Maryland § 10-315

§ 10-315.

    (a)    In this section, “authority” means a commercial district management authority.

    (b)    A county may establish an authority for any commercial district in the county.

    (c)    For each authority established, a county:

        (1)    shall specify the membership, organization, jurisdiction, and geographical limits of the authority;

        (2)    shall specify the purposes of the authority, including:

            (i)    promotion;

            (ii)    marketing; or

            (iii)    the provision of security, maintenance, or amenities in the district;

        (3)    may specify which provisions of the county charter or local law relating to personnel, procurement, or similar operational matters apply to the authority, except that minority business enterprise procurement and equal employment opportunity laws may not be waived;

        (4)    may approve the annual budget of the authority if the county governing body imposes an ad valorem tax to support the authority; and

        (5)    may provide any financing that it considers appropriate for the authority through fees that may be charged to, or taxes that may be imposed against, businesses subject to the authority’s jurisdiction.

    (d)    An authority may not:

        (1)    exercise the power of eminent domain;

        (2)    purchase, sell, construct, or lease as a lessor office or retail space; or

        (3)    except as otherwise authorized by law, engage in competition with the private sector.

    (e)    Any fee or tax imposed under this section shall be used only for the purposes stated in this section and may not revert to the general fund of the county.

    (f)    A county may establish an authority in accordance with this section as a special taxing district.