[Amended by Charter Res. No. 128-20, effective 11-10-2020]
There shall be a Police Department, a Department
of Public Works, a Department of Finance, a Department of Planning,
a Department of Economic Development, a Department of Administration
and a Town Clerk along with such other departments as may be created
by the Board of Commissioners. One individual may serve as head of
more than one department if the Board of Commissioners shall so provide.
The Board of Commissioners may appoint a Town
Attorney. The Town Attorney shall be a member of the bar of the Maryland
Court of Appeals. The Town Attorney shall be the legal advisor of
the Town and shall perform such duties in this connection as may be
required by the Board of Commissioners with compensation to be determined
by the Board of Commissioners. The Board of Commissioners shall have
the power to employ such legal consultants as it deems necessary from
time to time.
The Board of Commissioners shall have the power
to do all things necessary to include its officers and employees,
or any of them, within any retirement system or pension system under
the terms of which they are admissible, and to pay the employer's
share of the cost of any such retirement or pension system out of
the general funds of the Town.
The compensation of all officers and employees
of the Town shall be set from time to time by resolution or ordinance
passed by the Board of Commissioners subject to the restrictions imposed
upon establishing the salaries of the Board of Commissioners.
The Town is authorized and empowered, by resolution
or ordinance to provide for or participate in hospitalization or other
forms of benefit or welfare programs for its officers and employees,
and to expend public monies of the Town for such programs.
The Town may provide for appointments and promotions
of all employees in the Town's service on the basis of merit and fitness.
To carry out this purpose the Board of Commissioners may ratify such
rules and regulations governing the operation of a merit system as
proposed and recommended by the Town Administrator. Among other things
these rules and regulations may provide for competitive examinations,
the use of eligible lists, a classification plan, a compensation plan,
a probation period, appeals by employees included within the classified
service from dismissal or other disciplinary action, and vacation
and sick leave regulations.