Oath required. Before entering upon the duties of their offices,
the Commissioners, the Clerk-Treasurer, the members of the Boards
of Supervisors of Elections and all other persons elected or appointed
to any office of profit or trust in the town government shall take
and subscribe to the following oath or affirmation: "I, ....................................,
do swear (or affirm, as the case may be) that I will support the Constitution
of the United States; and that I will be faithful and bear true allegiance
to the State of Maryland, and support the Constitution and laws thereof;
and that I will, to the best of my skill and judgment, diligently
and faithfully, without partiality or prejudice, execute the office
of....................., according to the Constitution and laws of
this state."
The Clerk-Treasurer and such other officers or employees of
the town as the Commissioners of this Charter may require shall give
bond in such amount and with such surety as may be required by the
Commissioners. The premiums on such bonds shall be paid by the town.
All right, title and interest held by the town or any other
person or corporation at the time this Charter is adopted, in and
to any lien acquired under any prior Charter of the town, are hereby
preserved for the holder in all respects as if this Charter had not
been adopted, together with all rights and remedies in relation thereto.
This Charter shall not discharge, impair or release any contract,
obligation, duty, liability or penalty whatever existing at the time
this Charter becomes effective. All suits and actions, both civil
and criminal pending, or which may hereafter be instituted for causes
of action now existing or offenses already committed against any law
or ordinance repealed by this Charter, shall be instituted, proceeded
with and prosecuted to final determination and judgment as if this
Charter had not become effective.
Every act or omission which, by ordinance, is made a misdemeanor
under the authority of this Charter, unless otherwise provided, shall
be punishable upon conviction by the District Court sitting in the
county within which the offense is committed by a fine not exceeding
one hundred dollars ($100.) or imprisonment for thirty (30) days in
the county jail, or both, in the discretion of the Court. Where the
act or omission is of a continuing nature and is persisted in, a conviction
for one (1) offense is not a bar to a conviction for a continuation
of the offense subsequent to the first or any succeeding conviction.
If any section or part of section of this Charter is held invalid
by a court of competent jurisdiction, this holding shall not affect
the remainder of this Charter or the context in which such section
or part of section so held invalid appears, except to the extent that
an entire section or part of section may be inseparably connected
in meaning and effect with the section or part of section to which
such holding shall directly apply.
The Commissioners, before issuing bonds for any public improvements
not required and directed by the Department of Health of the State
of Maryland or other agencies of the State of Maryland or United States
of America empowered to issue such directives, shall first at a special
or regular election submit to the voters of Sharptown the question
whether or not the said bonds shall be issued, and upon the ballots
to be used at said election there shall be printed a short statement
of the purpose of the proposed bond issue and then the words, "For
bond issue" and "against bond issue; " and if a majority of the votes
cast upon said question shall be for the bond issue, then the Commissioners
shall exercise the power vested in them and shall issue the bonds
authorized by said referendum; but if a majority of the votes cast
upon said question be against the bond issue, the power shall not
be exercised or the bonds issued, but the Commissioners shall have
the power to submit the question at each succeeding regular municipal
election until a majority of the votes cast on said question shall
be for the bond issue, at which time they shall exercise the power
vested in them and issue the bonds.
In the event the Town of Sharptown extends water or sewer service
to properties which be beyond the corporate limits of the town, the
Commissioners of Sharptown may by ordinance require that the owners
of all properties served by such water and/or sewer shall, before
receiving such service, pay to the Town of Sharptown the entire cost
of any connection charge imposed by the town and in addition a deposit
equal to one (1) year's charge for the service, which deposit
shall be deposited in a special savings account to the credit of the
town and shall be used only to defray the unpaid charges of the depositor.
The Commissioners of Sharptown may by resolution from time to time
establish rates for such water and sewer service and may require customers
whose properties lie beyond the town limits to install water meters
on their lines at their own expense before such service is rendered.