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Subtitle 1 - Definitions; General Provisions
Section 4-101 - Definitions - (a) In this title the following words have the meanings...
Section 4-102 - Classification of Municipalities - There is one class of municipalities in the State, and...
Section 4-103 - Municipality as Corporation; General Powers - (a) The residents of a municipality are a municipal corporation....
Section 4-104 - Limitations on Home Rule - (a) In this section, “special district” means a special tax...
Section 4-105 - Meetings of Municipal Legislative Bodies to Be Public - The legislative body of a municipality may not adopt an...
Section 4-106 - Referendum on Tax Rates and Municipal Debt - (a) The legislative body of a municipality may set a...
Section 4-107 - Property Qualifications for Voting Prohibited - A municipality may not require an individual to own or...
Section 4-108 - Absentee Voting - (a) A qualified voter may vote in a municipal election...
Section 4-108.1 - Voting Offenses, Penalties, and Enforcement in Municipal Elections - As to voting in a municipal election: (1) a person...
Section 4-108.2 - Submission of Campaign Finance Reports to State Board of Elections - If a municipality requires candidates in a municipal election to...
Section 4-108.3 - Inclusion of Municipal Offices and Questions on State Ballot - (a) (1) In this section the following words have the...
Section 4-108.4 - Municipal Elections -- Tie Votes - A municipality shall fill a vacancy that resulted from a...
Section 4-109 - Submission of Documents to Department of Legislative Services - (a) (1) If the governing body of a municipality creates,...
Section 4-110 - Publication of Code of Ordinances - (a) (1) In this section, “ordinance” means a legislative enactment...
Section 4-111 - Application of County Legislation to Municipalities - (a) In this section, “legislation” means any form of county...
Subtitle 2 - Incorporation of Municipalities
Section 4-201 - Definitions - (a) In this subtitle the following words have the meanings...
Section 4-202 - Application of Subtitle - This subtitle governs municipal incorporation.
Section 4-203 - Minimum Number of Residents Required - An area proposed to be incorporated shall contain at least...
Section 4-204 - Petition for Incorporation - (a) A proposal to incorporate an area as a municipality...
Section 4-205 - Report of Organizing Committee - (a) (1) Within 90 days after the county commissioners or...
Section 4-206 - Submission of Proposed Municipal Charter - (a) The organizing committee shall present to the county commissioners...
Section 4-207 - Referendum Request - (a) (1) If the county commissioners or county council approves...
Section 4-208 - Posting and Publication - (a) The county commissioners or county council shall notify the...
Section 4-209 - Referendum; Proclamation of Result - (a) Except as expressly or necessarily modified by this subtitle,...
Section 4-210 - Nomination and Election of Municipal Officers - (a) An election of officers for a proposed municipality shall...
Section 4-211 - Tally and Certification of Election Results - (a) Casting a vote against the proposed incorporation does not...
Section 4-212 - Proclamation of Elected Officers; Appointment Process - (a) The county commissioners or county council publicly shall proclaim...
Section 4-213 - Cost of Referendum and Election of Officers - (a) Subject to subsection (b) of this section, the county...
Section 4-214 - Registration of Municipal Charter - (a) When the public proclamation under § 4–209(d) of this...
Section 4-215 - Schedule for Phasing in Local Income Tax Payments - If a referendum held under this subtitle results in the...
Section 4-216 - Comprehensive Land Use Plan - (a) A new municipality that is eligible to assume planning...
Subtitle 3 - Amendment or Repeal of Charter
Section 4-301 - Procedure to Amend Charter - A municipality shall act in accordance with this subtitle in...
Section 4-302 - Initiation of Charter Amendment -- in General - An amendment to a municipal charter may be initiated by:...
Section 4-303 - Form of Proposed Charter Amendment - (a) In conformity with the requirement imposed on the General...
Section 4-304 - Initiation of Charter Amendment by Legislative Body - (a) (1) The legislative body of a municipality may initiate...
Section 4-305 - Initiation of Charter Amendment by Petition of Voters - (a) (1) By a petition presented to the legislative body...
Section 4-306 - Rescission of Proposed Charter Amendment Prohibited - After a resolution is adopted by the legislative body or...
Section 4-307 - Referendum on Charter Amendment - (a) On the day and during the hours specified in...
Section 4-308 - Registration of Adopted Charter Amendment - When a charter amendment becomes effective, the chief executive officer...
Section 4-309 - Codification of Adopted Charter Amendment - The exact text of an amendment to a municipal charter...
Section 4-310 - Annual Duties Regarding Charter Amendments -- Municipality - (a) (1) At the end of each calendar or fiscal...
Section 4-311 - Annual Duties Regarding Charter Amendments -- Department of Legislative Services - (a) (1) At the end of each calendar year, the...
Section 4-312 - Compilation of Municipal Charters by Department of Legislative Services - (a) The Department of Legislative Services shall compile the charters...
Section 4-313 - Repeal of Charter -- by Charter Amendment - (a) Except as provided in subsection (b) of this section,...
Section 4-314 - Repeal of Charter -- by Operation of Law - (a) If the following conditions are satisfied, the Executive Director...
Subtitle 4 - Annexation
Section 4-401 - Power to Enlarge Municipal Boundaries by Annexation - (a) Subject to subsections (b) and (c) of this section,...
Section 4-402 - Initiation of Annexation -- in General - An annexation proposal may be initiated by: (1) the legislative...
Section 4-403 - Proposal for Annexation -- Initiation by Legislative Body - (a) Subject to subsection (b) of this section, an annexation...
Section 4-404 - Proposal for Annexation -- Initiation by Petition - (a) Subject to § 4–413 of this subtitle, an annexation...
Section 4-405 - Provisions of Resolution - (a) An annexation resolution shall provide that the residents in...
Section 4-406 - Public Notice and Hearing on Resolution - (a) After an annexation resolution is introduced, the chief executive...
Section 4-407 - Enactment of Resolution - (a) After a public hearing, the legislative body of a...
Section 4-408 - Petition for Referendum -- by Residents of Area to Be Annexed - (a) Subject to § 4–413 of this subtitle, at any...
Section 4-409 - Petition for Referendum -- by Qualified Voters of Municipality - (a) At any time within 45 days after enactment of...
Section 4-410 - Petition for Referendum -- by County Governing Body - (a) At any time within 45 days after enactment of...
Section 4-411 - Date and Location for Referendum; Public Notice - (a) The chief executive and administrative officer of the municipality...
Section 4-412 - Referendum - (a) The governing body of a municipality, by ordinance, resolution,...
Section 4-413 - Right of Property Owners to Participate - If fewer than 20 residents in an area to be...
Section 4-414 - Copies of Resolution - (a) (1) The chief executive and administrative officer of a...
Section 4-415 - Annexation Plan - (a) In addition to, but not as part of, an...
Section 4-416 - Planning and Zoning Authority - (a) (1) Notwithstanding § 4–104(f) of this title, if an...
Subtitle 5 - Merger of Municipalities
Section 4-501 - Authorized Mergers - (a) Subject to subsection (b) of this section, two or...
Section 4-502 - Proposal of Unification - (a) To initiate a merger, the legislative body of each...
Section 4-503 - Charter Commission - (a) After both municipalities adopt the proposal of unification, the...
Section 4-504 - Unified Charter - (a) The unified charter is a legal document separate from...
Section 4-505 - Action on Unified Charter by Legislative Bodies - (a) (1) The charter commission shall submit a proposed unified...
Section 4-506 - Referendum Procedures - (a) If a referendum is required under § 4–304 of...
Section 4-507 - Effect of Approval or Disapproval of Unified Charter - (a) If a majority of the voters casting votes in...
Section 4-508 - Postapproval Procedures - (a) (1) A merging municipality shall transfer its assets and...
Section 4-509 - Planning and Zoning - (a) Unless the zoning classification is amended under the procedures...