THEODORE R. MCKELDIN, GOVERNOR 429

respectively, as Section 104-33 of the Montgomery Coun-
ty Code, and Section 1324A of the Prince George's
County Code, to follow immediately after Sections 104-32
and 1324, respectively, authorizing the registered voters
of Takoma Park to approve or disapprove amendments
to the Charter of the City of Takoma Park presented by
the Council of Takoma Park, and providing for a refer-
endum thereon.

SECTION 1. Be it enacted by the General Assembly of
Maryland, That a new section be and it is hereby added to
the Montgomery County Code (1950 Edition), being
Article 16 of the Code of Public Local Laws of Maryland,
and to the Prince George's County Code (1943 Edition),
being Article 17 of the Code of Public Local Laws of Mary-
land, titles "Montgomery County" and "Prince George's
County", sub-titles "Takoma Park", said new section to be
known, respectively, as Section 104-33 of the Montgomery
County Code and Section 1324A of the Prince George's
County Code, to follow immediately after Sections 104-32
and 1324, respectively, and to read as follows:

104-33 (1324A). Amendments to this Charter may be
made by the registered voters of the City as provided in
this section, except that no such amendment shall affect
this section or Section 104-2 (1293). Amendments may be
proposed at any time by the Council, or by a petition signed
by 15% or more of the registered voters of the City within
a period of six months. The Council shall by ordinance
(1) prescribe the form for such petitions, which must show
the date of each signature, (2) provide for checking the
names on the petition against the lists of voters registered
by the respective Boards of Election Supervisors, and (3)
require the deposit with the City Treasurer of the esti-
mated cost of checking the names, which deposit shall be
returned if it is found that the petition has been signed
within a period of six months by a number of registered
voters not less than 15% of the number of names on the
most recent lists certified to the City by the Board of
Election Supervisors of the two counties. Any amendment
proposed by the Council, or by the number of registered
voters specified in the preceding sentence, shall be sub-
mitted to the registered voters of the City at the next gen-
eral or special municipal election to be held not less than
60 days thereafter; provided, that if no such election is to
be held within three months, the Council may call a special
election for this purpose. The Council may submit an
alternative proposal to be voted on at the same election as
any proposal submitted by petition; and such alternative