Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1914-04-10
Full Text OF Measure Providing
For Home Rule.

hitting to the people an amendment to
the Constitution of the State, and under
which, if the people want it, will give them
local self-eovernment:
An act to propose an amendment to the
Constitution of this State by adding a new
article thereto. to follow Immediately after
Article XII and to be known as Article
AI-A, and to provide for the submission of
20 said amendment to the qualified voters of
this State for adoption or rejection.
Section /. Be it enacted by the General
Assembly Of Maryland (three-fifths of all
members of each of the two houses con-
curing that the following article, to fol-
low Immediately after Article XII and to
be known as Article XI-A, be and the same
is hereby proposed as an amendment to
the Constitution of this State, which arti-
Gle, if adopted by the qualified voters of this
State as herein provided shall thereby by
such adoption be and become a part OF
the Constitution of this State.
ARTICLE Ala. LOCAL LEGISLATION.
Section l. On demand of the Mayor of
Baltimore and City Council of the city
OF Baltimore, or on petition bearing the
signatures of not less than 20 per cent
OF the registered voters of said city or any
county provided. however, that in any
case 10000 signatures shall be sufficient
to complete petition), the Board of Elec-
ton Supervisors of said city or county
shall provide at the next general or Con-
gressional election occurring after such
demand or the filing of such petition for
the election of charter board of II regis
tered voters of said city or five regis
tered voters in any such county. Nomi-
nations for members for said charter
board may be not less than 40 days prior
to said election by the Mayor of Bati-
more or City Council of the city of Bal
tmore or the County Commissioners of
such county, or not less than 20 DAYS
prior to said election by petition bearing
the signatures written in their own hand
writing (and not by their mark) of not
less than S per cent. of the registered
voters OF the said the city of Baltimore
or said county; and If not more than
eleven registered voters of the city of
Baltimore or not more than five registered
voters in any such county are so nomi-
mated their names shall not be printed on
the ballot, but said eleven registered voters
in the city of Baltimore and five in the
county shall constitute said charter board
from and after the date of said election.
At said election the ballot shall contain
the names of said nominees in alphabet
ical order without any indication of the
course Of their nomination and shall also
be so arranged as to permit the voter to
vote for or against the creation of said
charter board, but the vote cast AGAINST
said creation shall not be held to bar the
voter from expressing his choice among
the nominees for said board, and If the
majority OF the votes cast for and against
the creation of said charter board shall
be against said creation the election of
the members Of said charter board shall
be void; but If such majority shall be
IN favor of the creation of said charter
board, then and in that event the eleven
nominees Of the city of Baltimore or five
nominees in the county receiving the lare-
est number of votes shall constitute the
charter board, and said charter board, or
majority thereof, shall prepare within
SIX months from the date of said election
charter or form of government for said
city or such county and present the same
TO the Mayor of Baltimore or President
OF the Board of County Commissioners of
such county. who shall publish the same
IN at least two newspaper Of general cir
culation published in said city of Balti-
more or county within 80 days after il
snail be reported to him. Such charter
shaii be submitted to the voters of said
city or county at the next General or Con.
eressional election after the report of said
charter to said Mayor of Baltimore or
President of the Board Of County Com
mlssioners; and II majority of the votes
cast for and against the adoption of said
charter shall be in favor of such adoption
the said charter from and after the thir-
tieth day from the date of such election
shall become the law of said city or coun-
ty, subject only to the Constitution and
Public General Laws Of this State, and
any public local laws inconsistent with
the provisions Of said charter and any
former charter of said the city of Balti-
more or county shall be thereby repealed.
Section 2. The General Assembly at its
first session after the adoption of this
amendment shall by public general laws
provide grant of express powers for such
county or counties as may thereafter form
charter under the provisions of this
article. Such express powers granted to
the counties and the power heretofore
granted to the city Of Baltimore. as set
forth in Article A. Section Q, Public Local
Laws of Maryland, shall not be ENLARGED
or extended by any charter formed under
the provisions Of this article. but such
powers may be extended, modified, amend.
ed or repealed by the General Assembly.
Section 3. Every charter so formed shall
provide for an elective legislative body in
which shall be vested the lawmaking power
of said city or county. Such legislative
body in the city Of Baltimore shall be
known as the City Council Of the City Of
Baltimore, and in any county shall be
known as the County Council Of the coun.
~. The chief executive officer, if any
charter shall provide for the election Of
such executive officer. or the presiding
officer Of said legislative body, il such char.
ter shall not provide for the election Of q
chief executive officer, shall be known in
the city Of Baltimore as Mayor of Balti.
more and in any county as the President
of the County Council Of the county. and
all references in the Constitution and laws