836/Maryland Manual
SEC. 4. The adoption of a new charter, the
amendment of any charter or local laws, or the
repeal of ar y i )art of a charter or local laws shall
be proposed e ther by a resolution of the legisla-
tive body of any such municipal corporation or
by a petition containing the signatures of at least
five per cer.t of the registered voters of a munici-
pal corporation and filed with the legislative body
of said municipal corporation. The General As-
sembly shall amplify the provisions of this section
by general law in any manner not inconsistent
with this Article.
SEC. 5. Notwithstanding any other provision
in this Art) 'ie, the General Assembly may enact,
amend, or epeal local laws placing a maximum
limit on the rite at which property taxes may be
imposed by any such municipal corporation and
regulating the maximum amount of debt which
may be Incurred by any municipal corporation.
However, no such local law shall become effective
in regard to a municipal corporation until and
unless it shall have been approved at a regular or
special municipal election by a majority of the
voters of that municipal corporation voting on
the question. No such municipal corporation
shall levy any type of tax, license fee, franchise
tax or fee which was not in effect in such munici-
pal corporation on January 1, 1954, unless it
shall receive the express authorization of the Gen-
eral Asseir-bly for such purpose, by a general law
which in i*s terms and its effect applies alike to
all municipal corporations in one or more of the
classes pro ided for in Section 2 of this Article.
All charter provisions enacted under the authori-
ty of Sectic i 3 of this Article shall be subject to
any local laws enacted by the General Assembly
and approved by the municipal voters under the
provisions of this section.
SEC. 6. All charter provisions, or amendments
thereto, adopted under the provisions of this Ar-
ticle, shall be subject to all applicable laws
enacted by the General Assembly; except that
any local laws, or amendments thereto, relating
to the incorporation, organization, government,
or affairs of any municipal corporation and
enacted before this Article becomes effective, shall
be subject to any charter provisions, or
amendments thereto, adopted under the
provisions of this Article. Any local law, or
amendments thereto, relating to the incorpora-
tion, organization, government, or affairs of any
municipal corporation and in effect at the time
this Article becomes effective, shall be subject to
any applicable State law enacted after this Article
becomes effective. All laws enacted by the Gener-
al Assembly and in effect at the time this Article
becomes effective, shall remain in effect until

Article XI-E
amended or repealed in accordance with the
provisions of this Constitution. Nothing in this
Article shall be construed to authorize any mu-
nicipal corporation by any amendment or addi-
tion to its charter, to permit any act which is
prohibited by the laws of this State concerning
the observance of the Sabbath Day or the manu-
facture, licensing or sale of alcoholic beverages.
ARTICLE XI-F'""
HOME RULE FOR CODE COUNTIES.
SECTION 1. For the purposes of this Article,
(1) "code county" means a county which is not a
charter county under Article IIA of this Consti-
tution and has adopted the optional powers of
home rule provided under this Article; and (2)
"public local law" means a law applicable to the
incorporation, organization, or government of a
code county and contained in the county's code
of public local laws; but this latter term specifi-
cally does not include (i) the charters of munici-
pal corporations under Article HE of this Con-
stitution, (ii) the laws or charters of counties
under Article IIA of this Constitution, (iii) laws,
whether or not Statewide in application, in the
code of public general laws, (iv) laws which apply
to more than one county, and (v) ordinances and
resolutions of the county government enacted un-
der public local laws.
SEC. 2. The governing body of any county, by
a vote of at least two-thirds of the members
elected thereto, may propose by resolution that
the county become a code county and be
governed by the provisions of this Article. Upon
the adoption of such a resolution, it shall be cer-
tified to the Board of Supervisors of Elections in
the county, which Board (pursuant to the election
laws of the State) shall submit to the voters of
the county at the next ensuing general election
the question whether the resolution shall be ap-
proved or rejected. If in the referendum a majori-
ty of those persons voting on this question vote
for the resolution, the resolution is approved, and
the county shall become a code county under the
provisions of this Article, on the thirtieth day af-
ter the election. If in the referendum a majority
of those persons voting on this question vote
against the resolution, the resolution is rejected,
and of no further effect.
Provided that if at the next ensuing general
election there shall be submitted to the voters of
the county a proposed charter under Article IIA
of this Constitution, the proposed charter only
"" Added by Chapter 493, Acts of 1965, ratified November 8,
1966.