4134

LAWS OF MARYLAND

Ch. 767

(d)  When a commissioner has any interest as described
in this section which is or reasonably may be incompatible
with or in conflict with any of his official duties or acts,
he shall disclose such interest in a meeting of the
commission and such disclosure shall appear in the
commission's minutes, and he shall disqualify himself and
not participate in the decision or act affected thereby.

(e)  Any commissioner convicted of violating subsection
(c) or (d) of this section shall be guilty of a misdemeanor,
and shall be punishable by a fine of not more than $1,000.00
or six months in jail, or both such fine and imprisonment,
or by suspension from the commission or employment for not
more than six months, or by outright forfeiture and removal
from office, or by any combination of these, as in the
discretion of the court shall be fit and proper.

(f)  The provisions of this section are severable and
if any provision of this section, or subsection thereof, or
the application thereof to any person or circumstance is
held invalid for any reason, such invalidity shall not
affect the other provisions, section, subsection thereof, or
any other application of this section which can be given
effect without the invalid provisions, subsections or
application.

(67 § 12-3).

(a) When used in this section and unless otherwise
expressly stated or unless the context otherwise requires:

(1)   "Contract" means any claim, account or
demand against or agreement with Prince George's County,
express or implied, but shall not apply to those exceptions
under subsection (g) of this section.

(2)   "Financial interest" means ownership by the
official or his spouse, brother, sister, or child, jointly
or severally, of a total of more than three per centum of
the invested capital or capital stock of or receipt of a
total combined compensation of more than five thousand
dollars per year from any firm, corporation, or association
involved in the decision being made by the official or his
agency, but shall not be construed to mean or include an
interest or investment in land geographically remote from
the land involved in the decision, a possibility of
reverter, a mortgage, or other security interest in which
the real party in interest is not as otherwise defined in
this subsection.

(3)   "Public officials" means all elected and
appointed officers and employees of the county, whether
subject to the personnel merit system or otherwise, and to
the county commissioners, state's attorney, county
treasurer, judges of the orphans court, clerk of the circuit
court, county surveyor, sheriff, department heads, and all
other officers, employees and members of boards,
commissions, and agencies including Prince George's County
members of the Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission and
Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission
appointed by the governor or hired or appointed by or under