LEONARDTOWN, Md. (October 26, 2007)—Four public hearings to receive public comments concerning the possibility of placing Code Home Rule on a future ballot have been scheduled by the Board of County Commissioners for St. Mary’s County. The Code form of county government would keep the St. Mary's commissioner government intact and transfer some legislative authority from the General Assembly to the county.
On Tuesday, October 16, Commissioners voted 4-0, with the president not voting, to abandon talk of converting St. Mary's County government to a charter form of local governance. In counties operating under the Charter form, voters approve a formal charter outlining the structure of the county government.
The first public hearing will be Tuesday, Nov. 13, at 6:30 p.m. at the County’s Northern Senior Center in Charlotte Hall. The following meetings will be Tuesday, Dec. 4 at 6:30 p.m. at the Lexington Park Library; Tuesday, Jan. 15, 2008 at 6:30 p.m. at the Ridge Volunteer Fire Department and on Tuesday, February 5, 2008 at 6:30 p.m. in Room 14 of the Governmental Center in Leonardtown.
All meetings will be taped and aired on Ch. 95. The February meeting will be aired live from Room 14 of the Governmental Center. For a schedule of Ch. 95 programming, visit http://www.stmarysmd.com/docs/ch95/ .
RELATED INFORMATION:
St. Mary's Government Votes 4-0 Against Change To Charter, Will Study 'Code' Form, Oct. 16, 2007
http://somd.com/news/headlines/2007/6581.shtml
St. Mary's County Considers Local Regime Change, Oct. 14, 2007
http://somd.com/news/headlines/2007/6565.shtml
Form of Government Task Force Report, Aug. 2007
http://www.co.saint-marys.md.us/docs/FOGreport8-07.pdf
Forms of Government in Maryland
http://www.mdcounties.org/counties/forms_of_government.cfm