Except as otherwise provided in this Charter or in state law,
all agencies of the County government shall be subject to the direction,
supervision, and control of the County Executive.
[Amended by Bill No. 88-35]
In the Executive Branch of the County government there shall
be a Department of Law, a Department of the Treasury, a Department
of Planning and Zoning, a Planning Advisory Board, a Department of
Public Works, a Public Works Advisory Board, a Department of Parks
and Recreation, a Parks and Recreation Advisory Board, a Human Relations
Commission, a Personnel Advisory Board, a Department of Procurement
and any other agencies established by law.
(a)
The Department of Law shall be administered by the County Attorney.
At the time of appointment, the County Attorney shall have been a
member in good standing of the Bar of the Maryland Court of Appeals
for at least five years and, prior to assuming the duties of office,
shall be domiciled in the County.
(b)
The County Attorney shall be the chief legal officer of the Executive
Branch in all matters and shall be responsible for all the legal affairs
of the Executive Branch. Except as otherwise provided for in state
law or this Charter, no agency of the County government which receives
County funds shall have any authority or power to employ or retain
any legal counsel other than the County Attorney.
[Amended by Bill No. 76-35]
(c)
The County Executive may, with the approval of the Council, employ
special legal counsel to work on problems of an extraordinary nature
when the work to be done is of such character or magnitude as to require
services in addition to those regularly provided by the Department
of Law.
(d)
Neither the County Attorney nor any assistant in the Department of
Law may at any time, while holding such office, practice as an attorney
before the Council or any agency of the County government other than
to represent the County's interests.
(a)
The Department of the Treasury shall be administered by the Treasurer.
The Treasurer shall be appointed on the basis of knowledge and experience
in governmental accounting and financial administration, of which
at least five years shall have been in an executive or supervisory
capacity.
(b)
The Treasurer shall be the custodian of all County funds, securities,
and insurance policies; shall collect taxes, special assessments,
license fees, and other revenue; manage indebtedness; invest and disburse
County funds; conduct internal audits of all County offices; prepare
an annual financial report containing a detailed account of all monies
received and paid out by the County; and perform such other functions
as may be prescribed by law.
(a)
The Department of Planning and Zoning shall be administered by the
Director of Planning who shall have a degree from a recognized college
or university and shall have completed a program of studies in city
and urban planning of sufficient scope for acceptance to membership
in the American Institute of Planners. At the time of appointment,
the Director of Planning shall have had five years' experience in
an executive position with a planning or zoning agency of a state
or local government.
(b)
The Director of Planning shall be charged with the responsibility
and duty of planning for the physical development and growth of the
County, including the preparation and revision of master plans and
the preparation and revision from time to time of rules and regulations
governing subdivisions and shall also be responsible for the preparation,
administration, and enforcement of a zoning map and of zoning rules
and regulations which shall constitute a zoning code. All plans and
maps and all rules and regulations relating to planning and zoning
shall be approved by legislative act of the Council prior to their
taking effect as law.
(a)
There shall be a Planning Advisory Board consisting of five qualified
voters of the County. Members of the Planning Advisory Board shall
be appointed by the County Executive for terms coterminous with the
Executive's and confirmed by the Council. Not more than three members
of the Board shall be members of the same political party. Vacancies
shall be filled for the unexpired term in the manner of original appointment.
Each member shall serve until a successor is appointed and qualified.
A member of the Board may be removed only for cause by the County
Executive subject to approval by the Council. The County Executive
shall designate a member of the Board as chair.
(b)
The Planning Advisory Board shall hold at least ten regular monthly
meetings each year, but special meetings may be held at any time at
the call of the chair. The Board shall adopt rules for the transaction
of its business. It shall hold hearings at its discretion or upon
written request of the County Executive or of the Council on any matter
pending before the Board. It shall keep a record of its transactions,
findings, determinations, and decisions, and it shall keep minutes
of its proceedings, all of which shall be filed with the Director
of Planning and shall be public records.
(c)
The Planning Advisory Board shall make recommendations to the Director
of Planning and the Council relating to master plans, zoning maps,
and rules and regulations relating to planning and zoning. At such
times as the County Executive shall fix, the Planning Advisory Board
shall consider an itemized list of all capital projects and the capital
improvement program which all agencies of the County government propose
to undertake in the ensuing fiscal year and the next succeeding five
fiscal years thereafter. After consideration by the Planning Advisory
Board, the Director of Planning shall transmit to the County Executive,
together with recommendations, a list of projects recommended by said
Board to be undertaken in the periods aforesaid and its estimate of
the cost thereof. At least once every eight years, the Board shall
prepare general guidelines for use by the Department of Planning and
Zoning in the preparation or revision of master plans. The County
Executive or the Council may provide for reference to the Board, for
review and recommendations, any additional matters relating to the
Board's functions and duties.
(a)
The Department of Public Works shall be administered by a Director
of Public Works. The Director shall be a registered professional engineer
licensed under the provisions of the law of this state or any other
state and shall have had a responsible position in engineering management
over a period of at least five years prior to appointment and shall
have a demonstrated ability to manage public works and utilities that
will, in the judgment of the County Executive and Council, provide
the qualifications to perform the duties and responsibilities of the
Director of the Department of Public Works.
[Amended by Bill Nos. 76-43; 88-36]
(b)
The Director of Public Works shall be responsible for the performance
of all functions and duties involving:
(1)
Public works or utilities survey reports, maps, drawings, specifications,
and estimates;
(2)
The supervision of the execution and performance of all contracts
for capital projects;
(3)
The construction of capital projects by County employees;
(4)
The construction, maintenance, and cleaning of roads, streets,
alleys, bridges, viaducts, subways, and underpasses;
(5)
The acceptance of roads and dedicated ways as prescribed by
law;
(6)
The maintenance of water mains, sewers, drains, and culverts;
(7)
The maintenance and operation of sewage disposal and treatment
plants;
(8)
The collection of garbage and other refuse and the operation
and maintenance of facilities for its disposal;
(9)
The regulation, operation, maintenance, and control of water
supply; and
(10)
Such other duties as may be provided from time to time by directive
of the County Executive or by legislative act of the Council not inconsistent
with this Charter.
(a)
There shall be a Public Works Advisory Board consisting of five qualified
voters of the County. Members of the Public Works Advisory Board shall
be appointed by the County Executive for terms coterminous with the
Executive's and confirmed by the Council. Not more than three members
of the Board shall be members of the same political party. Vacancies
shall be filled for the unexpired term in the manner of original appointment.
Each member shall serve until a successor is appointed and qualified.
A member of the Board may be removed only for cause by the County
Executive subject to approval by the Council. The County Executive
shall designate a member of the Board as chair.
(b)
The Public Works Advisory Board shall make recommendations to the
County Executive and the Council relating to plans, policies, and
programs on any matter under the jurisdiction of the Department of
Public Works. The County Executive or the Council may provide for
reference to the Board, for review and recommendations, any additional
matters related to the Board's functions and duties.
(a)
The Department of Parks and Recreation shall be administered by the
Director of Parks and Recreation. The Director shall be thoroughly
trained in theory and practice relating to parks and recreation and
the operation and maintenance of park and recreation facilities. At
the time of appointment, at least five years of experience shall have
involved a position of administrative leadership and responsibility
in a government park or recreation agency.
(b)
The Director of Parks and Recreation shall be responsible for the
organization and conduct of recreation programs and the operation
of parks, playgrounds, and other recreational facilities. The Director
shall encourage the development of cooperative programs and joint
use of facilities with the Board of Education and shall have such
other duties as may be provided from time to time by directive of
the County Executive or by legislative act of the Council not inconsistent
with this Charter.
(a)
There shall be a Parks and Recreation Advisory Board consisting of
seven qualified voters of the County. Members of the Parks and Recreation
Advisory Board shall be appointed by the County Executive for terms
coterminous with the Executive's and confirmed by the Council. Not
more than four members of the Board shall be members of the same political
party. Vacancies shall be filled for the unexpired term in the manner
of original appointment. Each member shall serve until a successor
is appointed and qualified. A member of the Board may be removed only
for cause by the County Executive subject to approval by the Council.
The County Executive shall designate a member of the Board as chair.
(b)
The Parks and Recreation Advisory Board shall make recommendations
to the County Executive and the Council relating to plans, policies,
and programs for public recreation, the organization of recreation
councils, the operation and maintenance of public parks, and the acquisition
of land for public parks. The County Executive or the Council may
provide for reference to the Board, for review and recommendations,
any additional matters related to the Board's functions and duties.
(a)
There shall be a Human Relations Commission consisting of fifteen
qualified voters of the County. Members of the Human Relations Commission
shall be appointed by the County Executive for terms coterminous with
the Executive's and confirmed by the Council. Members of the Commission
shall be selected to represent all segments of the County population.
Vacancies shall be filled for the unexpired term in the manner of
original appointment. Each member shall serve until a successor is
appointed and qualified. A member of the Commission may be removed
only for cause by the County Executive subject to approval by the
Council. The County Executive shall designate a member of the Commission
as chair.
(b)
The Human Relations Commission shall study the nature and causes
of social friction in the community and make recommendations to the
County Executive and the Council with a view toward alleviating social
problems and promoting equality, understanding, and harmonious relations
between the citizens of the County. The County Executive or the Council
may provide for reference to the Commission, for review and recommendations,
any additional matters related to the Commission's functions and duties.
The Council or the County Executive may appoint for designated
periods one or more temporary advisory boards of citizens of the County
who shall, without compensation other than necessary expenses, assist
in the consideration of County administrative policies and programs.
Advisory boards appointed by the County Executive under the provisions
of this section shall not be subject to the confirmation procedures
set forth in Section 223 of this Charter.
The County Executive may propose changes in the organization
of the Executive Branch, including the establishment or abolition
of agencies, and in the assignment of functions, powers, and duties
among agencies. Reorganization proposals shall be set forth in executive
order in statutory form and be submitted to the Council. The executive
order shall become effective and have the force of law sixty calendar
days after submission unless disapproved by a vote of at least four
members of the Council.
[Added by Bill No. 76-48]
(a)
The Department of Procurement shall be administered by the Director
of the Department of Procurement. The Director shall have had a responsible
position in procurement or purchasing over a period of at least five
years prior to appointment and shall have a demonstrated ability in
the management of procurement or purchasing.
(b)
The Director shall be responsible for:
(1)
Providing for the purchasing or contracting for supplies and
contractual services including capital projects and consultant services
needed by all agencies of Harford County, Maryland, or any other public
or quasi-public agency that elects to utilize the services of the
Department, in accordance with and in the manner prescribed by the
Council by law;
(2)
[1]Performing such other duties as may be prescribed by the
County Executive or by legislative act of the Council.
[1]
Editor’s Note: Former Subsection (b)(2), which set forth
that the Director shall be responsible for providing for the purchase,
sale or lease of real property by the County was repealed by Bill
No. 16-004. Said bill also redesignated former Subsection (b)(3) as
Subsection (b)(2).
(c)
The Council may enact such legislation as it may deem advisable to
provide for procurement and purchasing and sales of supplies, materials
and real property.
(d)
The Council shall enact legislation to implement the procurement
and purchasing authority of Harford County, Maryland.
[Added by Bill No. 76-48]
(a)
There shall be a Board of Estimates composed of the County Executive,
or the Executive's designee, the President of the Council, or another
Council member as the President's designee, one citizen of Harford
County, Maryland, appointed by the County Executive, one citizen of
Harford County, Maryland, appointed by the Council, the Director of
the Department of Procurement, the Director of the Department of Public
Works and the Treasurer of Harford County. The County Executive shall
be the Chair of the Board and the Director of the Department of Procurement
shall act as the Secretary.
(b)
The Board shall be responsible for the awarding of contracts and
supervising of purchasing by the County to the extent and in the manner
provided for by the Council by law, and shall perform such other duties
and responsibilities involving contracts and purchasing as may be
provided for by the Council by law.
