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Sections 11 to 18 of 23A, they described how the charter

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amendments were to be made by the municipalities. Section

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11 of Article 23A of the Code says: "Every municipal

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corporation in this State shall proceed as in this sub-

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heading provided in exercising and applying the powers for

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the amendment of municipal charters which are granted thereto

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by Article HE of the Constitution of Maryland."

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Now, the remaining sections, from 12 to 18, are

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details of procedures about the resolutions, posting,

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publication, referendum, et cetera.

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Now, when the Local Government Article was re-

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ported out of the committee, we said specifically that the

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municipal corporations shall continue to exercise all those

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powers which they now have. As a result, this language has

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not been changed in either the Committee of the Whole or

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the Committee on Style and Drafting and still remains the

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very same if you look at Article 7.05 in line 48 on page

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3. It says, "or their existing powers as drawn," et cetera.

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What we are talking about is the existing powers.

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The memorandum which accompanied the Local Government

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Committee report on this said specifically, "Your