25th Anniversary ·Sttecial Editiatr·~... -· .ltttnhtlt Dtws ltvitw Greenbelt, Md. ThUl'llciay, August 9, .~ 1 An apocl-yphalstory fa told of a visitor to early Greenbelt who, noting --------------. the relative isolation of the- town,. asked a local resident what neople do here Se..~ .~ ~-- in their spare time, Back came the rejoinder, "We organize." This was no "V ·I• undel'ltatement. More than 85. organimtlons were counted' during the tlrst This is. the second of three ape- year and meeting space was at a premium. Some people were busy every clal editions that the Net~~a ~- night attending one or more meetings. c'.l'he proliferation of meetings was so will publish this summer commem- great that at one stage, a local resident suggested a moratorium on meetings orating · the 25th anniversary : or. for a whole ·week; This suggestion was headlined In the Wash~Jrton aews- Greenbelt. The tlrst edltlon, whiCh papen who lleized upon it as evidence of Greenbelt's rebellion against reg!- appeared on July 5, cfescribed the menta~on.. _ ..... ___ .. --~-------- ., _ _ .histoey.of Gleeabelt.L--'l't'hl'll.tt!'e-11plfti'eaeilt!llell·tt-t--------~ Dalpfte-the 1J:itrod'ucti6n of TV- and the closer bindlna: of Greenbelt to the edition and the next one deals with lWt of the metropolitan area, organizations still abound in Greenbelt. This the hJJtory of Greenbelt's organl· aectloa Iii devoted to a history of these organizations and Institutions. T)le zatlona and institutions - Ita city oldelt In paint of time fa the city government which, with Ita provisions for gove~ent, organized recteatiC?nal wide citizen participation, set the pattern for the development of other civic, groups,· schools, churchea, ho118big cooperative, and social groups. · developments, cooperatives, aDd other civic activities. This history is not meant to be all-inclusive, as .The Gty -Govern111ent those organizations which are now defunct or Inactive are not included. Greenbelt's town .· charter, intro­ vises the administrative staff through Also excluded are some groups duced into the Maryland State Legis­ its manager. Council maintains can­ which have limited historical sig­ lature by the Prince GeOrges County tact with current public opinion nillcance. delegation, was duly enacted and be­ through use of advisory committees C&JQe e1fectlve on June 1, 1937. Writ­ (Recreation Advisory Committee, was elected in September 1939. Dur­ ten even before the tlrst leitizens nad Advisory Planning Board, etc.) ing this formative period, the council moved Into the new town, this in­ drawn from an interested public and made use of a charter proviso In ap­ strument of government, dedicated from open attendance and partici- pointing as. town manager Roy S. · to simplicity, has required no 8lgni- pation at Its regular meetings. · Braden, who also represented ·the 8.cant change in Its 25-year history. The city manager is appointed by Federal landlord as community A charter amendment, effective June and responsible to the council. His manager for the Farm Security Ad­ 1, 1949, changed the designation of appointment is based on his profes­ ministration ( FSA). 4\ sional quaiUicatlons. and is for an in­ Greenbelt from a town to city. In hiring the members of his staff, definite term. He has final authority AI Maryland's first manager-coun­ In the appointment of municipal em­ Braden continued the policy of utili· zing FSA employees whose jobs cil form of municipal government, the ployees and Is required by charter charter provides for an efficient divi­ to hire only on the basis of job qua11- dealt with Greenbelt. His private secretary, Winfield McCamy, became sion of responsibility between a fications. Council has no authority town clerk; an administrative assis­ changing legislative body and a per­ over employees subordinate to the manent administrative staJl. manager except for the confirmation tant, Wallace F. Mabee, became toW'p director of public safety, and an FSA ' The non-partisan council, or legis· of the appointment of solicitor.· The manager thus has complete adminis­ accountant became town treaaurer. latlve body, of five equal members is trative authority over the executive These dual roles led to some con­ elected at large every odd-numbered branch of the government which fn •.• ¥.' fusion, but also provided certain year With nomination by petition eludes the departments of public economies. During emergency periods only. Council elects from Its mem­ safety, public workiJ, recreation, ft. there was a pooling of manpower. bel'll a mayor and mayor pro-tem. d 't t' Town employees, for example, were The office of mayor, however, is nance. Raoln sam a JOn. used to haul coal and Federal workers largely ceremonial as Its holder has Dua1 es to ·remove garbage. ncfgre&ter authority than other coun­ The first two town councils each cil members. Council establishes served only one year in order to This dual relationship continued governmental policy, legislates for _ reflect Greenbelt's changing popula- until July 1946 when the jobs of the "welfare, health, l&fety, and lm­ Uon ns tenants moved into residence. town manager and community mana­ proveJJt~nt" of Q~nbelt, and super- Tho 11,111t regular two-rear council s-er W\ln> ctlvqrc;~. Then) wall ~ a . :~ Page2 Greenbelt News Review Thlll'llday, A.uguat 9, 1962 'Ihursdny, August 9, l9f!2 Greenbelt Newa Review GREENBELT NEWS REVIEW AN INDEPENDENT NEWSPAPER Published every Thl11'8day by Greenbelt Cooperative Publishing Assn~ Inc. Greenbelt, Maryland Delivered each week to every home In Greenbelt Thursday, August 9, 1962 separation of other functions. Af­ fected were such personnel as Mrs .._Mary Jane Kinzer who had bee!l serving the town as educationa. direc<tor In charge of kindergart~n. adult education, and social welfare ir. addition to being the Federal Government's · (FPHA) chief in ' charge of tenant selection, and An­ This is the famous cartoon appearing in the June 14, 1946 Cooperator gus McGregor who was FPHA's celebrating the separation of town functions from Feaeral functions. Still supervisor of landscaping and grounds to come was Greenbelt's unshackling from Federal ownership. as well as the town's acting director of public works. Following the split · The climax came in April 1953 · Economies in functions, the town offices were when the city attempted to force With the sale of the project, the ThJs is a 1948 photograph, of the first council meeting attended by Charles T. McDonald after his ap119intment aa moved downstairs - into the space PHA J;iaYinents by halting garbage community now had to depend on its town manager. Left to right: Councilwoman Elizabeth Harrington; Councilman Allen D. Morrison; Mrs. Francil adjacent to the bank -'where they collection services for the still own tax resources to finance the StoWfer, Public Health Nurse; Mrs. Winfield McCamy, TC:wn Olerk; Mayor Tholll&B C. Canning; McDonald; Connell· Frank Lastner; and Councilman David Granahan. stayed until the Government sold tlie Federally~wned apartments. The services its citizens had become ·ac­ man project in 1953. issue at dispute this time was whether customed to. It is true that In the In order to produce economiea and to Prince Georges County. Board o1 the State legislature. Curren_tly, Town finances the basis for PHA payments should transfer PHA dedicated to the city reduce the tax rate, which was one · Educat1011 for $260,000. In Septem· changee can be made by the city COUD· be the county's assessed valuation of many , valuable facilities and build­ One of the unique features of of the highest In Prince Georges ber 1959, the voters approved a ell, prOvided citizens do not· petition Greenbelt's early government-- was the aiJ8!1ml!nt: _lll'OP~rties ()r_ll.li.A's -in~ tJH-:-FOOdway.,- -the _ County,_the serviceaprovided by the referendum calllng-ior a -$200,000- for-• referendum. __ the fact that about 80 percent of the evaluation. water-distribution system (later ded· .city · were glven a close 8Cl'Utiny ·In long-term loan or bOnd Issue to--pro- - In -May 1966 the first DIJjor chaf• town's revenues came in the form ·of Needless to say, the city won few icated to the W~U~hlngton Suburban :.hope that greater dependence could vide the additional fl.nanclng needed ter changes,. outside of salary In· Federal payments in lieu of property of these disputes, and it was with a Sanitary Commission), the commun- · ibe placed upon county facilities. to construct all three buildings. creases for ·councilmen, under the taxes. This arrangement was neces· great sigh of relief that the com· ity building, the sewage disposal .As a result Df this review, the bud· The next two years saw the com- hoine rule amendment were adopted.' sitated by the fact that the Federal munlty greeted PHA's withdrawlll . plant, the swimming pool, the lake get for the calendar year 1955 elim­ pletlon of both .the volunteer fire One revision provided for the eil· Government owned ~!most all the from the city. Nevertheless, it was area and piCnic groundS, athletic inated two duplicative services for department and rescue squad build- tabllshment of a three-man person­ land In Greenbelt and its property recognized by many that the Federal fields, warehouaes, 17 small parks which the taxpayers had been paying lng and the recreation · building. nel board to advise the council on could not constitutionally be taxed payments. in lieu of taxes enabled and playgrounds, and certain public taxes to b.oth the city and the county. Plans for the Inunicipal office built':- personnel administration and to con. by a municipality. Each year the the city to provide many services road l!l888Dlllltl, The first waa the library which had lng are still on the drawing boards.