In this part the following words have the meanings indicated. “Agent” means a person that is: 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 an attorney; an architect or a landscape architect; a traffic consultant; an engineer; or a traffic engineer. “Aggrieved party” means: a property owner whose property: adjoins, fronts, or is located near the subject property; or is located within sight or sound of the subject property; or 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. “Applicant” means a person that is: a title owner or contract purchaser of land that is the subject of an application; 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 a holder of at least a 10% interest in land that is the subject of an application. “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. “Applicant” does not include: 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; a municipal corporation or public corporation; a public authority; 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 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. “Application” means: an application for a zoning map amendment as part of a piecemeal or floating zone rezoning proceeding; a formal application for a comprehensive map planning change or zoning change during the county comprehensive land use plan update; an application for a map amendment to the county water and sewerage plan; 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 an application to create a district or an easement or any other interest in real property as part of an agricultural land preservation program. “Business entity” means: a corporation; a limited liability company; a partnership; or a sole proprietorship. “Candidate” means a candidate for County Executive or County Council who becomes an elected official. “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. “Governing body” means the governing body of Frederick County. “Partnership” includes: a general partnership; a joint venture; a limited liability limited partnership; a limited liability partnership; or a limited partnership. “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. “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: 2 years after the acceptance of the application; or the expiration of 30 days after: the governing body has taken final action on the application; or the application is withdrawn. “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. “Treasurer” has the meaning stated in § 1–101 of the Election Law Article.