Higher Education - Private Career Schools - Advertising
HB 28 is a proposed constitutional amendment that would fundamentally change county government structure in Maryland by requiring every county and Baltimore City to adopt a charter form of government. Under the bill, counties and Baltimore City would need to have adopted a charter by December 31, 2031, and would then operate under that charter thereafter. The measure also sets out a new process for counties that do not already have charter government, including appointment of a charter board by county commissioners by January 1, 2028, preparation and publication of a proposed charter, and a vote by the county commissioners on whether to adopt it.
The bill further requires any charter adopted under this framework to provide for election of both a county executive and county council, with council members elected from councilmanic districts. It also amends constitutional provisions governing charter adoption and code counties so that the existing code-county home rule provisions would apply only until each county adopts a charter under Article XI-A. The amendment would be submitted to voters statewide at the November 2026 general election.
If enacted and ratified, HB 28 would amend the Maryland Constitution and significantly expand mandatory charter home rule across the state. It would alter Article XI-A governing local legislation and charter adoption, impose deadlines and procedures for counties and Baltimore City to move to charter government, and limit the continuing role of Article XI-F code county provisions once a county adopts a charter. The bill would affect county governance structures, local election methods, county commissioners, county councils, and county executives, while also changing how local laws and charters interact with state constitutional provisions.
No committee transcripts or recorded votes were provided, so there is no direct evidence of debate, support, or opposition in the available context. Based on the bill text alone, the measure appears to be a major structural reform proposal rather than a narrow technical change, which would likely draw significant interest from local government stakeholders. The absence of discussion records means the overall sentiment cannot be reliably characterized beyond noting that the bill proposes a sweeping constitutional change.
The most likely points of contention are the bill’s mandatory nature and its statewide imposition of charter government on all counties and Baltimore City by a fixed deadline. Counties that currently operate under code home rule or commissioner-based structures may object to losing local discretion over whether and when to adopt a charter. Another likely issue is the requirement that county councils be elected from councilmanic districts, which could affect local political representation and redistricting. The bill also shifts authority toward charter boards and away from existing county governing bodies, which could be controversial among county officials and residents concerned about local control.