[Adopted as §§ 1-101, 1-102
and 1-105 of the 1983 Public Local Laws of Queen Anne's County]
[Amended 2-19-2002 by Ord. No. 01-08]
A. Number. There shall be five County Commissioners for
Queen Anne's County, four of whom shall be elected at large, with
one residing in each of the four County Commissioner Districts of
the County. The fifth shall hold the position of President of the
County Commissioners for the first year of his or her term, may reside
in any area of the County and shall be elected at large. Following
the first year of their term, the Board of County Commissioners shall
annually, by majority vote select one Commissioner to serve as President
of the County Commissioners.
B. Election. At the general election held in 2002, and
at the general election held every fourth year thereafter, the County
Commissioners shall be elected.
C. Term.
(1) The term of a County Commissioner is four years and
begins on the date of his/her election effective once the County Commissioner
qualifies.
(2) At the end of a term, a County Commissioner continues
to serve until a successor is elected and qualifies.
D. Eligibility for reelections County Commissioner may
be re-elected.
[Amended 2-19-2002 by Ord. No. 01-08]
A. Districts. The County shall be divided into four County
Commissioners election districts in accordance with this section until
modified by the Redistricting Board as hereinafter provided. All such
County Commissioner election districts shall encompass the geographic
area described by reference to Election Districts and Precincts as
the same existed as of July 1, 2011.
[Amended 6-22-2010 by Ord. No. 10-07; 9-27-2011 by Ord. No. 11-19]
(1) District
1 is comprised of the northern and eastern area of the County including
Barclay, Church Hill, Crumpton, Ingleside, Kingstown, Ruthsburg, Queen
Anne, Sudlersville, and Templeville areas bordered on the west by
Island Creek across properties to Granny Branch Road to White Marsh
Road to Tanyard Road to Hope Road to Carville Lane across properties
to Starr Road then to Fox Meadow Road, to the north by the Chester
River, to the east by Tuckahoe Creek and Kent County, Delaware and
the south by Maryland Route 404 and is specifically described by reference
to the following Election District precincts:
(a) Election
District 1, all precincts.
(b) Election
District 2, Precincts 1 and 2.
(c) Election
District 6, all precincts.
(d) Election
District 7, all precincts.
(2) District
2 is comprised of the Centreville, Queenstown, and Wye Mills areas
bordered on the west by Walsey Creek to US 50 to Nesbit Road to Main
Street to Bennett Point Road to Governors Way to the Wye River, to
the south by Wye Island, to the north by the Chester River and east
by Island Creek across properties to Granny Branch Road to White Marsh
Road to Tanyard Road to Hope Road to Carville Branch Lane across properties
to Starr Road then to Fox Meadow Road to Maryland Route 404 and is
specifically described by reference to the following Election District
precincts;
(a) Election
District 3, Precincts 1 and 2.
(b) Election
District 5, Precinct 1.
(3) District
3 is comprised of Grasonville, Kent Narrows, Chester, and part of
the Stevensville area. This district is bordered on the east by Walsey
Creek to US 50 to Nesbit Road to Main Street to Bennett Point Road
to Governors Way to the Wye River, to the north by the Chester River,
to the south by Eastern Bay and to the west by Cox Creek to US 50
to Love Point Road to Old Love Point Road to Benton Road to the Chester
River and is specifically described by reference to the following
Election District precincts:
[Amended 11-22-2011 by Ord. No. 11-23]
(a) Election
District 4, Precincts 2, 4 and 7.
(b) Election
District 5, Precincts 2 and 3.
(4) District
4 is comprised of Stevensville and Romancoke and is bordered on the
west by the Chesapeake Bay, to the south by Eastern Bay, to the east
by the Eastern Bay and Cox Creek to US 50 to Love Point Road to Old
Love Point Road to Benton Road to the Chester River, and to the north
by the Chester River and is specifically described by reference to
the following Election District precincts:
[Amended 11-22-2011 by Ord. No. 11-23]
(a) Election
District 4, Precincts 1, 3, 5 and 6.
B. Redistricting Board.
(1) Not later than July 1, 2011, a seven-member Redistricting
Board shall be appointed, composed of three appointees of the County
Commissioners, two appointees of the Democratic Central Committee
and two appointees of the Republican Central Committee. The Redistricting
Board shall convene not later than 30 days after appointment to organize
and shall elect a Chairman from among its members.
(2) By April 1, 2012, the Redistricting Board shall establish
tentative boundaries of the four County Commissioner Districts after
due consideration and investigation within reasonable and lawful guidelines.
The Redistricting Board shall set and conduct at least three public
hearings in different geographical areas of the County and shall give
notice of the time, date and place of such hearings at least twice
in a newspaper of general circulation in Queen Anne's County.
(3) After all public hearings have been held, a final
draft of the districting plan shall be completed and submitted to
the County Commissioners and upon the adoption thereof by legislative
process shall thereupon become law. After the plan becomes law, the
Redistricting Board shall terminate its existence.
[Amended 9-27-2011 by Ord. No. 11-19]
(4) Subsequent Redistricting Boards shall be appointed
within one year after the publication of the national decennial census
and the same appointing procedure outlined above shall be followed,
including the timetable established herein.
[Amended 2-19-2002 by Ord. No. 01-08]
A. In general. At the first regular meeting after the
qualification of each Commissioner, the County Commissioners shall
select from among themselves a Vice President who shall, during the
President's absence or inability to act, or at the President's request,
have the powers and perform the duties of the President.
B. President.
(1) The President shall preside over meetings of the County
Commissioners.
(2) Except as otherwise provided by law, the President
may execute authorized bonds, contracts, deeds, notes, and other instruments
in the name of the County Commissioners.
[Amended by Ord. No. 91-01]
A. In general. The County Commissioners may meet on the
second, third and fourth Tuesdays of each month to enact local laws.
[Amended 2-6-2007 by Ord. No. 07-02]
B. Special sessions. In addition to legislative days authorized under Subsection
A of this section, the County Commissioners may hold special legislative sessions to enact local laws if:
(1) The total number of legislative days during the year
does not exceed 45; and
(2) The County Commissioners publish notice of a special
legislative session in a newspaper of general circulation in the County
at least three days, but not more than 14 days, before the session.
[Amended by Ord. No. 94-08]
A. Salary. Each County Commissioner is entitled to an
annual salary of $25,000.
[Amended 11-12-2013 by Ord. No. 13-23]
B. Expenses. Each County Commissioner is entitled to
reimbursement for actual expenses incurred in the performance of duties
on:
(1) Submission of a voucher; and
(2) Approval of the County Commissioners.
[Added 10-23-2007 by Ord. No. 07-41;
amended 2-22-2011 by Ord. No. 11-02]
A. In general. In the event any office of County Commissioner
in Queen Anne's County shall become vacant by death, resignation or
otherwise, such vacancy shall be filled through the procedure set
forth in Article 25, § 16 of the Annotated Code of Maryland.