Session Laws, 1950 WM. PRESTON LANE, JR., GOVERNOR
CHAPTER 99
(House Bill 142)
AN ACT to add four new sections to Article 1 of the Code of Public Local Laws of
Maryland (1930 Edition), title
"Allegany County", to be under sub-title "Mt. Savage Special Tax
Area", said new sections to be known as Sections 491A-491D, inclusive, and to follow
immediately after Section 491 of said Article, creating a special taxing area or district,
to be known at Mt. Savage Special Tax Area, providing for a Citizens' Committee and for
the levying of a tax for street lights, and making this Act subject to a referendum in
said tax area.
WHEREAS, the populous Mt. Savage area of Allegany County is seriously in need of electric light facilities; and
WHEREAS, the experience of the citizens of this community and also surveys conducted by the State Roads Commission demonstrate that the absence of such street lighting facilities in this community represents a clear and present danger to the welfare and safety of the citizens of Allegany County; and
WHEREAS, there seems to be no practical way to get such street lighting facilities for the community of Mt. Savage other than by creating a Special Tax District and collecting a special tax for this purpose; and
WHEREAS, the need for street lighting facilities and for the creation of a Special Tax Area to provide such facilities is one of acute emergency to the residents of the community of Mt. Savage in Allegany County; now therefore
SECTION 1. Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Maryland, That four new sections be
and they are hereby added to Article 1 of the Code of Public Local Laws of Maryland (1930
Edition), title "Allegany County", to be under sub-title "Mt. Savage
Special Tax Area", said new sections to be EXPLANATION: Italics indicate new matter
added to existing law. [Brackets] indicate matter stricken from existing law. CAPITALS
indicate amendments to bill. Strike-out indicates matter stricken out of
bill. known as Sections 491A-491D, inclusive, to follow immediately after Section 491 of
said Article, and to read as follows: 491 A. For the purpose of this sub-title, the Mt.
Savage Special Tax Area, in Allegany County, as hereinafter described, shall constitute a
special taxing area or district, and shall be deemed and taken to comprise certain parcels
of land, as follows: All that tract or parcel of ground surrounding most of Mt. Salvage,
SAVAGE, Allegany County, State of Maryland, and more particularly described as follows, to
wit: Beginning for same at a point standing South 35° 50' East 500 feet from the center
of New Town concrete bridge, thence South 54° W West 3,000 feet, thence South 72° West
2,700 feet, thence North 19° West 4,100 feet, thence North 72° East 3,150 feet, to a
point in line with alleyway in rear of Harry Turleys lot extended in a
northerly direction, thence with the center line of said alley and parallel to High or
Columbia Street, South 19° East 2,800 feet, thence North 54° SO' East 2,400 feet, more
or less until it intersects a line drawn North 35° 50' East WEST from
center of said New Town concrete bridge, the beginning of this tract of ground, thence
reversing said line South 35° 50' East 700 feet more or less to beginning. 491B. (a) The
Board of County Commissioners of Allegany County are authorized, empowered and directed to
levy and cause to be collected from the property owners, at the time of the County Tax
Levy for the year 1950, or any succeeding year, within said described area of the Mt.
Savage Special Tax Area as created in this sub-title, such amounts not exceeding twenty
cents on each one hundred dollars worth of assessable property in said part of the Mt. Salvage
SAVAGE Special Tax Area, Allegany County, Maryland, as may be requested by a majority vote
of the resident real estate owners of legal age, who are assessed as owners of real estate
in such area present at a meeting called for such purpose by the Citizens' Committee
hereinafter provided for, due and proper notice of which meeting shall have been given in
advance of the meeting. Such taxes shall be collected as all county taxes in said county
are collected and shall be paid over by the Board of County Commissioners to the Treasurer
of said Citizens' Committee of the Mt. Salvage SAVAGE Special Tax Area,
to be selected from among their number by a majority of the members of said Citizens'
Committee, or by their successors to be selected as herein provided. Said Treasurer
selected by such Committee shall give bond to said Board of County Commissioners to be
approved by a Judge of the Circuit Court of Allegany County, in a penal sum to be fixed by
said Judge, conditioned upon the faithful discharge of the duties of the said Treasurer.
(b) The taxes collected under the provisions of this section shall be used by the said
Citizens' Committee for lights in said Mt. Salvage SAVAGE Special Tax
Area. 491C. (a) From and after the effective date of this Act, until the first Monday in
April, 1951, the said Citizens' Committee of the Mt. Salvage SAVAGE
Special Tax Area shall be constituted as follows: Colin C. Bowers, Patrick J. Sullivan,
Thomas Stephens, Raymond Himmelright and Wilbur E. Logsdon, and the first named shall,
until otherwise directed by said Committee, be and constituted the Chairman thereof, each
of whom shall qualify as such committeemen by taking an oath before any officer in
Allegany County authorized by
law to administer oaths diligently and faithfully to discharge all duties of the said
office. In case any such persons shall fail to qualify within thirty days after the
effective date of this Act, or if any of their successors shall fail to qualify within
thirty days after his election as committeeman, as hereinafter provided, or in case of any
vacancy through death, resignation or otherwise, the remaining committeemen shall fill
such vacancy by the appointment of a resident of said Mt. Savage Special Tax Area, of
legal age, and owner of real property in said Mt. Salvage SAVAGE Special
Tax Area, who shall hold office for such term or unexpired term. (b) On the first Monday
in April, 1961, two members of the said Citizens' Committee shall be elected to serve for
one year, and three members to serve for two years. On the first Monday in April, 1952,
and on the first Monday in April of each succeeding year, an election shall be held at
which committeemen shall be elected for two years to succeed those whose terms expire and
which committeemen shall be elected to fill any vacancies which may exist, but the
committeemen so elected to fill such vacancies shall serve for the remainder of the
unexpired term only. The election shall be by ballot in a manner to be prescribed by said
committee. Only residents of legal age of said Mt. Salvage SAVAGE Special
Tax Area who shall have resided therein for not less than six 'months next preceding said
election., shall be entitled to vote for or hold office of committeemen in said Mt. Salvage
SAVAGE Special Tax Area. Following each election each newly elected member of said
Committee shall qualify by taking the oath prescribed as aforesaid. Said Committee shall
select from their members a chairman, secretary, treasurer and any other officers they may
deem necessary. 491D. (a) The Citizens- Committee provided for in Section 491C shall have
the power and authority to provide, by contract or otherwise, for lights in said Mt.
Savage Special Tax Area and to pay for same out of the taxes levied by the County
Commissioners of Allegany County and paid over to the Treasurer of said Citizens'
Committee. The said Treasurer shall pay out of the funds in his possession only upon the
order of said Citizens' Committee and for the purposes authorized by this sub-title. (b)
The Treasurer of said Citizens' Committee shall deposit all funds coming into his
possession as such Treasurer in such bank as may be approved by said Committee and shall
not be paid out except by check duly signed by him as Treasurer and countersigned by the
Chairman, or by some member of said Committee acting as Chairman, and so authorized to act
by resolution of said Committee, which must first be spread upon the minutes of said
Committee.
SEC. 2. And be it further enacted, That before the provisions of this Act shall become
effective, the County Commissioners and the Board of Election Supervisors of Allegany
County shall submit the question to the qualified voters of that part of Election District
No. 13 of said County which is described hereinabove in this Act as the "Mt. Savage
Special Tax Area". Said referendum shall be held on the first Tuesday in April, 1950,
at places to be designated by the Board of Election Supervisors. Due notice of said
referendum shall be given by public posters in the said Mt. Savage Special Tax Area. The
cost of said referendum shall Be paid out of the general funds of the County Commissioners
and said referendum shall be conducted generally in accordance with the regular election
procedure of said County except as modified herein. Printed on the ballots there shall
appear the words "For a Special Tax Area" and "Against a Special Tax
Area" with a blank square opposite and to the right of each set of said
words so that the voters may suitably indicate their votes on said question. If a majority
of the persons voting on said question shall cast their ballots marked "For a Special
Tax Area", then this Act shall be immediately of full force and effect; but if a
majority of the persons voting on said question shall case their ballots marked
"Against a Special Tax Area", then this Act shall be null and void and of no
further effect whatsoever.
SEC. 3. And be it further enacted, That this Act is hereby declared to be an acute emergency measure and necessary for the immediate preservation of the public health and safety and having been passed by a yea and nay vote, supported by three-fifths of all the members elected to each of the two Houses of the General Assembly of Maryland, the same shall take effect from the date of its passage.
Approved March 28, 1950.