# Subtitle 1 – Civic Center

Published by the Baltimore City Department of Legislative Reference.

## § 1-1 1956 Act: Civic Center Commission.

Balt., Md., Pub. Local Laws § 1-1 (2026)

(a) Before the issuance of said certificates of indebtedness, or any part thereof <em>{cf. Ch. 7, Acts of 1956 Sp. Sess.}</em>, the Mayor and City Council of Baltimore, by ordinance, shall create an agency of the Mayor and City Council of Baltimore, to be known as the “Civic Center Commission of Baltimore”, and confer upon it the powers and duties hereinafter mentioned.

(b) The Commission shall consist of seven (7) members, and all members of the Commission shall be appointed by the Mayor of Baltimore City in the manner prescribed by Section 12 of <cite data-doc="City of Baltimore, Md., Charter">the Charter of Baltimore City</cite> as it now exists or as it hereafter may be amended <em>{<cite data-doc="City of Baltimore, Md., Charter" data-path="IV|§6">Article IV, § 6 of the City Charter</cite> (1996 Edition)}</em> .

(c) The term of each member shall be five (5) years, or until his successor qualifies and takes office, except that the respective terms of the seven (7) members of the Commission first appointed shall be as follows:
two (2) members shall be appointed for one (1) year;
two (2) members shall be appointed for two (2) years;
one (1) member shall be appointed for three (3) years,
one (1) member shall be appointed for four (4) years, and
one (1) member shall be appointed for five (5) years.
The Mayor of Baltimore City shall designate the terms of the members of the Commission first appointed and the Chairman of the Commission shall be elected by the members of the Commission.  The Chairman of the Commission shall serve as such until the expiration of his term or his office otherwise becomes vacant.
The members of the Commission shall annually elect one of its members as Vice Chairman who, in the absence of the Chairman of the Commission, shall preside over the meetings of the Commission and perform such other duties as may be imposed upon him by law or as may be assigned to him by the Commission.

(d) Any vacancy in the membership of the Commission caused by the expiration of a term or by the resignation, removal, death or permanent absence from the State of Maryland of an incumbent or by supervening incapacity on his part, whether physical or mental, to discharge his duties, or by any other cause, create such a vacancy, either actual or in effect, shall be filled for a new term or for the remainder of the term of such incumbent, as the case may be, in the same manner as provided herein for the appointment of the first members of the Commission.  Any member of the Commission shall be eligible for reappointment.

(e) The members of the Commission may be removed from office for cause in accordance with the provisions of Section 12 of <cite data-doc="City of Baltimore, Md., Charter">the Charter of Baltimore City</cite>, as it now exists, or as it may hereafter be amended <em>{cf. <cite data-doc="City of Baltimore, Md., Charter" data-path="IV|§6">Article IV, § 6 of the City Charter</cite> (1996 Edition)}</em>.

(f) No appointed member of the Commission shall receive any compensation for his services on the Commission, but each member shall be reimbursed for his necessary and proper expenses incurred in the performance of his duties as such.

(g) The Commission may adopt such rules and regulations as it may deem necessary for the proper transaction of any business.
Four (4) members of the Commission shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business and the affirmative vote of at least four (4) members shall be necessary for any action taken by the Commission.  No vacancy in the membership of the Commission shall impair the right of a quorum to exercise all the rights and perform all the duties of the Commission.
All sessions or meetings of the Commission, except executive sessions, shall be open to the public.
The Commission shall keep records of its proceedings, showing the vote of each member on each question, or if absent or failing to vote, indicating such fact.  The Commission shall keep a record of all resolutions, transactions, findings, determinations and decisions, and all the records of the Commission shall be kept in the office of the Commission and shall be public records.

(h) The Commission may be authorized to
appoint an Executive Director who shall serve at the pleasure of the Commission, and who shall perform such duties as may be imposed upon him by ordinance or as may be assigned to him by the Commission, and
appoint, employ, hire or engage such other assistants, aides and employees as may be deemed necessary for the proper performance of the duties and functions of the Commission.
The compensation of said Executive Director and other assistants, aides and employees shall be subject to the approval of the Board of Estimates of the Mayor and City Council of Baltimore and shall be paid as provided in the annual Ordinance of Estimates.

(i) The Commission may also be authorized, with the prior approval of the Board of Estimates, to employ or hire, from time to time, by contract, consulting, planning or designing engineers or architects, advertising or promotional agencies, persons having musical, theatrical or entertaining skills or other persons possessing technical or specialized skills in connection with the duties, powers and functions of the Commission.

(j) The Commission shall be fully authorized and empowered to administer and supervise the proceeds derived from the sale of the certificates of indebtedness, including but not limited to, the expenditure and disposition thereof.
The Commission may also be empowered to do any and all things necessary, proper or relative to or in connection with the use, occupancy, control, operation, management, promotion, maintenance and repair of the Civic Center, and the Commission shall have such other powers and perform such other duties and shall be subject to such other conditions as may be conferred or imposed upon it, from time to time, by ordinance of the Mayor and City Council of Baltimore.

(k) The Commission may be empowered, with the prior approval of the Board of Estimates, to establish fees, rentals or charges for the use or occupancy of the Civic Center, or any part thereof, and collect such fees, rentals or charges and all such collections shall be turned over to the Treasurer of Baltimore City <em>{City Finance Director}</em>.

(l) All contracts or agreements entered into by the Mayor and City Council of Baltimore for or in connection with the construction, maintenance or repair of the Civic Center and its facilities shall be subject to the terms and provisions of Sections 37 and 38 of <cite data-doc="City of Baltimore, Md., Charter">the Charter of Baltimore City</cite> (1949 Edition) as they now exist or as they hereafter may be amended <em>{City Finance Director}</em>.

(m) No officer, official or employee of the Mayor and City Council of Baltimore, or of any agency of the Mayor and City Council of Baltimore which is vested with any power or authority to be exercised under the provisions of this Act, shall become interested in any way in any land or property which may be acquired for or in connection with the Civic Center.

(n) The Commission shall exercise all powers and authority conferred upon it in accordance with the provisions of the Charter of the Mayor and City Council of Baltimore as it is now constituted or as it may hereafter be amended.

## § 1-2 1956 Act: Approvals required.

Balt., Md., Pub. Local Laws § 1-2 (2026)

(a) No part of the proceeds of sale of the certificates of indebtedness hereby authorized to be issued <em>{cf. Ch. 7, Acts of 1956 Sp. Sess.}</em> shall be expended until after the Commission has submitted its written recommendation, which shall set forth the purposes for, and the terms and conditions upon, which each particular sum of money is to be expended, to the Board of Estimates of the Mayor and City Council of Baltimore and such recommendation has been approved by said Board of Estimates.

(b) In addition, no part of the proceeds of sale of the certificates of indebtedness hereby authorized to be issued shall be expended for actually constructing, erecting or equipping any building, structure or facility for or in connection with the Civic Center (as distinguished from funds which are necessary to be expended in connection with obtaining options for the acquisition of land or property, or planning or preparing plans and specifications, or the employment of engineers, architects, an Executive Director, assistants, aides and employees of the Commission, or other matters or things which are usually and generally preliminary to the commencement of actual construction work) until after the proposed site for the Civic Center and the plans and specifications for any building, structure or facility to be constructed, erected or equipped for or in connection with the Civic Center has been submitted by the Commission to the Board of Estimates of the Mayor and City Council of Baltimore and approved by said Board.

(c) Any contract entered into by the Mayor and City Council of Baltimore in connection with any of the matters or things provided for or contemplated by the provisions of this Act, after it has been executed on behalf of the Mayor and City Council of Baltimore by the Mayor of Baltimore City and the corporate seal of the municipality affixed thereto, duly attested by the Treasurer of the municipality <em>{City Finance Director}</em>, and approved by the said Board of Estimates, shall constitute a legal and binding obligation of the Mayor and City Council of Baltimore.

## § 1-3 1958 Act: Use of proceeds.

Balt., Md., Pub. Local Laws § 1-3 (2026)

The Civic Center Commission of Baltimore, as it is now or hereafter established or constituted, is hereby fully authorized and empowered:

(1) to administer and supervise the proceeds derived from the sale of the certificates of indebtedness authorized to be issued under the provisions of this Act <em>{Ch. 3, Acts of 1958, 2</em><sup><em>nd</em></sup><em> Sp. Sess.}</em>, including, but not limited to, the expenditure and disposition thereof, and

(2) to exercise and perform any and all of the powers and duties, which heretofore have been or may hereafter be vested in or imposed upon said Commission by any law or ordinance, in connection with the proceeds derived from the sale of the certificates of indebtedness authorized to be issued under the provisions of this Act and all other matters and things relating or pertaining to or in connection with the construction, establishment and operation of the contemplated Civic Center.

## § 1-4 1958 Act: Approvals required.

Balt., Md., Pub. Local Laws § 1-4 (2026)

(a) No part of the proceeds of sale of the certificates of indebtedness hereby authorized to be issued shall be expended until after the Commission has submitted its written recommendation, which shall set forth the purposes for and the terms and conditions upon which each particular sum of money is to be expended, to the Board of Estimates of the Mayor and City Council of Baltimore and such recommendation has been approved by said Board of Estimates.

(b) In addition, no part of the proceeds of sale of the certificates of indebtedness hereby authorized to be issued shall be expended for actually constructing, erecting or equipping any building, structure or facility for or in connection with the Civic Center (as distinguished from funds which are necessary to be expended in connection with obtaining options for the acquisition of land or property, or planning or preparing plans and specifications, or the employment of engineers, architects, an Executive Director, assistants, aides and employees of the Commission, or other matters or things which are usually and generally preliminary to the commencement of actual construction work) until after the proposed site for the Civic Center and the plans and specifications for any building, structure or facility to be constructed, erected or equipped for or in connection with the Civic Center has been submitted by the Commission to the Board of Estimates of the Mayor and City Council of Baltimore and approved by said Board.

(c) Any contract entered into by the Mayor and City Council of Baltimore in connection with any of the matters or things provided for or contemplated by the provisions of this Act, after it has been executed on behalf of the Mayor and City Council of Baltimore by the Mayor of Baltimore City and the corporate seal of the municipality affixed thereto, duly attested by the Treasurer of the municipality <em>{City Finance Director}</em>, and approved by the said Board of Estimates, shall constitute a legal and binding obligation of the Mayor and City Council of Baltimore.