Montgomery County Sentinel

Watchful Guardians

For many years the Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission was accused of being autocratic. These charges were not without some foundation in fact. The all-important water and sewer agency, serving both Montgomery and Prince Georges counties, was virtually a law unto itself. The then three "commissioners" were appointed by the Governor and after their appointment the Governor and everyone else in Annapolis proceeded to forget about their new appointees until the time rolled around again for some more appointments. In the interim, the three commissioners ran the agency as they pleased being answerable, in actual practice, to neither the counties they served nor the State Government. The WSSC had established for itself a sort of wonderful, never never land. This was too good a thing to last, however, and the political powers finally acquiesced to a reorganization which resulted in the present method of appointment—two commissioners named by the Governor, one from each county; two by the Prince Georges commissioners and two by the Montgomery County Council.

This is a much more democratic method and at least four of the six commissioners are now subject to some "local" control.

At the time of the reorganization it was the group sometimes referred to caustically as "professional citizens" who carried the ball. These are the people who participate actively in citizens associations and closely scrutinize government operation. They performed an immense public service.

The other day, the WSSC held its annual budget hearing, a custom it inaugurated only after much goading from citizen groups, and it was the same "professional citizens" who attended, still keeping a watchful eye on the public agency. The average citizen, of course, wasn't there. But the WSSC should not fall into the error of thinking that the average citizen doesn't care. He does, emphatically. He has merely delegated his participation in budget hearings and the like to these alert citizen groups.

Our "professional citizens" deserve the thanks of all of us for their conscientious watch dog zeal.