MARVIN MANDEL, Governor                       3981

Ad ministration

AN ACT concerning

State Highway Administration — Sale of Land
No Longer Needed

FOR the purpose of granting the Administration certain
authority with regard to the sale of land no longer

needed, establishing_____certain notification

requirements prior to advertisement of sale of
certain land for public auction, and revising and
clarifying the language and structure of the law.

May 15, 1975.
Honorable John Hanson Briscoe
Speaker of the House of Delegates
State House
Annapolis, Maryland

Dear Mr. Speaker:

In accordance with Article II, Section 17, of the
Maryland Constitution, I have today vetoed House Bill 64,

This is a Departmental bill which allows the State
Highway Administration auctioneers who are disposing of
property no longer needed to refuse a bid if it does not
approximate the appraised value of the property. Such
action presently requires a ruling by the State Highway
Administrator.

A last minute amendment to this bill requires the
State Highway Administration to request the State
Department of Planning to notify, among others, the
adjoining property owners whenever any tract of land is
no longer needed for highway purposes. This notice must
be given no later than 60 days prior to advertisement of
the land for public auction.

The Secretary of Transportation advises me that this
amendment to the bill will generate substantial
additional expenses and greater loss of time than any
saving which the State Highway Administration might
otherwise realize from the enactment of the bill. At
present, the Department of State Planning is advised only
in cases of parcels of 3 acres or more; the number of
parcels of 3 acres or less is much greater than those of
3 acres or more. In addition, the sale could not be
consummated for at least 60 days under this amendment.

The Secretary of State Planning has also indicated
that the benefits to accrue from this bill are far
overshadowed by increased costs in personnel funds.