WILLIAM DONALD SCHAEFER, Governor                      Ch. 35

A.  There is [established] a Board of Parks [and
Recreation], with powers and duties as specified in this chapter.

B.  The Board [shall consist] CONSISTS of [seven (7)] 7
members appointed by the County Commissioners. All members of
the Board shall be appointed for [four (4)] 4 years from the
first day of January of the year of their appointments or until
their successors are appointed. Vacancies, except those at the
expiration of a term, shall be filled in the same manner as the
original appointments and for the unexpired term. All members of
the Board [shall] serve without compensation, except that they
may be reimbursed for necessary and proper expenses incurred
while performing their duties.

C.  The Board shall annually select a Chairman and Vice
Chairman from its membership. The Board shall hold such regular
and special meetings as it may deem necessary. The Board is
authorized to determine all questions of general policy relating
to parks [and public recreation] in Charles County [and to
supervise the expenditure of funds appropriated to these
purposes]. It may appoint advisory committees or panels to
assist in the exercise of its responsibilities.

D.  The Board, with the approval of the County
Commissioners, may accept real and personal property of all kinds
suitable for public [parks,] PARKS AND open space programs [and
recreational purposes], legal title to which shall always be in
the Board of County Commissioners. The County Commissioners
shall appropriate in the annual budget of the county a sum of
money to defray the expenses of the Board, [to pay the salary of
the Director,] to purchase land, construct improvements and
defray expenses for the maintenance of park [and recreation]
areas under the control of the [Board] BOARD, and for the support
of the park [and recreational] programs. The acquisition of
property, with the approval of the County Commissioners, may be
by purchase, condemnation, grant, bequest, devise or lease of the
fee or any lessor interest, development right, assignment,
covenant or other contractual right necessary for park [and
recreation] programs. The County Commissioners have the power to
sell or in any manner dispose of [these parks and recreational]
PARK properties subject to the advice and consent of the Charles
County Board of Parks [and Recreation]. Funds appropriated by
the Board of Parks [and Recreation] must be expended in
accordance with the Board's budget as approved by the County
Commissioners. Any request for a change in the expenditure of
funds by the Board shall be submitted, in writing, for approval
to the County Commissioners. [Any request is presumed granted if
not denied within thirty (30) days.] No transfer of funds from
one category of the approved budget to another shall be permitted
without the written approval of the County Commissioners.

E.  The Board, subject to its budgetary limitations, may
initiate, adopt, direct or cause to be conducted or directed a

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