Division 16. County Records and Expenses

The Chief Administrative Officer, acting as custodian, shall maintain all deeds, bonds, contracts, releases, executive orders and directions, and other papers and instruments involving the legal interest of the County and any of its agencies, offices, and departments. Subject to the exceptions set forth in Section 203 of Charter as effective on February 8, 1971, the above papers and instruments shall be maintained solely for reference and examination by the public. Any person may have access to them during business hours. The above papers and instruments shall be in addition to those maintained for any other purpose.

The Clerk of the Council, acting as custodian, shall maintain in the offices of the Council at Upper Marlboro, Maryland, records containing a signed copy of the minutes of each meeting of the board of commissioners held on or after July 1, 1950, and a signed copy of the minutes of each meeting of the Council held on or after February 8, 1971, and records containing an attested copy of each resolution adopted by the board of commissioners on or after July 1, 1950, and on or after February 8, 1971, records containing an attested copy of all acts, ordinances, and resolutions adopted pursuant to Charter, all records of the District Council and the official copy of Charter. Such records shall be in addition to those maintained for any other purpose, and shall be maintained solely for reference and examination by the public, and any person may have access to them during business hours. Records which are microfilmed or duplicated from the originals and maintained by the Clerk in lieu of the original documents shall satisfy the provisions of this Section.

Every member of the County Police Force, the Sheriff and all deputies, the County Medical Examiner, and all other law enforcement officers and public officials, except members of the Department of Maryland State Police, shall, within forty-eight (48) hours, deliver to the property clerk for immediate registering in the property record book all property and money coming into their possession in any manner whatever by reason of their official duties. The clerk shall give a receipt for and retain all such property, except as otherwise provided in this Code.

All agencies and organizations, except incorporated municipalities and bi-county commissions for which other provision is made by law, that receive County funds shall file a report with the Council, semiannually, showing a financial statement of such agency or organization listing the County funds received and the expenditure thereof. The Council shall publish such report, or a consolidation of such reports, to the extent that they may deem proper.

All contracts and agreements with the Federal Government or any agency thereof shall be authorized by Council order identifying the contract. Such authorization shall constitute a finding by the Council that the contract is in the public interest and for a public purpose without an express recital thereof or passage of a special ordinance.

Prince George's County is hereby authorized and empowered to establish, maintain, and operate a fund or procure an appropriate insurance policy which may be appropriated and levied for in the annual budget of said County or from any other general or contingency funds available for appropriation by the County Council to provide for legal fees and expenses of all County employees who, in a civil or criminal case, including a disciplinary proceeding or an appeal therefrom, are wrongfully charged with or accused of the commission of any wrong or crime as a result of any act done in the normal and natural course of his official duties and within the scope of his employment. Such fund may be expended upon order of the County Executive to pay all or part of the legal expenses of such County employee upon the County Executive's determination that such expenditure is in the best interest of the County, the public, and the County employee charged or accused.