There shall be a County Council of Dorchester County, Maryland,
composed of five councilmembers.
All powers which may be exercised by the County under the Constitution and laws of the State are vested in the Council, subject to those powers retained by the people of the County as hereinafter set forth in Section
307 of this Charter.
In all functions and deliberations, the Council shall act as
a body. It shall have no power to create standing committees or to
delegate any of its functions and duties to a smaller number of its
members than the whole. The Council may, however, appoint special
ad hoc committees solely for the purpose of inquiry and fact finding.
A councilmember shall hold office for a term beginning at noon
on the first Monday of December next following the regular election
of the County Council and ending at noon on the first Monday of December
in the fourth year thereafter, or until a successor is qualified.
The Council shall prescribe by law the compensation for its
members. No change in the compensation of councilmembers shall become
effective during the term of office of the Council enacting the change.
A councilmember may be removed from office by an affirmative
vote of not less than three councilmembers after a public hearing
and a finding of misfeasance, malfeasance, or nonfeasance in office
or a finding of mental or physical disability that substantially impairs
the member's ability to perform the duties of office. The decision
of the County Council may, within 10 days of removal, be appealed
to the Circuit Court for the County by petition of the removed councilmember.
Upon filing of the petition, the court may stay the removal pending
the court's decision. Upon appeal, the court shall make de novo
determinations of fact.
Annually the Council shall elect from among its members a President
and Vice President of the Council. The President, or in the absence
of the President, the Vice President, shall preside over meetings
of the Council. The Council may provide for the selection of other
officers or employees as the Council may deem desirable for the exercise
of its powers.
The County Council may make investigations into the affairs
of the County and the conduct of any activity of the Government. For
this purpose, the Council may subpoena witnesses, administer oaths,
take testimony, and require the production of evidence.