the
Board of Library Trustees in each County of the State are generally
charged with the overall development of a library system and
particularly with the control of library operations.

In effect, this bill would provide for divided control of authority
in Prince George's County alone, contrary to the state-wide system
now prevailing. The Library Trustees are particularly concerned
with such division of authority in view of unsatisfactory experiences
with somewhat similar expansionary ventures made with the promise
of continuing community cooperation and aid which have not
materialized. The entire needs of the County and all of the purposes
of this bill with reference to public libraries can, I believe, be satisfied
within the framework of the existing law by continuance of coopera-
tion between the County Commissioners and the Library Board. In
view of this fact and the recommendation of this unpaid Board, which
is serving the public, that the enactment of House Bill 464, with the
library amendment, would be detrimental to the continued develop-
ment of the County library system in a manner, best to serve the