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<section article="gen" article_name="Environment" number="9-934" title_number="9" title_name="Water, Ice, and Sanitary Facilities" subtitle_number="9" subtitle_name="Water and Sewer Authorities">
  <level label="a">
    <text>This section applies only in Allegany County, Dorchester County, and the town of Middletown in Frederick County.</text>
  </level>
  <level label="b">
    <level label="1">
      <text>An authority may not issue bonds unless the question of issuance of the bonds is submitted to the registered voters who reside within the geographical area served by the authority.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>The governing body and the board of election supervisors in each political subdivision shall do whatever is necessary and proper to submit the question to a referendum of the qualified voters of the political subdivision.</text>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="c">
    <text>A qualified voter at a referendum under this section is an individual who:</text>
    <level label="1">
      <text>Lives within the geographic area served by the authority; and</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>Is qualified and registered to vote in State and county elections in the area.</text>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="d">
    <level label="1">
      <text>The board of directors of the authority shall set the date for the referendum.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>Except as otherwise provided in this subtitle, the Election Law Article governs the conduct of the referendum.</text>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="e">
    <text>The appropriate board of election supervisors shall print the words “For the bond issue” and “Against the bond issue” on each ballot at a referendum under this section.</text>
  </level>
  <level label="f">
    <level label="1">
      <text>If a majority of the qualified voters who vote on the question vote “For the bond issue”, the authority may issue the bonds.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>If a majority of the qualified voters who vote on the question vote “Against the bond issue”, the authority may not issue the bonds.</text>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="g">
    <text>A referendum under this section does not prevent an authority from submitting the same or a similar question at another referendum that is held at a later time.</text>
  </level>
</section>
