If any Article, section or provision of this Charter is held,
by any court decision that has become final, to be invalid, ineffective
or inapplicable to any person or circumstance, by reason of any provision
of the Maryland Constitution or any applicable public general law,
then it is intended by the people of the county that all other Articles,
sections or provisions of this Charter and their application to all
other persons and circumstances shall be separable and shall not be
affected and shall become or continue operative and in effect, in
conformity with such provision of the Maryland Constitution or public
general law.
The Council Administrator shall, with reasonable promptness,
furnish to any taxpayer desiring the same, a true and certified copy
of any law, ordinance or resolution passed by the County Council,
upon payment in advance of a reasonable fee to be prescribed by the
County Council.
All persons are entitled to have access to information about
the affairs of government and the official acts of public officials
and employees, therefor, except as otherwise provided by law, a custodian
shall permit a person or governmental unit to inspect any public record
at any reasonable time.[1]
[1]
Note: This section as originally drafted expanded the common
law right of access from "interested persons" to "any taxpayer." It
is the intent of the Council to permit access to public records to
the extent permitted by the Maryland Public Information Act, Title
10, Subtitle 6, Part III of the State Government Article.
A.
Required annually. A complete independent audit of all financial transactions, books and records of the county and its officials and employees receiving and disbursing public funds of the county, or handled by the county for other agencies, shall be made at least annually. For this purpose, the County Council shall engage a firm of certified public accountants selected on the basis of their knowledge of the procedures and principles of accounting and auditing and experience with such accounting and auditing. This transaction shall be exempt from the provisions of Article VIII, Section 801, "Competitive bidding" of this Charter.
B.
Inspection. The complete audit shall be filed with the County Executive,
and copies shall be open to public inspection.
In accordance with the powers granted to chartered counties
of this state by public general law, the County Council shall, by
ordinance, adopt a County Seal, and thereafter it may use and alter
the same at pleasure. The seal shall contain the corporate name of
the county and such other information or insignia as the County Council
may determine. The County Executive and such other officers as may
be specified by resolution of the County Council shall have power
to attest to the County Seal.
The County Council, the County Executive and the County Personnel
Board shall have the power to administer oaths, to compel the attendance
of witnesses and to require the production of records and other materials
in connection with any investigation, inquiry or hearing authorized
by this Charter or by law.
A.
Laws and regulations. As soon as practicable after March 1 of each
year, the County Attorney shall prepare and publish a pamphlet, with
an index, of the laws enacted and of all rules, regulations and ordinances
issued or approved during the preceding calender[1] year.
[1]
Editor's Note: So in original. Probably should read "calendar."
B.
Codifications. The County shall provide for the compilation and codification
every 10th year of all public local laws of the county heretofore
enacted by the General Assembly and hereafter enacted by the County
Council; the Charters of all municipalities in said county and the
amendments thereto; and all rules, regulations and ordinances having
the force and effect of law heretofore issued or approved by the County
Council or hereafter issued and approved by the County Council, which
are in force on August 15 of such year. Each such codification shall
be promptly published in a volume, together with this Charter, an
index and appropriate ancillaries as determined by the County Council.
