This section applies to all counties. The governing body of a county may not adopt an ordinance, a resolution, a rule, or a regulation at a meeting not open to the public, except in accordance with the Open Meetings Act.

If the county commissioners or county council of a county publishes a code or compilation that contains all or part of the public local laws of the county, the county commissioners or county council shall provide without charge: one printed copy to the State Archives; one printed copy to the Thurgood Marshall State Law Library; and five printed copies to the Department of Legislative Services.

In this section, “ordinance”: means a legislative enactment of general application and continuing force for Baltimore City; and does not include a public local law under § 9–102 of this subtitle. Each year, if Baltimore City enacts any ordinance appropriate for codification during the year, the Mayor and City Council of Baltimore City shall provide for the preparation and distribution of a supplement to or new edition of its code of ordinances. A supplement published under subsection (b) of this section shall contain each ordinance that is in effect and has been enacted or amended since Baltimore City’s most recent code of ordinances was published. A new code published under subsection (b) of this section shall contain each ordinance that is in effect at the time of publication.

This section applies to all counties, except Baltimore City. The governing body of a county may appoint all officers, agents, and employees required for a county purpose and not otherwise provided for by law. The governing body of a county controls property owned by the county.

Subject to paragraph (2) of this subsection, this section applies only to commission counties. This section does not apply to Cecil County. This section applies only to a section of this article that specifically references this section. This section does not apply to a resolution expressing the opinion or an administrative act of the county commissioners of Frederick County, St. Mary’s County, or Somerset County. The county commissioners may not adopt an act, an ordinance, or a resolution until 10 days after a public hearing has been held on the proposed act, ordinance, or resolution. The county commissioners shall publish notice of the public hearing and a summary of the proposed act, ordinance, or resolution in at least one newspaper of general circulation in the county once each week for 2 successive weeks.

This section applies only to commission counties. This section applies only to a section of this article that specifically references this section. A copy of each act, ordinance, or resolution adopted by the county commissioners, certified by the presiding officer of the county commissioners and attested to by the clerk of the county commissioners, shall be filed with the clerk of the court of the county. The clerk of the court shall record, date, and index the act, ordinance, or resolution without charge in a volume provided by the county commissioners. An act, an ordinance, or a resolution adopted by the county commissioners may not take effect until: a copy has been filed with the clerk of the court of the county; and a fair summary of the act, ordinance, or resolution has been published in at least one newspaper of general circulation in the county. An act, an ordinance, or a resolution filed in accordance with this section shall be admissible as evidence in any court proceeding on certification by the clerk of the court of the county.

This section applies to all counties except: Anne Arundel County; Baltimore City; Baltimore County; Cecil County; Howard County; Prince George’s County; Queen Anne’s County; and Worcester County. The provisions of §§ 9–105 and 9–106 of this subtitle apply to an act, an ordinance, or a resolution adopted by a commission county under this section. The governing body of a county may provide for advertising, printing, and publishing of: laws, ordinances, resolutions, or regulations adopted by the county; and the annual statements of receipts and expenditures of the county. The governing body of a county may provide for the recording and indexing of records in the office of the clerk of the court, register of wills, the governing body, and other officers to the extent that the recording and indexing are not provided for by general law. The governing body of a county shall: appoint an auditor or accountant within 30 days after the close of the fiscal year to audit the books and accounts of all county officers collecting, holding, or disbursing county funds; and publish or advertise the report of the auditor or accountant immediately after its completion to the extent that the governing body considers proper.

Except where a dividing line is fixed in a river by law, the jurisdiction of a county lying on a navigable river in this State extends from the shore to the channel of the river dividing the county from another county. Except as provided in subsection (c) of this section, if a vessel is located on a river between counties, process may be served on board the vessel by an officer of either county. A vessel that is moored or fastened to the land on either side of a river is considered to be in the county where the vessel is fastened.

This section does not apply if the boundary between counties is a navigable river. Except as provided in paragraph (2) of this subsection, the jurisdiction of a county bounded at any point by navigable waters extends from the shore to the inside of the channel, which is considered the center of the waters. If the navigable waters join a neighboring state, the jurisdiction of the county continues to the ultimate limit of the state. The center of waters in subsection (b) of this section shall be as represented on the county maps issued under the authority of Chapter 51, Acts of 1896 and Chapter 129, Acts of 1898. A county map referred to in paragraph (1) of this subsection is admissible as evidence of the location of county boundaries. Certified copies of county maps issued under subsection (c)(1) of this section shall be kept on file with: the clerk of the court for each county; and the governing body of each county. Certified copies of county maps are official and authoritative. Nothing in this section changes the rights the State may have on or under the waters described in this section.

Frederick County is a region of the State and shall be treated as a region by all units of State government.

The County Commissioners of Allegany County may direct that any office under the control of the county commissioners be closed for business on Saturdays.

The governing body of each county may erect two pillars 100 feet apart on the same meridian line in a public spot adjacent to the county courthouse of each county. There shall be a distinctly visible needle point on the top of one of the pillars and a hair sight on top of the other pillar so that a straight line passing through its center and the center of the needle point would be on the true meridian line running north and south. The needle point and hair sight required under this subsection shall be properly enclosed and protected. The governing body of the county may: determine the accurate latitude and longitude of the pillars erected under subsection (a) of this section; and mark the latitude and longitude on one of the pillars in degrees, minutes, seconds, and parts of seconds. The longitude shall be determined from the meridian of Washington, D.C. The pillars and enclosures are under the custody of the county clerk. The pillars and enclosures shall be made available to any surveyor or civil engineer residing or engaged in surveying in the county for the purpose of: testing compass variations; and verifying the meridian line when required by order of the circuit court for the county. If a county has erected pillars under this section, a surveyor who surveys land in the county shall annually test the surveyor’s compass and note the variation of the compass from the meridian line identified under subsection (a) of this section. The surveyor shall record in the county where the surveyor resides the results of the test, including: the date and time of the test; and an affidavit verifying the correctness of the results. The test results shall be recorded in a book kept for the purpose of recording such results. A surveyor who violates this subsection is subject to a fine of $50 and court costs. A fine imposed under this subsection may be used as directed by the governing body of the county. The county clerk may charge a fee for: recording a certificate of variation; recording an affidavit of correctness; providing copies or abstracts of certificates of variation or affidavits of correctness; and providing certificates and seals regarding certificates of variation or affidavits of correctness. The fee collected by the clerk shall be the same as fees allowed by law for similar services regarding matters of record in the clerk’s office. The fee shall be paid by the party: recording the document; or requesting a copy or abstract of recorded documents. A person may not: willfully erase, deface, displace, or otherwise harm a pillar, or any part of a pillar, erected under subsection (a)(1) of this section; or destroy, break down, or remove the enclosure, or any part of the enclosure, required under subsection (a)(3) of this section. On conviction, a person who violates this subsection is subject to a fine of not less than $50 and not exceeding $500. The governing body of a county that erects pillars under this section may pay the costs of carrying out this section in the same manner that other county expenses are paid.

In this section, “chief executive officer” means: the mayor of Baltimore City; or the County Executive of Montgomery County. This section applies only to Baltimore City and Montgomery County. Except as provided in subsection (d) of this section, a candidate for chief executive officer shall be a resident of the county for at least 6 months before the general election for chief executive officer. If the charter of a county contains a durational residency requirement that is longer than 6 months, the longer durational residency requirement shall be retained if the governing body of the county reaffirms the requirement by enactment of an ordinance no later than 4 weeks before the filing deadline specified in § 5–303(a) of the Election Law Article.

Except as provided in subsection (b) of this section, a county that offers a self–insured employee health benefit plan in the State shall provide to each firefighter employed by the county coverage for preventive cancer screenings in accordance with the latest screening guidelines issued by the International Association of Fire Fighters. A county subject to paragraph (1) of this subsection may not impose a copayment, coinsurance, or deductible requirement on coverage of preventive cancer screenings for firefighters as required under paragraph (1) of this subsection. A county may satisfy the requirement in subsection (a) of this section by: providing a no–cost annual examination to firefighters employed by the county that includes preventive cancer screenings for firefighters in accordance with the latest screening guidelines issued by the International Association of Fire Fighters; or applying for a grant under Title 13, Subtitle 40 of the Health – General Article to pay for innovative cancer screening technologies, including a multicancer early detection blood test. This section may not be construed to prohibit a county subject to this section from providing coverages that are greater than or more favorable to an insured or an enrollee than the coverage required under this section.

In this section the following words have the meanings indicated. “Retired volunteer firefighter” means an individual who is a retired firefighter who: volunteered with a volunteer fire company in a county; was actively involved in fire suppression while volunteering with the volunteer fire company; has completed a minimum of 3 years of volunteer service; and accumulated at least 50 points under a length of service award program or a point system established in lieu of a length of service award program. “Volunteer fire company” includes a volunteer fire department. “Volunteer firefighter” means an individual who is a firefighter actively involved in fire suppression and volunteering with a volunteer fire company in a county. Each county in which a volunteer fire company is located shall offer no–cost preventive cancer screenings in accordance with the latest screening guidelines issued by the International Association of Fire Fighters to each volunteer firefighter who volunteers and each retired volunteer firefighter who volunteered with the volunteer fire company. Each volunteer fire company shall: maintain an up–to–date list of volunteer firefighters who are volunteering and retired volunteer firefighters who volunteered with the volunteer fire company; and provide the list to the county in which the volunteer fire company is located: on or before October 1 each year; and on request of the county. Each county in which a volunteer fire company is located shall maintain a list of all volunteer firefighters who volunteer and all retired volunteer firefighters who volunteered in the county as provided by each volunteer fire company located in the county under paragraph (2) of this subsection. A county may satisfy the requirement in subsection (b)(1) of this section by: providing a no–cost annual examination to volunteer firefighters and retired volunteer firefighters that includes preventive cancer screenings for firefighters in accordance with the latest screening guidelines issued by the International Association of Fire Fighters; or applying for a grant under Title 13, Subtitle 40 of the Health – General Article to pay for innovative cancer screening technologies, including a multicancer early detection blood test.