Ch. 664                          MARVIN MANDEL, Governor                             1387

MERGER OF MUNICIPAL CORPORATIONS

19A.

(A)    TWO OR MORE MUNICIPAL CORPORATIONS SITUATED
WITHIN THE SAME COUNTY MAY UNITED TO FORM ONE
MUNICIPAL CORPORATION IF ANY PART OF THE LEGAL
BOUNDARY OF ONE OF THE MUNICIPAL CORPORATIONS ABUTS
ON THE LEGAL BOUNDARY OF THE OTHER UNITING MUNICIPAL
CORPORATIONS. NO MERGER SHALL BECOME EFFECTIVE
WITHOUT THE PRIOR APPROVAL OF THE GOVERNING BODY OF
THE COUNTY IN WHICH THE MUNICIPAL CORPORATIONS ARE
SITUATED.

(B)  UNIFICATION OF THE MUNICIPAL CORPORATIONS SHALL BE
INITIATED BY THE PASSAGE OF A "PROPOSAL OF UNIFICATION"
IN SUBSTANTIALLY THE SAME FORM BY THE LEGISLATIVE BODIES
OF EACH OF THE UNITING CORPORATIONS. THE PROPOSAL OF
UNIFICATION SHALL INCLUDE A DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE
BOUNDARIES OF THE AREA OF PROPOSED UNIFICATION. THE
DESCRIPTION SHALL COMPRISE A SURVEY OF COURSES AND
DISTANCES AND MAY ALSO BE BY GENERAL LANDMARKS AND
PLACE NAMES. THE PROPOSAL OF UNIFICATION MUST BE
APPROVED BY EACH OF THE MUNICIPAL CORPORATIONS IN THE
MANNER PROVIDED FOR THE ADOPTION OF OTHER ORDINARY
LEGISLATION BY THE MUNICIPAL CHARTER OR BY-LAWS OF THE
MUNICIPAL CORPORATION WHICH IS CONSIDERING THE
PROPOSAL OF UNIFICATION. UPON APPROVAL OF THE PROPOSAL
OF UNIFICATION, THE MUNICIPAL CORPORATIONS SHALL
PREPARE A UNIFIED CHARTER.

(C)  EACH OF THE UNIFYING MUNICIPAL CORPORATIONS SHALL
DESIGNATE [[FIVE REPRESENTATIVES TO MEET TOGETHER AND
DRAFT A UNIFIED CHARTER]] THE SAME NUMBER OF
REPRESENTATIVES, WHICH MAY NOT BE LESS THAN THREE NOR
MORE THAN FIVE, WHO SHALL MEET TOGETHER AS A CHARTER
COMMISSION TO DRAFT A UNIFIED CHARTER WITHIN SIX
MONTHS OF THE ADOPTION OF THE PROPOSAL, OF UNIFICATION
REQUIRED BY THIS SECTION. THESE REPRESENTATIVES SHALL
ADOPT RULES AND ELECT OFFICERS FROM AMONG THEIR
NUMBER AS THEY FEEL NECESSARY TO GOVERN THEIR MEETINGS
AND EXPEDITE THE DRAFTING OF THE UNIFIED CHARTER; BUT
NONE OF THESE RULES MAY CONFLICT WITH ANY OF THE
PROVISIONS AND REQUIREMENTS OF ARTICLE 23A OF THE
ANNOTATED CODE OF MARYLAND.

(D)  THE UNIFIED CHARTER SHALL PROVIDE THAT THE UNIFIED
MUNICIPAL CORPORATION RECEIVE ALL OF THE ASSETS AND
UNPAID DEBTS OF THE INDIVIDUAL MUNICIPAL CORPORATIONS.

(E) THE UNIFIED CHARTER MAY CONTAIN ALL THE POWERS
HELD BY THE SEPARATE MUNICIPAL CORPORATIONS, BUT IF ALL
OF THE CORPORATIONS TO BE INCLUDED IN THE UNIFIED
MUNICIPAL CORPORATION DO NOT POSSESS PLANNING AND
ZONING POWERS, THE LAND OF THOSE CORPORATIONS NOT
HAVING THAT POWER SHALL NOT, FOR A PERIOD OF FIVE YEARS
FOLLOWING THE EFFECTIVE DATE OF THE UNIFIED CHARTER, BE
PLACED IN A ZONING CLASSIFICATION WHICH PERMITS A LAND
USE SUBSTANTIALLY DIFFERENT FROM THE USE FOR SUCH LAND
SPECIFIED IN THE CURRENT AND DULY ADOPTED MASTER PLAN