Marvin Mandel, Governor                        1691

The State Superintendent of Schools is directed to authorize the
Comptroller to withhold State funds from any county which fails to
levy the amount of its share of the minimum program prescribed by
law or which fails to meet the requirements of the law or of the State
Board of Education regarding the operation of the county library.

(h) Libraries in operation before January 1, 1945, whose boards,
by the terms of their charters or articles of incorporation are self-
perpetuating or otherwise specifically constituted, are eligible for all
benefits specified in this subtitle provided they meet all other require-
ments under this subtitle and their boards may continue to be con-
stituted as in the same manner before.

177.

(a) A Public Library Incentive Fund, created as of July 1, 1964,
is continued for the purpose of granting aid to the counties and the
City of Baltimore to finance debt service and/or pay-as-you-go capital
outlay expenditures for the purchase of land for libraries, the pur-
chase and construction of library buildings, remodeling and adding
to library buildings, and the purchase of equipment and furniture
for such library buildings. "Debt service" for the purposes of this
section is the term used to describe the interest and amortization
charges paid annually over a period of years to retire bonds issued
for these purposes.

(b) The Public Library Incentive Fund for each county shall be

equivalent to the sum of fifty cents (50¢) multiplied by the popu-

lation of the county or Baltimore City. The population figures used

in this determination shall be based on the latest federal census and

in intervening years on estimated by the Department of Health and

Mental Hygiene as of July 1st of the previous calendar year. The

State percentage share of this Fund shall be the same as that used

for the current expense aid in Section 176 of this Article.

(c) In order for a county of Baltimore City to participate in the
Public Library Incentive Fund in any year, it shall provide sufficient
funds from local sources for the purposes specified in subsection (a)
of this section equivalent to the county or Baltimore City percentage
share at the current expense aid in Section 176 of this Article. Funds

received by a board of county commissioners, or county council, or

the mayor and city council of Baltimore, from any source other than
the State of Maryland, and applied to the purposes specified in sub-

section (a) of this section, shall be treated for the purposes of this

section as funds from local sources. If the total amount to be ex-

pended for the purposes in subsection (a) is less than 50¢ per capita
then the State's participation shall be limited to its percentage share
of the total amount expended.

(B) EACH OF THE COUNTIES AND BALTIMORE CITY
SHALL PARTICIPATE IN ANY YEAR IN THE PUBLIC
LIBRARY INCENTIVE FUND CREATED BY THIS SECTION
IF IT LEVIES FOR THAT YEAR, FOR THE PURPOSE SPECI-
FIED IN SUBSECTION (A) OF THIS SECTION, ONE-HALF
CENT (½¢) ON EACH HUNDRED DOLLARS OF THE VALU-
ATION OF PROPERTY ASSESSABLE AT THE FULL RATE
FOR COUNTY PURPOSES FOR THE PREVIOUS YEAR AS
REPORTED BY THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF ASSESS-