appropriate. Not more than one such grouping of code
counties into four (or fewer) classes may be in effect at any
one time, and the enactment of any grouping of code
counties into four (or fewer) classes repeals any other such
grouping then in effect. Code counties may be classified
only as provided in this section.

SEC. 6. A code county may enact, amend, or repeal a
public local law of that county by a resolution of the board
of county commissioners. The General Assembly may am-
plify the provisions of this section by general law in any
manner not inconsistent with this Article.

SEC. 7. Any action of a code county in the enactment,
amendment, or repeal of a public local law is subject to a
referendum of the voters in the county, as in this section
provided. The enactment, amendment, or repeal shall be
effective unless a petition of the registered voters of the
county requires that it be submitted to a referendum of the
voters in the county. The General Assembly shall amplify
the provisions of this section by general law in any manner
not inconsistent with this Article, except that in any event
the number of signatures required on such a petition shall
not be fewer than five percentum (5% ) of the voters in a
county registered for county and State elections.

SEC. 8. Notwithstanding any other provisions of this
Article, the General Assembly has exclusive power to
enact, amend, or repeal any local law for a code county
which (1) authorizes or places a maximum limit upon the
rate of property taxes which may be imposed by the code
county; or (2) authorizes or regulates the maximum
amount of indebtedness which may be incurred by the code
county. Public local laws enacted by the General Assembly
under this section prevail over any public local laws enacted
by the code county under other sections in this Article.

SEC. 9. A code county shall not levy any type of tax,
license fee, franchise tax, or fee which was not in effect or
authorized in the code county at the time it came under the
provisions of this Article, until an express authorization of
the General Assembly has been enacted for this purpose by
a general law which in its terms and effect applies alike to
all code counties in one or more of the classes provided for
in Section 5 of this Article.

SEC. 10. All laws enacted by the General Assembly
and in effect when this Article was added to the Constitu-
tion shall remain in effect until amended or repealed under
this Constitution. Every public local law enacted,
amended, or repealed by a county under the provisions of
this Article prevails over the previous public local law,
except to the extent it is subject to an applicable law
enacted by the General Assembly.

ARTICLB XI-G.²⁰⁰

1.²⁰² The General Assembly of Maryland, by public
local law, may authorize the Mayor and City Council of
Baltimore:

(a) To make or contract to make financial loans to any
person or other legal entity to be used for redevelopment
or improvement of buildings or structures located within

the boundaries of Baltimore City, which buildings or struc-
tures are to be used or occupied for residential purposes.

(b) To guarantee or insure financial loans made by third
parties to any person or other legal entity to be used for or
in connection with the rehabilitation, renovation or im-
provement of buildings or structures located within the
boundaries of Baltimore City, which buildings or structures
are to be used or occupied for residential purposes.

(c) To make or contract to make financial loans to any
person or other legal entity to be used for or in connection
with the purchase or acquisition of leasehold or fee simple
interests in buildings or structures, and for construction,
reconstruction, erection, development, rehabilitation,
renovation, redevelopment or improvement of buildings or
structures, located within the boundaries of Baltimore City,
which buildings or structures are to be used or occupied for
commercial purposes.

(d) To guarantee or insure financial loans made by third
parties to any person or other legal entity to be used for or
in connection with the purchase or acquisition of leasehold
or fee simple interests in buildings or structures, and for
construction, reconstruction, erection, development, reha-
bilitation, renovation, redevelopment or improvement of
buildings or structures, located within the boundaries of
Baltimore City, which buildings or structures are to be used
or occupied for commercial purposes.

(e) Any and all financial loans made by the Mayor and
City Council of Baltimore; any and all guarantees or insur-
ance commitments made by the Mayor and City Council of
Baltimore in connection with any of said loans; and any and
all money used or expended by the Mayor and City Council
of Baltimore in connection with said loans, guarantees, or
insurance commitments, pursuant to the power and author-
ity hereinabove vested in the municipality, and any and all
acts performed by the Mayor and City Council of Baltimore
in connection with any powers which may be granted to the
Mayor and City Council of Baltimore pursuant to this
Article, are all hereby declared to be needed, contracted for,
expended or exercised for a public use.

(f) In the event of any conflict between the provisions of
this Article and those of Article XI, Section 7, of the Consti-
tution of Maryland, or any other provisions of said Constitu-
tion, then the provisions of this Article shall control.

2. The General Assembly of Maryland may grant to the
Mayor and City Council of Baltimore any and all additional
power and authority necessary or proper to carry into full
force and effect any and all of the specific powers which
the General Assembly is authorized to grant to the Mayor
and City Council of Baltimore pursuant to this Article, and
to fully accomplish any and all of the purposes and objects
contemplated by the provisions of this Article, provided
such additional power or authority is not inconsistent with
the terms and provisions of this Article or with any other
provision or provisions of the Constitution of Maryland,
except as provided in this Article. The General Assembly
may place such other and further restrictions or limitations
on the exercise of any of the powers which it may grant to
the Mayor and City Council of Baltimore under the provi-
sions of this Article as it may deem proper and expedient.