Ch. 548                                    2004 LAWS OF MARYLAND

the county on the issue of changing the method of selecting members of the
Talbot County Board of Education; providing for carrying out the straw ballot;
and generally relating to the holding of a straw ballot in Talbot County.

SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF
MARYLAND, That under the provisions of the Election Law Article of the Annotated
Code of Maryland, the Board of Supervisors of Elections in Talbot County, in
consultation with the State Board of Elections, shall prepare and include on the ballot
for the November general election of 2004 the following question:

"Do you favor changing the method of selection of the members of the Talbot
County Board of Education from appointment by the Governor to election by the
voters of Talbot County?"

SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That the Board of Supervisors
of Elections of Talbot County and the Board of Commissioners of Talbot County shall
do the things necessary and proper to place this question on the ballot prepared for
the November general election of 2004, so that each participating voter in the county
may have the opportunity to cast a vote on the question. The question shall be
proposed, presented, and tallied, and reported in general accordance with the
provisions of the Election Law Article of the Annotated Code of Maryland. The vote on
this question is advisory only.

SECTION 3. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect
July 1, 2004.

Approved May 26, 2004.

CHAPTER 548
(House Bill 1387)

AN ACT concerning

Carroll County - Abatement of Zoning Violations and Violations of Codes

Related to Construction

FOR the purpose of authorizing the County Commissioners of Carroll County to
assess the reasonable cost of abating certain zoning violations and violations of
certain construction codes against a certain property under certain
circumstances; providing that a certain assessment shall be added to a certain
annual tax bill and collected in the same manner as certain ordinary taxes;
providing that a certain assessment shall be subject to the same interest and
penalty for nonpayment as certain taxes; providing that a certain assessment
shall be a lien against certain property under certain circumstances; providing
that a certain property owner may petition for a hearing under certain
circumstances; requiring the County Commissioners to hold a hearing within a
certain period of time; providing that a certain property owner shall have a
certain burden to show why a certain assessment should not be made;

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