Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1943-05-20

trlct and not at large, then the
member so elected shall likewise
be a qualified voter Of that coun-
ell district.
ARTICLE 3.
THE LEGISLATIVE BRANCH
SEC. 1. Composition. The Leg
islative Branch of the County
Government shall be composed of
the County Council in Legislative
Session and the officers and en-
ployees thereof.
SEC. 2. Officers. The Presi-
dent of the County Council shall
be the presiding officer thereof
in the Legislative Session. The
county attorney shall serve with
out additional compensation as
secretary Of the County Council
in Legislative Session and as its
legislative craftsman and legal
adviser and shall keep it's jour
nal. There shall be such other
officers Of the County Council in
Legislative Session as may be
provided in the rules of legisla-
tive procedure. The president
and the secretary Of the County
Council and other officers thereof
shall have such functions as are
provided in such rules. There shall
be no standing committees of
the County Council.
Sec. 3. General Legislative
Powers. The County Council
is the elective legislative body of
the County and is vested with the
law-making power thereof includ-
ing all law-making powers here
tofore exercised by the General
Assembly but transferred to the
People Of the County by virtue of
the adoption of this Charter and
the legislative power vested in the
county commissioners as a district
council for the Montgomery
County Suburban District. For
the enactment of legislation the
County Council shall sit in Legis-
lative Session during May of each
year.
SEC. 4. Specific Legislative
Powers. The County Council is
authorized in Legislative Session
to
/. Enact public local laws for
the County and repeal or amend
local laws for the County hereto
fore enacted by the General AS
sembly upon the matters covered
by the Expressed Powers Act of
1918 (Article 25-A, Annotated
Code of Maryland, edition 1887
as now in force or hereafter
amended.
2. Enact laws necessary to
provide for the nomination and
election Of members Of the Coun-
ty Council, including non-partisan-
ship requirements to conform to
the Federal laws relating to po-
litical activities of Federal Off
GERS and employees to the end
that voters in the County who
are in the employ of the Federal
Government may participate as
freely as other voters OF the
County in it's government.
8. Adopt rules of legislative
procedure.
SEC. 5. Legislative Procedure.
a. The sessions of the County
Council in Legislative session
shall be open to the public.
b. The style of the enacting
clause for all laws of the County
Council shall be "Be it enacted
by the County Council for Mont
gomery County, Maryland"
C. On introduction of any bill
copies thereof shall be made
available to the public and shall
bear the date they became avail
able to the public; and no bill
shall be passed before the fifth
calendar day after such date ex-
cept by unanimous consent of all
members present.
d. No bill shall be passed
except by a majority of the whole
number of members of the Coun-
ty Council, and on passage the
vote shall be on roll call by yeas
and nays to be recorded in the
Journal.
SEC. 6. Referenda on Fran
chises and Bond Issues. The
People of Montgomery County
reserve to themselves the power
by petition to have submitted to
the registered voters of the Coun-
ty for approval or rejection by
them a majority vote at the next
regular or special election in
Montgomery County for any
State or Federal officer, any pub
lie local law hereafter enacted as
follows:
1. Granting any right, other
than license revocable at pleas
ure, to the use of any County
real or leasehold property, or
granting any franchise or special
privilege.
2. Authorizing any issue Of
bonds, certificates of indebted
ness, notes, or other obligations
of the County or renewal thereof
except for the following in an
aggregate in any one year not
exceeding one-fourth of one per.
centum Of the assessable basis OF
the county: Bonds, certificates OF
indebtedness, notes, or other obi
cations (a) for a term of less
than IL months, or (b) for re-
funding County obligations issued
prior to the adoption of this char
ter, or (c) for public school sites
or construction or remodeling Of
public school buildings.
b. Any referendum petition