§ 5–857
Statutes in effect as of October 1, 2026.
Md. Code Ann., Gen. Prov. § 5-857 (2026)
Title 5. Maryland Public Ethics Law
Subtitle 8. Local Government Provisions
§ 5–857LinkCopy Citation
(a)
In this part the following words have the meanings indicated.
(b)
“Agent” means a person that is:
(1)
hired or retained by a business entity that is an applicant with an application before the governing body to provide services, for compensation, relating to the application; and
(2)
(i)
an attorney;
(ii)
an architect or a landscape architect;
(iii)
a traffic consultant;
(iv)
an engineer; or
(v)
a traffic engineer.
(c)
“Aggrieved party” means:
(1)
a property owner whose property:
(i)
adjoins, fronts, or is located near the subject property; or
(ii)
is located within sight or sound of the subject property; or
(2)
an individual located within the same subdivision as the subject property or who lives up to three–quarters of a mile by road or otherwise one–half mile away from the subject property.
(d)
(1)
“Applicant” means a person that is:
(i)
a title owner or contract purchaser of land that is the subject of an application;
(ii)
a trustee who has an interest in land that is the subject of an application, excluding trustees described in a mortgage or deed of trust; or
(iii)
a holder of at least a 10% interest in land that is the subject of an application.
(2)
“Applicant” includes a person who is an officer or a director of a corporation that actually holds title to the land, or is a contract purchaser of the land, that is the subject of an application.
(3)
“Applicant” does not include:
(i)
a financial institution that has loaned money or extended financing for the acquisition, development, or construction of or improvements on the land that is the subject of an application;
(ii)
a municipal corporation or public corporation;
(iii)
a public authority;
(iv)
an electric company or electric supplier applying for a certificate of public convenience and necessity under § 7–207 or § 7–208 of the Public Utilities Article; or
(v)
a person who is hired or retained as an accountant, an attorney, an architect, an engineer, a land use consultant, an economic consultant, a real estate agent, a real estate broker, a traffic consultant, or a traffic engineer.
(e)
“Application” means:
(1)
an application for a zoning map amendment as part of a piecemeal or floating zone rezoning proceeding;
(2)
a formal application for a comprehensive map planning change or zoning change during the county comprehensive land use plan update;
(3)
an application for a map amendment to the county water and sewerage plan;
(4)
a request made under § 4–416 of the Local Government Article for the governing body to approve the placement of annexed land in a zoning classification that allows a land use that is substantially different from the use for the land authorized in the zoning classification of the county applicable at the time of annexation; or
(5)
an application to create a district or an easement or any other interest in real property as part of an agricultural land preservation program.
(f)
“Business entity” means:
(1)
a corporation;
(2)
a limited liability company;
(3)
a partnership; or
(4)
a sole proprietorship.
(g)
“Candidate” means a candidate for County Executive or County Council who becomes an elected official.
(h)
“Contribution” means a payment or transfer of money or property worth at least $100, calculated cumulatively during the pendency of the application, to a candidate or a treasurer or political committee of a candidate.
(i)
“Governing body” means the governing body of Frederick County.
(j)
“Partnership” includes:
(1)
a general partnership;
(2)
a joint venture;
(3)
a limited liability limited partnership;
(4)
a limited liability partnership; or
(5)
a limited partnership.
(k)
“Party of record” means a person that participated in a proceeding on an application before the governing body by appearing at a public hearing or filing a statement in an official record.
(l)
“Pendency of the application” means the time between the acceptance by the County Department of Planning and Zoning of a filing of an application and the earlier of:
(1)
2 years after the acceptance of the application; or
(2)
the expiration of 30 days after:
(i)
the governing body has taken final action on the application; or
(ii)
the application is withdrawn.
(m)
“Political committee” means a committee specifically created to promote the candidacy of a member of the governing body who is running for an elective office.
(n)
“Treasurer” has the meaning stated in § 1–101 of the Election Law Article.