[Adopted 10-27-2020 by Bill No. 1464]
As used in this article, the following terms shall have the meanings given:
COUNTY
Talbot County, Maryland.
COUNTY COUNCIL
Talbot County Council.
COUNTY ROAD
A road or roadway that is owned, controlled, or maintained by the County, funded by public revenues, and accessible for use by and for the benefit of the general public.
ROAD
The traffic-bearing pavement, or driving surface, and associated base course, constructed and maintained within a roadway.
ROADWAY
The land area comprising the entire width and length of any right-of-way or easement containing a road, including traffic surfaces, intersections, entrances, cul-de-sacs, turnarounds, accesses, parking areas, public landings, shoulder areas, drainage ditches and structures, utilities and utility reservation areas, maintenance areas, plantings, vehicle clearances, and any other structures, signage or appurtenances needed for the safe and beneficial use of the roadway.
STATE HIGHWAY
This term shall have the meaning given in Md. Code Ann., Transportation Article, § 8-101.
STATE HIGHWAY ADMINISTRATION
Maryland Department of Transportation State Highway Administration.
STREET LIGHTING
The artificial illumination of roads, roadways, and highways through the deployment of lights, lightbulbs, lamps, light-emitting diodes, poles, wires, cables, electricity, currents, solar panels, and related light-emitting technologies, resources, and improvements.
A. 
The County Council may:
(1) 
Provide for street lighting along County roads and, when such improvements are approved by the State Highway Administration, along state highways within the County; and
(2) 
Enter into contracts for the installation, maintenance, and operation of street lighting.
B. 
The authority to provide street lighting under this article shall be in addition to, and not exclusive of or a limitation on, any other authority the County may have under applicable law to provide for street lighting.
A. 
The County shall pay the costs of street lighting provided for under this article by an ad valorem tax imposed on each property in the district served by the street lighting.
B. 
All taxes under this article shall be imposed in the same manner as County taxes.
A. 
The County Council may create a street lighting district only on receipt of a petition signed by 60% of the owners of property located in the proposed district.
B. 
The petition shall describe the boundaries of the proposed street lighting district.
C. 
On receipt of the petition, the County Council shall hold a public hearing at which residents in the proposed street lighting district shall be given an opportunity to be heard.
D. 
The County Council shall:
(1) 
Hold the hearing not less than 14 days nor more than 60 days following receipt of the petition; and
(2) 
Publish notice of the hearing at least once in a newspaper of general circulation in the boundaries of the proposed street lighting district.
E. 
After the hearing, the County Council may, by legislative enactment, establish the street lighting district and impose on all property that is subject to County taxes and is located in the district ad valorem taxes at a rate sufficient to pay the cost of the street lighting.