824                              Laws of Maryland                      [Ch. 408

CHAPTER 408
(House Bill 650)

AN ACT to repeal and re-enact, with amendments, Section 24 of
Article 25 of the Annotated Code of Maryland (1970 Supplement),
title "County Commissioners," subtitle "General Provisions,"
amending the laws concerning the publication of county expenses
in certain counties of this State in order to delete a particular
provision applying to the County Commissioners of St. Mary's
County; and revising the form and organization of this Section.

Section 1. Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Maryland,
That Section 24 of Article 25 of the Annotated Code of Maryland
(1970 Supplement), title "County Commissioners," subtitle "General
Provisions," be and it is hereby repealed and re-enacted, with amend-
ments, to read as follows:

24.

(a)    They shall make out and publish annually in at least two
newspapers published in their respective counties if there be two,
a detailed, minute and accurate statement of the expenses of their
said counties, specifying therein each particular item of expense,
and for what and to whom paid, and the clerk of the county commis-
sioners who fails to perform the duty imposed by this section shall
forfeit the sum of one hundred dollars. [Provided that the County
Commissioners of St. Mary's County shall not expend more than
twelve hundred dollars ($1,200) in any one year for publishing the
notices required by this section, and the publication of the notices of
the supervisor of elections relative to elections, registration, etc.]

(b)    Provided that in St. Mary's and Frederick counties it shall
not be necessary to publish an itemized statement of county expenses,
but a summary of such statement shall be published as required
herein, and such an itemized statement shall be available for public
examination in the office of the clerk to the county commissioners.

(c)    Provided, further, that in Howard County the County Com-
missioners may in their discretion publish, at an expense not to
exceed five hundred dollars ($500) in one newspaper a detailed,
minute and accurate statement of the expenses of said county, spec-
ifying therein each particular item of expense, and for what and
to whom paid.

(d)    Provided, however, that this section shall not apply to Anne
Arundel County or Baltimore County.

(e)    Provided, further, that this section shall not apply to Alle-
gany, Carroll and Frederick counties, but that in Carroll County
the County Commissioners shall publish annually in each newspaper
in said county and in Allegany and Frederick counties the County
Commissioners shall publish annually in at least two newspapers
in said county a statement of the receipts and expenses of said
county in sufficient detail to inform the general public, with reason-
able clarity, the source of such receipts and the nature of such
expenses. In Allegany County the published statement shall also
contain a notice that an itemized statement is available for public
examination and this itemized statement of such receipts and ex-