3130                                                VETOES

AN ACT concerning

Charles County Board of Education — Salaries
and Vacancies

FOR the purpose of establishing certain procedures to
fill vacancies on the Board of Education of Charles
County, and altering the salary of the members of
the Board.

May 31, 1974.

Honorable John Hanson Briscoe
Speaker of the House of Delegates
State House
Annapolis, Maryland 21404

Dear Mr. Speaker:

In accordance with Article II, Section 17 of the
Maryland Constitution, I have today vetoed House Bill
730.

This bill increases the salaries of the members of
the Board of Education of Charles County. It also
establishes new procedures for the filling of vacancies
occurring on the Board. In the event of a vacancy, a new
member would be chosen by a majority of the remaining
Board members from a list of three names submitted by the
Council of Parent—Teacher Associations of Charles County.

The several county boards of education are certainly
among the most important local agencies in the State, as
they determine the educational policies of the county.
This fact was given particular recognition only four
years ago when the General Assembly and the people of
Charles County established an elective Board for the
County. (Chapter 386 of the Acts of 1970, ratified
September 15, 1970.) It is in this light that House Bill
730 must be considered.

House Bill 730 would limit the Board's choice of a
new member to one of three persons selected by the
Council of Parent—Teacher Associations. However, the
level of the Council's current activity raises serious
doubt as to its ability to assume the important function
which would be assigned to it by this bill. Indeed, I am
advised that in recent months that Council often has been
unable to hold even regular meetings for lack of a duly
constituted quorum. Obviously, any failure of the
Council to submit a list of names to the Board would
wholly preclude the appointment of any person, however
qualified, to fill a vacancy.

Even if the Council were a truly viable, active
organization, its representation is that of only a small