Opinion ID: 1922564
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Authority of Municipality to Enact Regulations

Text: [¶ 21] The first prong of the O'Brien test asks whether the ordinance is within the authority of the municipality to enact regulations. Id. The United States Supreme Court has recognized that municipalities are authorized, pursuant to their police powers, to enact laws to protect public health and safety. See Pap's A.M., 529 U.S. at 296, 120 S.Ct. 1382. Pursuant to the Maine Constitution and statutory provisions, municipalities have been granted home rule authority, empowering them to legislate on matters beyond those exclusively `local and municipal' and in all areas except where expressly prohibited by the Legislature or where the Legislature has intended to exclusively occupy the field and the legislation would frustrate the purpose of a state law. Sch. Comm. v. Town of York, 626 A.2d 935, 939 (Me.1993). [¶ 22] The Maine Constitution authorizes municipalities to alter and amend their charters on all matters local and municipal in character and provides that the Legislature shall prescribe the procedure by which the municipality may so act. ME. CONST. art. VIII, pt. 2, § 1. This provision affords municipalities broad powers of legislation and administration of their affairs, provided there exists no express or implied prohibition by the Constitution or the general law. Bird v. Town of Old Orchard, 426 A.2d 370, 372 (Me. 1981). [¶ 23] In addition, municipalities have been granted more expansive powers of home rule authority by statute. Pursuant to 30-A M.R.S.A. § 3001 (1996), [a]ny municipality, by the adoption, amendment or repeal of ordinances or bylaws, may exercise any power or function which the Legislature has power to confer upon it, which is not denied either expressly or by clear implication, and exercise any power or function granted to the municipality by the Constitution of Maine, general law or charter. [¶ 24] Construing these two sources of home rule authority together, we have stated that section 3001 constitutes an independent and plenary grant of power to municipalities to legislate on matters beyond those exclusively `local and municipal,' Town of York, 626 A.2d at 939, and that we will invalidate municipal legislation only: (1) where it conflicts with other constitutional provisions; (2) where the Legislature has expressly prohibited local regulation; or (3) where the Legislature has intended to exclusively occupy the field and the legislation would frustrate the purpose of a state law, see id. at 939; Bird, 426 A.2d at 372. Based on the City's home rule authority and the absence of an express prohibition or preemption by the Legislature, we conclude, subject to our remaining analysis for possible conflict with free speech protections, that the City acted within its authority when it enacted section 228-14.