ADMINISTRATIVE HISTORY

The office of the County Manager was created in 1948 with the passage of the Montgomery County Charter. Following the recommendations of the 1941 study of Montgomery County by the Brookings Institute, civic groups, the League of Women Voters, and the Republican party endorsed the passing of a new charter to provide a greater degree of home rule for the residents of Montgomery County.

Aiming at increased efficiency and accountability of the County government, the charter created a County Council of seven as the law-making body, and the office of the County Manager, appointed by the Council, as the Council's executive. As such, the County Manager supervised the daily operations of the County government, overseeing departments, agencies, and offices in all administrative, planning, budget-related, and regulatory matters.

By the 1960's the County Council/Manager system had become inadequate in responding to residents' demands for more County services and greater legislative and executive powers. As a result of the reorganization of the County government in 1970 the County Manager was replaced with an elected County Executive. The Executive maintained all responsibility for the administration of County departments, but no longer supervised routine day-to-day operations. Instead, the Executive appointed a Chief Administrative Officer who was responsible for such government operations as personnel, purchasing, budget, information, and support services, all of which had previously been County Manager responsibilities.

PROCESSING PROCEDURES

General processing procedures consisted of discarding duplicates, unnecessary binders, and routine transmittals. Oversized documents and photographs were removed from the original location in their assigned series and placed in separate containers. Separation sheets were inserted in the original location within the folder to indicate the new location of any records placed elsewhere.

Preservation copying of newspaper clippings was performed whenever feasible. Records in folders were arranged, unless otherwise indicated, in forward chronological order, with undated records appearing at the end of the folder.

PROVENANCE

Not applicable.

SCOPE AND CONTENT NOTE

The records comprise 6.7 cubic feet dating from 1948 to 1970, and include printed material as well as the files of County Managers Irving McNair, Melvin C. Reese, Mason A. Butcher, and E. T. Beall, whose tenure extended from 1948 through 1970. The records include correspondence, reports, contracts, printed material, and blueprints.

SERIES DESCRIPTIONS

Series I: Subject Files, 1948-1970 (6 cu. ft.)

The records of the Montgomery County Manager document the administrations of Irving McNair, Melvin C. Reese, Mason A. Butcher, and E. T. Beall. Correspondence, contracts, maps, blueprints, and photographs relate to topics such as post-war government service expansion and nuclear war defense efforts. Documents regarding the county's attempts at racial desegregation are primarily located in the files "Human Relations Commission," "Policy," and "Recreation."

The series is arranged alphabetically by subject.

Series II: PrintedMaterial, 1950-1970 (0.7 cu.ft.)

These materials were compiled and produced at the request of the County Council under the direction of the staff of the office of the County Manager. Most of the material consist of annual reports and budgets.

This series is arranged in chronological order and then alphabetically within each year.

Series I: Subject Files

Box 1

Airport, 1956-1959

Assessments/Taxes, 1955-1969

Bonds (Municipal), 1957-1961

Board of Appeals, 1955-1962

Building and Grounds, 1958-1960

Builders Technical Advisory Committee, 1955-1956

Budget, 1957-1969

Charter Transition, 1969

Civil Defense, 1955-1960

Community Development, 1968-1969

Correspondence, 1948-1967 (4 folders)

Memoranda-County Managers to Staff, 1955-1963

Personal (M. A. Butcher), 1950-1963

County Attorney, 1955-1963 ( 2 folders)

Box 2

County Attorney, 1968-1969

County Audit, 1959-1960

County Building

Bethesda, 1957-1960

Contracts-General, 1953-1956

Rockville, 1950-1955

Rockville A/C Contracts, 1954-1955

Silver Spring, 1957-1960

County Council

[General], 1954-1962

Sister-County Affiliation, 1961-1962

County Departments: Guides/Overviews, 1958

County Manager's Annual Report, 1951

Court House: New Wing Construction, 1953-1969

Courts, 1955-1969

Cultural and Civic Center Committee, 1960-1967

Detention Center/Jail

[General], 1957-1969

County Poor Farm Site, 1958-1960

Data Processing, 1967-1969

Education

Board of Education, 1950-1969 (3 folders)

McKinsey Report, 1955-1956

Environmental Health, 1968-1969

Box 3

Facilities and Services, 1953-1963

Finance, 1955-1969 (3 folders)

Finance, "Report on Study of Payroll Procedure Submitted to the Director of Finance, June 1, 1965"

Fire Department

Fire Board Minutes; Division of Fire Protection, 1957-1960

[General], 1955-1964 (2 folders)

General Services, 1967-1970

Health: Medical Planning Consultants, 1966-1969

Health Department, 1968-1969

Housing: Lyttonsville Area; Housing Hygiene and Code Committee, 1955-1962

Human Relations Commission, 1965-1970

Inter-Racial Problems, 1960

Information Office, 1956-1961

Inspection and Licenses, 1956-1959

Insurance/Retirement, 1955-1969

Legislation, 1954-1956

Libraries (Department of), 1955-1969

Liquor Control (Department of), 1954-1970

Metro Area Traffic Council, 1957-1960

Metro Regional Conference, 1959-1961

Box 4

Maryland National Capital Park & Planning Commission, 1954-1968 (4 folders)

Personnel, 1957-1960

Planning

Economic Development Forum, 1958

Economic/Industrial, 1954-1959

Industrial Development Conference, 1955-1956

Industrial Standards, 1957-1960

Pomeroy Study, 1956-1958

Police, 1957-1969 (4 folders)

Monthly Reports and Rockville Liquor Dispensary Reports, 1958-1960

Reports, 1958-1968 RESTRICTED

Potomac Electric Power Company: Power Plant Construction in Upper Montgomery County, 1955-1956

Program Coordination, 1967-1969 (2 folders)

Property Surplus Sales, 1959-1960

Box 5

Public Administration Commission

Reappraisal of County Government Structure, 1960-1964 Recommendations; Appraisals, 1962-1964

Public Safety,

[General], 1954-1960

Safety Board Minutes, Reports, 1959-1960

Public Transportation, 1954-1963

Public Works, 1954-1969 (3 folders)

Flood of 20 July 1956, 1956

Parking Lots, 1955-1960

Storm Water Management, 1955-1567 ( 2 folders)

Streets; Roads, 1955-1961 (2 folders)

Traffic Control/Traffic Engineer, 1957-1961

Purchasing Office, 1956-1960

Box 6

Recreation, 1955-1969 (2 folders)

Revenue Authority, 1956-1959

Sanitation Division, 1957-1960

Soil Conservation Committee, 1959-1960

State Road Commission, 1954-1963 (2 folders)

Underground Electric Lines, 1965-1969

Washington Suburban Sanitation Commission, 1954-1967 (4 folders)

Montgomery County Coordinating Committee, 1959-1960

Water Resources Conference August 26, 1955, 1955-1956

Welfare Board, 1955-1969

Series II: Printed Material

Box 1

Annual Report for 1949, 1950

Organization of the Government of Montgomery County, Maryland, 1950

Annual Report for 1950, 1951

Annual Report for 1951, 1952

Annual Report for 1952, 1953

Annual Report for 1955, 1956

Annual Report for 1956, 1957

Annual Report for 1957, 1958

Annual Report for 1958, 1959

Annual Report for 1959, 1960

Annual Report for 1960, 1961

Annual Report for 1961, 1962

Annual Report for 1962, 1963

Report on Montgomery-Prince George's County Line, ca. 1963

Annual Report for 1964, 1965

Annual Budget FY 1966-1967, 1966

Annual Report for 1965, 1966

Annual Report for 1965, Faces of Government, 1966

Annual Budget FY 1967-1968, 1967 (folder 1 of 2)

Box 2

Annual Budget FY 1967-1968, 1967 (folder 2 of 2)

Annual Report for 1966, 1967

Annual Report for 1967, 1968

Revenue Sources for Montgomery County, 1968

Approved Budget FY 1969-1970, 1969 (2 folders)

Annual Report for 1969, 1970

Approved Operating Budget FY 1970-1971 (2 folders)

Public Services Program; Category I: Protection of Person, Rights and Property of Individual, May 1970

Public Services Program; Category VI: Community Recreational and Cultural Opportunities, July 1970

Annual Report for 1970, 1971