2013 Maryland Code
AGRICULTURE
§ 8-308 - Land-use rules and regulations -- Procedure for adopting; effect; amendment or repeal

§8-308.

(a) Before any land-use rule or regulation is enacted into law the supervisors shall give due notice of their intention to submit the rules and regulations to a referendum among the land occupiers within the boundaries of the district for their approval or disapproval.

(b) The proposed rules and regulations shall be embodied in a proposed ordinance. Copies of the proposed ordinance shall be available for the inspection of all eligible voters during the period between publication of the notice and the date of the referendum. The notices of the referendum shall contain a fair summary of the contents, or state where copies of the proposed ordinance may be examined.

(c) The supervisors shall supervise the referendum, prescribe appropriate rules and regulations governing its conduct, and publish the results. Only land occupiers within the district are eligible to vote in the referendum.

(d) No informality in the conduct of the referendum or in any matter relating to it may invalidate the referendum or its results if notice is given substantially in accordance with the provisions of this title and the referendum is fairly conducted.

(e) The supervisors may not enact the proposed ordinance into law unless at least a majority of the votes cast have been cast for its approval, but the approval of the proposed ordinance by a majority of the votes cast in the referendum does not require the supervisors to enact the proposed ordinance into law.

(f) Land-use rules and regulations prescribed in an ordinance adopted by the supervisors of any district have the force and effect of law in the district and shall be binding and obligatory upon all land occupiers within the district.

(g) Any land occupier within the district may file a petition at any time with the supervisors requesting amendment, supplement, or repeal of any land-use rule or regulation prescribed in any ordinance adopted by the supervisors. Land-use regulations prescribed in any ordinance may not be amended, supplemented, or repealed except in accordance with the procedure prescribed in this section for adoption of land-use regulations. Referenda on adoption, amendment, supplementation, or repeal of land-use rules and regulations may not be held more than once in six months.