The Clerk shall serve as Clerk to the Council of Commissioners.
He shall attend every meeting of the Council and keep a full and accurate
account of the proceedings of the Council. He or a Deputy Clerk shall
also act as Secretary for the Planning Commission and the Board of
Zoning Appeals. He shall keep such other records and perform such
other duties as may be required by this Charter or the Council of
Commissioners.
The Mayor with the approval of the Council may appoint a Town
Attorney. The Town Attorney shall be a member of the bar of the Maryland
Court of Appeals. The Town Attorney is the legal adviser of the town
and shall perform such duties in this connection as may be required
by the Council. His compensation shall be determined by the Council.
The town has the power to employ such legal consultants as it deems
necessary from time to time.
The town may employ such officers and employees as it deems
necessary to execute the powers and duties provided by this Charter
or other state law and to operate the town government.
The town may provide by ordinance for appointments and promotions
in the administrative service on the basis of merit and fitness. To
carry out this purpose, the Council may adopt such rules and regulations
governing the operation of a merit system as it deems desirable or
necessary. Among other things, these rules and regulations may provide
for competitive examinations, the use of eligible lists, a classification
plan, a compensation plan, a probation period, appeals by employees
included within the classified service from dismissal or other disciplinary
action, and vacation and sick leave regulations. The town may request
and avail itself of the facilities of the Commissioner of State Personnel
for the administration of its merit system, as provided in state law.
A.
Civil service divided into unclassified and classified service. The
civil service of the town shall be divided into the unclassified and
classified service.
B.
Unclassified service. The unclassified service shall comprise the
following offices and positions, which shall not be included within
the merit system:
C.
Classified service. The classified service shall comprise all positions
not specifically included by this section in the unclassified service.
All offices and positions included in the classified service shall
be subject to any merit system rules and regulations which may be
adopted.
A.
Prohibitions. If a merit system is adopted, no person in the classified
service of the town or seeking admission thereto shall be appointed,
promoted, demoted, removed or in any way favored or discriminated
against because of his sex, age, political or religious opinions or
affiliations or any other factors not related to ability to perform
the work; no person shall wilfully or corruptly commit or attempt
to commit any fraud preventing the impartial execution of the personnel
provisions of this Charter or of the rules and regulations made thereunder;
no officer or employee in the classified service of the town shall
continue in such position after becoming a candidate for nomination
or election to any public office; no person seeking appointment to
or promotion in the classified service of the town shall either directly
or indirectly give, render or pay any money, service or other valuable
thing to any person for or on account of or in connection with his
appointment, proposed appointment, promotion or proposed promotion;
no person shall orally, by letter or otherwise, solicit or be in any
manner concerned in soliciting any assessment, subscription or contribution
for any political party or political purpose whatever from any person
holding a position in the classified service of the town; no person
holding a position in the classified service of the town shall make
any contribution to the campaign funds of any political party or any
candidate for public office or take any part in the management, affairs
or political campaign of any political party or candidate for public
office, further than in the exercise of his right as a citizen to
express his opinion and to cast his vote.
B.
Penalties. Any person who by himself or with others willfully or
corruptly violates any of the provisions of this section is guilty
of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction thereof, shall be punished by
a fine of not more than one hundred dollars ($100.) or by imprisonment
for a term not exceeding thirty (30) days, or by both such fine and
imprisonment. Any person who is convicted under this section for a
period of five (5) years is ineligible for appointment to or employment
in a position in the town service and, if he be an officer or employee
of the town, shall immediately forfeit the office or position he holds.
The town may do all things necessary to include its officers
and employees, or any of them, within any retirement system or pension
system under the terms of which they are admissible, and to pay the
employer's share of the cost of any such retirement or pension
system out of the general funds of the town.
The compensation of all officers and employees of the town shall
be set annually, and provisions for payment thereof shall be included
in the annual budget. This provision is subject, however, to the restrictions
imposed by this Charter against pay for Commissioners.
The town by ordinance may provide for or participate in hospitalization
or other forms of benefit or welfare programs for its officers and
employees and may expend public moneys of the town for such programs.
