G en. 27] 27
BA LT I M ORE CI TY

E LECT I ONS

) A UT HORI T Y T O C ONDUCT S PE C I A L E LE CTI ON TO F I LL C I T Y C OUNCIL V ACANCI ES

M ar ch 3, 1998

Merl e A nn B eck, Esquir e C i t y Sol i ci t or ’s O

f f i ce
Y ou have r eques t ed our opi ni on conce r ni ng i m pl ement at i on of a pr ovi s i on i n t he B al t i m or e C i t y C har t er for fi l l i ng vaca nci es on t he B al t i m or e C i t yC ounci l byel ect i on. O uropinion is thatw i t hout
enac t m entof a c ons t i tut i onal a m endment ora St at e s t atut e t hat
a d d re ss e s th e iss u e , the c h a rte r p ro v isio n c a n n o t b e g iv e n e f f e c t.

I
C hart er Provi s i on and I t s P ot ent i al A ppl i cat i on
T h e m a tter o f

f ill in g v a c a n c ies in th e B a lti m o re C ityC o u n c il i s addr es s ed i n t he new B al t i m or e C i t yC har t er , w hi ch w as appr oved byt he C i t y ’ s vot er s att he 1994 gene r al el ect i on and w enti nt o eff ect on Jul y1, 19 96

. A rt i cl e II I, §6 of the C hart er pr ov i des as foll ow s:

E ach vaca ncy i n t he C i t y C ounci l s hal l be f ill e d w ith o u t d e lay f

ro m th e c o u n c il d istric t in
w h i c h t h e v a c a n c y o c c u r s b y: ( a) aft erpubl i c not i ce, t he el ect i on as an act i ng counci l m ember by t he C i t yC ounci l by a maj or it y vot e of i t s m ember s of a pe r s on p o ss e ss in g th e q u a lific a tio n s p re sc rib e d in Sect i on 1; and ( b) t he el ect i on byt he vot er s att he p rim a rya n d g e n e ra l ele c tio n s n e x t re g u lar ly
s chedul ed af

t ert he vac ancy occur s of a pe r s on p o ss e ss in g th e q u a lific a tio n s p re sc rib e d in2 8 [8 3 O p

. A tt ’y
Se cti o n 1 t o s er ve t he r emai nderof t he
u n e x p ire d ter m o f

th e f o rm e r in c u m b e n t.
A n opi ni on i s s ued by y ouroffi ce on Sept ember 26, 1996, concl uded t hata vac ancyoccurr i ng on J une 11, 1 9 9 6 , w oul d be fi l l e d on a n i nt e r i m ba s i s by t he Ci t y Counc i l

. The op i ni on al so c o n c lu d e d th a t th e e lec tio n s to f ill th e re m a in d e r of th e ter m w o u ld t ake pl ace att he t i m e of t he s t at ew i de pr i m aryand gene r al el ect i ons in 1 9 9 8 . A c c o rd in g ly , y o u h a v e a sk e d a b o u t th e a p p ro p ria te p roc ed u re to inc lud e c o u n cil m an ic ca n d idates f o r t h is va canc yon the b a llo t d u rin g th e f

o rth c o m in g S tate e lec tio n c y c le. B e f o re th is ques t i o n c a n b e a d d r e s s e d , h o wev e r , a p r e d i c a t e i s s u e mus tbe
c o n s id e re d : w h e th e r th e C ityis a u th o riz e d u n d e r c u rre n t law to pr ovi de i n i t s char t erfor fil li n g vaca nci es on t he C i t yC ounci l by el ect i on of the vo t ers

.

II

A ut hori t y t o F i l l V acanci es by E l ect i on
I n P r i nce G eor

ge’s C ount

y v. B oar d of S u

p ervis ors of E l ect i ons , 3 3 7 M d

. 4 9 6 , 6 5 4 A .2 d 1 3 0 3 (1 9 9 4 ), th e C o u rt o f A p p e a ls
c o n sid e re d w h e th e r a ch a rte r ho m e ru le c o u n ty c o u ld p ro v id e in its ch arter fo r fil li n g co u n cil v ac an cies b y sp ec ial elec ti o n

. T h e C o u rt r ecogni zed that , u nderA r t i cl e X I

- A of t he M ary l and C ons t i tut i on, a s peci al el ect i on coul d be hel d t o fil l t he i ni t i alm ember s hi p of a count ycounci l upon t he adopt i on of a char t er

. T he C our tconcl uded, how ever , t hatA r t i cl e X I

- A di d notgr antt he cha r t ercount i es “t he aut hor i t yt o fi l l l at ervaca nci es o n thei rcounci l byel ect i on. ” 337 M d . at 5 0 6 . M o re o v e r , th e C o u rt h e ld , the E x p re ss P o w e rs A c t, A r t i cl e 25A of t he M ary l and C ode, gr ant ed no aut hor i t yt o t he chart er coun t i es t o h old speci a l e lect i on s t o fil l cou ncil vacan ci es. 337 M d. at506- 7.

I n r es pons e t o t hi s deci s i on, t he G ener al A s s embl yenac t ed an
a m e n d m e n t to A rticle X I-A , § 3 , a p p ro v e d b yth e v o ter s in 1 9 9 6 , to p ro v id e th a t a c o u n tyc o u n c il co u ld e n a c t a lo c a l law “ a s e x p re ss ly aut hor i zed bys t atut e, t o pr ovide fo rt he fi l l i ng of a va canc yi n t he C ount yC ounci l by s peci al el ect i on. ” The Q uadr enni al E l ect i ons A rt ic le , A rt ic le X V II , § 2 , a ls o w a s a m e n d e d

.G en. 27] 29

Although Baltimore City has adopted a char ter unde r ArticleXI -A, 1 therearecer

tain difference s betwee n the counties thathave a dopted a char ter under Article XI -A a

nd Baltimore City

. See generally Cheeks v. Ce dla ir C or p ., 28 7 M d. 58 5, 59 9, 41 5 A.2 d 255 (1 98 0) . T heartic leits e lf dis tin guis he s betw e e n th e c ounti e s and theCity and be tw e e n c ounty councils and theCity

Council. See Article X I -A, §§2 a nd 3. In particula

r, §2 d ire c ts th e G e n e r a l A s s e mb ly to e n a c t a la w p r o v idin g f

o r a gr ant of e xpre ss p ow e rs to th e co untie s. Th is gra nt o f l e g isl ativ e po we rs is contained in the E xpress Power s Act, codifie d as A rt i cl e 2 5 A, §5. A separate en ac tm ent, however, codifie d in Article IIof the City Charter , grants legislative powers t o Baltimore City

. Cheek s , 287 Md. at 600 n. 2 and 607. More over, theauthority to alter certain provisions of ArticleXI o f th e C o n s t i t

uti o n , wh i c hw a s p r e v i o u s l y v e s t e d i nth e G e n e r a lA s s e mb l y, is vested in the voters and can beexercised through amendingthe cha rter. SeeArticle X I , §9 and Ar

ticle XI -A, §6. See also Cheeks , 287 Md. at 600, 604, and 609. T h e 1 9 9 6 a m e n d m e n ts e x p licitlyre f e r o n lyto “ C o u n ty C ounci l s

. ” I n a s t at ement on t he pr opos ed c o n st i tut i onal amendm ent , Senat e B i l l 5 2 4 (C h apt er81 of t he Law s of M ary l and 199 6 ) a n d c o mpa n i o n l e g i s l a t i o n , Se n a t e Bi l l 6 6 6 ( Cha p t e r6 7 4 of t he L aw s of M ar y l and 1996) , Senat or G r een, t he s po n so r, r efe r r ed onl yt o t he cha r t ercount i es , w hi ch he na m ed. H e made no m ent i on o f B a ltim o re C ity. See St at ement of Februar y 2 2 , 1 9 9 6 of Senat or L eo G ree n b ef

o re th e S en ate E n v ir o n m en tal an d E co n o m ic M att ers C o m m itt e e . A lth o u g h a b ill a n a ly sis o f S e n a te B ill 5 2 4 n o tes th a t, f o rmo s tp u rp o s e s , Ba l t i mo r e Ci t yi s a l s o s u b j e c tt o t h e s a me p rov isi o n s o f th e C o n sti tuti o n as a ch arter co u n ty , the c o m m it tee’s fl oorr epor tr ef

ers onl yt o author i zi ng a “ char t er c o u n ty t o pr ovi de f o r f ill in g a v a c a n t c o u n ty c o u n c i l s e a t ” b ys p e c i a l e l e c t i on. (E m p h a sis a d d e d .) M o re o v e r, the co m pan i on l e g isla tio n , S e n a te B ill 6 6 6 , am e n d s o n lyth e E x p re ss P o w e rs A c t f o r th e c o u n ties , A rticle 25A , §5, and notA r t i cl e I I of t he C i t yC har t er , w hi ch co n tai ns t he
e x p r e s s p o w e r s o f

B a l t i m o r e C i t y. 1

T he pow ert o adoptand amend a cha r t eri s derive d from t he C o n s titu tio n its e lf

. R i t chm ou nt P artnershi p v. B oa rd of Supe rvisors of E l ect i ons , 283 M d. 48, 58- 9 , 3 8 8 A

. 2d 523 ( 1978)

. T her e i s no bas i s for the co n clus i on t hatt he C i t yhas anygr eat erpow ert han a count yunderA r t i cl e X I

- A t o pr ovi de i n i t s char t erforfi l l i ng a counci l vaca ncy by an el ect i on. M or eover , no pr ovi s i on i n t he gr ant of expr es s pow er s t o t he C i t y , A r t i cl e I I of t he C i t y C har t er , coul d be3 0 [8 3 O p

. A tt ’y

As it h a s b e e n und e rs too d th at th e Qu a dr e nn ia l E le c tio n Artic le 2 do e s n ot a

pp ly to t hee le c tio n o f t

heMa yor and Council of

B a lti more , it would have not ha

ve to be amended. i nterpret ed as au t ho ri zi ng t he C i t yt o co nd uct s uch el ect i on s. T h ere fo re, be ca u se the C o u rt o f A p p ea ls ha s said that A rt icl e X I-A does notconfe rt he pow ert o pr ovi de i n a county ch arterforan el ect i on t o fi l l a counc i l vaca ncy ; beca us e t h i s l i m i t at i on i s t rue of the C ity ’s po w er as w ell ; an d b ec au se t h e am en d m en t to A rt icl e X IA a u th o riz in g sp e c ial e lec tio n s to f ill c o u n c il v a c a n c ies a p p lies o n ly t o t he char t er count i es , i t fol l ow s t hat t he C i t y C hart erpr ovi s i on for
a n e le c tio n to f

ill a C ity C o u n c il v a c a n c yc a n n o t b e g iv e n e f f e c t.
T h e o p in io n o f

y o u r o f f ice c o rre c tlyo b se rv e d th a t th e “ C ity does notpos s es s t he l egal aut hor i t yt o fi l l i nt er i m vacanci es on t he C i t yC ounci l bys peci al el ect i on, ” ci t i ng t he P rin c e G e o rg e ’s C o u n ty c a se

. T h e su g g e stio n se e m s to b e th a t so lo n g a s th e e lec tio n to f ill
a c o u n c il v a c a n c y is c o n d u c ted a t a r e g u lar e lec tio n , as p ro v id e d in t he cha r t er , i tw oul d notbe a “ s peci al el ect i on

. ” H o w ev er , t he P rin c e G e o rg e ’s C o u n ty cas e spec i fi cal l ys t at es t hataft ert he i ni t i al
e lec tio n to f

ill th e m e m b e rsh ip o f th e c o u n c il, th e re is n o a u th o rity “t o fi l l l at ervaca nci es

. . . byel ect i on, ” w hi ch evi dent l ym eans any el ect i on. 3 3 7 M d

. at506. M or eover , even i f onl ya “s peci al el ect i on” i s notaut hor i zed, t he fa ctt hatan el ect i on i s h eld at t he
s ame t i m e as a r egul ar el ect i on does not m ean t hat i t i s nota s peci al elec ti o n

. S e e , e.g ., S ta te e x re l. L a n ier v . H a ll , 23 N

. W

. 2d 44, 49 ( N

. D

. 1946)

. O ne of t he i ndi ci a of a s peci al el ect i on i s t hat i ti s us ed to f ill a n u n e x p ir e d te rm

. See A rt i c le 3 3 , § 2 2 -1 (b ). S e e g e n e ra lly C ohen v. G over norof

Mar yland , 255 M d. 5, 17- 18, 255 A

. 2d 320 ( 1969)

. T hati s cl ear l yt he purpos e of the el ect i on pr ovi ded for by the C h arter.

III

E f f ect uat i ng t he C hart er Provi s i on
O n e c e rta in w a y to g iv e e f f e c t to th e C h a rte r p ro v isio n w o u ld be t o expr es s l ys anct i on i ti n an amendm entt o A r t icl e X I-A of t he C ons t i tut i on. M or e unce r t ai nl y , t he C har t erpr ovi s i on m i ght al s o be

2 gi ven ef fec tbya St at e s t atut e, i ncl udi ng a St at e s t atut e author i zi ng e n a c tm e n t o f

a n o rd in a n c e p ro v id in g f o r a n e lec tio n to f

ill C ityG en. 27] 31

We must poi nt out, howe ver, that in the Ritchmount case , the Court 3 declined to r

ule on the effec t of a State statute, Article 25, §8, a uthorizi ng the re servation of the right of ref erendum in a charter

. 283 Md. at 54 n.5. Mo re ov e r, that c a se emp has ized that th e po we r t o ame nd a c ha rt e r i s derive d from the Constitution i tself, Ritchmount 283 Md. at 58-9, which cou l d be take n to mean that only the Constitut ion could sanction the char ter provision for

filling c ouncil vaca

ncies by elec tion. There fore , the le g isl ativ e a

pp ro a c h disc us se d in

thete xt is b y

no me ans fre e from d ou

bt.
Aside from the interpre tive issue concerning the application of §2- 4 9(h), this off

ice has noted an inconsistency between t h e c onstitut ional amendment, whic h ref

ers to an authorizing S tate st atute and local law, a nd the implementing leg islation, whic h ref ers to a char ter a uthorization. See L e tt er of May

15 , 1 99 6 f

ro m Attorney

Gene ral Curra

n to Governor Gl en d en i n g concerningSenate B ill 666. C ounci l vaca nci es

. T he P r i nce G eor ge’s C ount

y cas e r efe r s t o t he abs ence of an a ut hor i zat i on i n t he Expre s s Pow er s A ct

. 337 M d. at 506- 7. T he i m pl i cat i on i s t hatt his A ct , ort he compar abl e l aw for th e C ity , co u ld b e a m e n d e d to a u th o riz e su c h e lec tio n s. B e c a u se th is is th e c lose st case o n p o int, an d b ec au se leg isl ati v e e n ac tm en ts are p re su m e d to b e c o n stitu tio n a l, w e w o u ld a p p ro v e leg isla tio n o f th is k i n d o n b i l l r e v i e w. 3

O nce a n el ect i on t o fi l l C i t yC ounci l vaca nci es h as bee n pr oper l yaut hor i zed, w e r ecomm end t h at A rt i cl e 33, t he El ect i on C o d e, be am en d ed to ex p li cit lyau tho ri ze the B o ard o f S u p erv isors
o f E le c tio n s f

o r B a ltim o re C ity to c o n d u c t th e e le c tio n

. See Pri nce G e o rg e ’s C o u n ty , 3 3 7 M d

. a t 5 0 8

- 9

. W e r e c o g n i z e t hat , for p u rp o se s o f th e M a ry lan d C o d e , th e w o rd “ c o u n ty” o rd in a rily in c lu d e s “ B a lti m o re C ity .” A rticle 1 , § 1 4

. In a d d iti o n , e lec tio n s in B a lti m o re C itya re g e n e ra llyc o v e re d b y th e E lec tio n C o d e . A rticle 33, §1- 1( a) ( 6)

. N ever t hel es s , t he s peci fi c pr ovi s i on of t he El ect i on C o d e ad d ressing this m att er, A rt icl e 3 3 , § 2 -9(h ), p rov ides that “[ i] f
a c o u n t y c har t er a u th o riz e s th e c o n d u c t o f a sp e c ial e lec tio n to f

ill
a vac ancyi n t he c o u n ty c o u n c il ,” th e lo c a l ele c tio n b o a rd is to conductt he el ect i on “i n acc or dance w i t h t he pr o v isi o n s of t he
c h a rte r.” T h e re f

e re n c e s to “ a c o u n tyc h a rte r” a n d “ th e c o u n ty counci l ” s ugges t t hat t hi s pr ovi s i on appl i es onl y t o t he count i es , not B al t i m or e C i t y , es peci al l ybeca us e t he l aw t hat enac t ed §2- 9( h) w as c o n tin g e n t o n a c o n stitu tio n a l a m e n d m e n t th a t it se lf a p p lies o n lyto the c o u n tie s

. See S e c tio n 2 o f C h a p ter 6 7 4

. T o e n su re c e rta in ty 43 2 [8 3 O p

. A tt ’y

a b o u t th e C itye lec tio n b o a rd ’s leg a l a u th o rity , th is p ro v isio n sh o u ld b e e x p a n d e d t o c o v e rc o u n c i l m a n i c s p e c i a l e l e c t i o n s i n t h e C i t y.

IV
C oncl usi on
I n s um m ar y , i ti s ouropi ni on t hatt he pr o v i s i on i n t he B al t i m or e C i t yC har t erforfi l l i ng C i t y C ounci l vaca nci es byel ect i on c a n n o t b e g iv e n e f

f e c t a t th is tim e . It m a yb e g iv e n e f f e c t if
s anct i oned bya cons t i tut i onal amendm entora St at e s t atut e.
J. Jo sep h C u rran , Jr. A t t or ney G ener al

R i char d E

. I s r ael A s s is t antA t t or ney G ener al

Ja c k S c h w a rtz C hi ef C ouns el O pi ni ons and A dvi ce

E di tor ’s N

ote:
T he pr ovi s i ons of for m er A r t i cl e 33 ci t ed i n t hi s opi ni on have b e e n re c o d if

ie d in th e E le c tio n L a w A rt ic le

.