On February 6, 2024, MACo Executive Director Michael Sanderson testified before the House Environment and Transportation Committee in opposition to HB 81- Constitutional Amendment- Form of County Government- Requirement to Adopt Charter Home Rule. This bill mandates all counties to conform to a single governance structure- a full two-branch charter government.
Mr. Sanderson offered views on the current forms of county government, each of which offer true electoral accountability by the elected officials to their residents and voters. He also noted that in every county “the paths to home rule, through code home rule or charter government, are in the hands of the people… not the elected officials.”
The Committee chair Delegate Korman asked about Maryland as compared with other states, to which Mr. Sanderson responded “Maryland is not an island here, letting the local voters decide is the most common structure across the country.”
Under HB 81, were it enacted and approved by the voters statewide, this local self-determination would be fully eclipsed. The views of voters in some jurisdictions would, in effect, override the preferences of those in other jurisdictions, e.g. Garrett County voters might vote “no” but would be compelled to change their local structure due to votes from other regions of the state.
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