1490                             Laws of Maryland                      [Ch. 698

each. The remaining two members shall each hold office for a term

of two years. The term of each member elected at succeeding general
elections shall be for four years. THE TERM OF EACH MEMBER
SHALL BE FOR FOUR YEARS.

(B)(1) Nomination for membership on the Board of Education
of Washington County except as otherwise herein provided, shall be
by petition endorsed by a minimum of three hundred registered
voters from Washington County, each such petition shall be filed
with the Board of Election Supervisors of Washington County not
later than 4:00 P.M. on the Monday which is 70 days before the day
on which the general election in November shall be held. Each such
petition filed shall be accompanied by a $25.00 filing fee. Except as
otherwise in this section provided, each such petition shall conform
generally to the laws and requirements of Article 33 of the Anno-
tated Code of Maryland, provided, however, that publication of the
petition shall not be required.

(2) The Board of Supervisors of Elections shall provide the
means whereby all duly registered voters of Washington County,
irrespective of party affiliation, may vote for said nominees for the
County Board of Education at the election held in November for
other naminees NOMINEES of the political parties. All voting shall
be conducted on a non-partisan basis, and no designation of party
affiliation shall be placed upon any petition, for nomination, nor upon
any voting machine or paper ballot used at said election.

(C)    Any vacancy on said Board of Education of an elected
member resulting from dealth DEATH, resignation, failure to qualify,
or any other reason shall be filled by the Governor of the State by a
duly qualified person to fill the vacancy. Any person so selected shall
serve out the remainder of the term to which he is appointed.

(D)    The State Board of Education may remove any member of
the Board of Education elected or serving under the provisions of
this section for immorality, misconduct in office, incompetency, or
wilful neglect of duty, giving to him a copy of the charges against
him, and an opportunity of being publicly heard in person or by
counsel in his own defense, upon not less than ten days' notice. If
any member of the Board of Education shall be so removed, he shall
have the right to a review by the Circuit Court for Washington
County in a proceeding de novo.

(E)    The Board of Education of Washington County shall perform
the functions of county boards of education as provided by State
law and shall have the power to adopt bylaws for regulation and
administration of schools within the county not inconsistent with
State law; provided, however, that all action shall be accomplished
after a public meeting, the formal record of which shall likewise be
public. Nothing in this section shall be deemed to deny the power of
the board to meet and deliberate in executive session provided, how-
ever, that all action shall be accomplished after a public meeting, the
formal record of which shall likewise be public:.

Sec. 2. And be it further enacted, That before this Act becomes
effective, it shall first be submitted to a referendum of the legally
qualified voters of Washington County at a special election to be
held in conjunction with, on the same day, and during the same