By an Executive Order issued by the Governor
on May 14, 1965, the Council was recognized as
the cooperative planning and development agency
in Southern Maryland The Council was perma-
nently established by Chapter 586, Acts of 1966.
It became a corporate body by Chapter 573, Acts
of 1970. The Council's enabling legislation was
reenacted as State general legislation by Chapter
708, Acts of 1976.
The Council is composed of twenty-three vot-
ing members including the State senators and

delegates representing Calvert, Charles, and St.
Mary's counties, three county commissioners
from each county, one member appointed by
the Southern Maryland Municipal Association,
and one member-at-large from each county.
There are eight non-voting members of the
Council who represent each County Planning
Commission, each County Economic Develop-
ment Commission, the Department of State
Planning, and the Department of Economic
and Community Development (Code 1957, Art.
20).