# General Provisions (GGP)

## Title 5. Maryland Public Ethics Law

### Subtitle 8. Local Government Provisions

#### Section 5-857

(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 Sec. 7-207 or Sec. 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 Sec. 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 Sec. 1-101 of the Election Law Article.

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Md. Code Ann., Gen. Prov. (as displayed at mgaleg.maryland.gov, October 16, 2026)