a.
Before entering upon the duties of their offices, the Mayor, the
Commissioners, the Town Clerk, the members of the Board 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
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."
b.
The Mayor and Commissioners shall take and subscribe this oath or
affirmation before the Clerk of the Circuit Court for Allegany County
or before one of the sworn deputies of the Clerk. All other persons
taking and subscribing to the oath shall do so before the Mayor.
The Town Clerk and such other officers or employees of the Town
as the Commission or this Charter may require, shall give bond in
such amount and with such surety as may be required by the Commission.
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 offense 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or ordinance repealed by this Charter, shall be instituted, proceeded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.
To assure the observance of the ordinances of the Town, the
Commission has the power to provide that violation thereof shall be
a misdemeanor and have the power to affix thereto penalties of a fine
not exceeding $100.00 or imprisonment not exceeding 30 days, or both
such fine and imprisonment. Any person subject to any fine, forfeiture,
or penalty by virtue of any ordinance passed under the authority of
this Charter has the right of appeal within ten (10) days to the District
Court of Allegany County. The Commission may provide that, if the
violation is of a continuing nature and is persisted in, a conviction
for one violation shall not be a bar to a conviction for a continuation
of the offense subsequent to the first or any succeeding conviction.
a.
All ordinances, resolutions, rules and regulations in effect in the
Town at the time this Charter becomes effective which are not in conflict
with the provisions of this Charter shall remain in effect until changed
or repealed in accordance with provisions of authority granted in
this Charter.
b.
All ordinances, resolutions, rules, and regulations in effect in
the Town at the time this Charter becomes effective which are in conflict
with the provisions of this Charter shall be and the same hereby are
repealed to the extent of such conflict.
Whenever the masculine gender has been used in this Charter
it shall be construed to include the feminine gender.
If any section or part of section of this Charter shall be held
invalid by a court of competent jurisdiction, such holding shall not
affect the remainder of this Charter nor the context in which such
section or part of a section so held invalid shall appear, 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.
