Maryland HB 1299: Howard County Board of Education - Elected School Board Ho. Co. 11-17

Bill Text

EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MATTER ADDED TO EXISTING LAW.
[Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law.
*hb1299*

HOUSE BILL 1299
F3 7lr0670

By: Howard County Delegation
Introduced and read first time: February 10, 2017
Assigned to: Ways and Means

A BILL ENTITLED

AN ACT concerning 1

Howard County Board of Education – Elected School Board 2

Ho. Co. 11–17 3

FOR the purpose of requiring that, beginning with a certain election, certain members of 4
the Howard County Board of Education shall reside in certain districts and be elected 5
by the voters of the entire county and that certain members may reside anywhere in 6
the county and shall be elected at large by the voters of the entire county; providing 7
that a member elected to the county board from a certain geographic area but whose 8
district boundaries are subsequently altered may remain as a member of the county 9
board for a certain period; providing that in making an appointment to fill a vacancy 10
on the county board the County Executive of Howard County shall endeavor to 11
ensure that the county board reflects certain characteristics of the county population; 12
providing for the termination of the terms of certain members of the county board; 13
providing for the terms of certain members of the county board; providing for the 14
application of this Act; and generally relating to the election of the members of the 15
Howard County Board of Education. 16

BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 17
Article – Education 18
Section 3–701 19
Annotated Code of Maryland 20
(2014 Replacement Volume and 2016 Supplement) 21

SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 22
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 23

Article – Education 24

3–701. 25

2 HOUSE BILL 1299

(a) (1) The Howard County Board consists of: 1

[(1)] (I) Seven elected members; and 2

[(2)] (II) One student member. 3

(2) THE SEVEN ELECTED MEMBERS SHALL BE ELECTED AS FOLLOWS: 4

(I) FIVE MEMBERS, EACH OF WHOM RESIDES IN A DIFFERENT 5
ONE OF THE FIVE COUNCILMANIC DISTRICTS IN THE COUNTY; AND 6

(II) TWO MEMBERS WHO MAY RESIDE ANYWHERE IN THE 7
COUNTY. 8

(b) (1) A candidate who becomes an elected member of the county board shall 9
be a resident and registered voter of Howard County. 10

(2) (I) Any elected member who no longer resides in Howard County 11
may not continue as a member of the board. 12

(II) ANY MEMBER ELECTED FROM A COUNCILMANIC DISTRICT 13
WHO NO LONGER RESIDES IN THAT DISTRICT MAY NOT CONTINUE AS A MEMBER OF 14
THE BOARD. 15

(3) IF THE BOUNDARY LINE OF A HOWARD COUNTY COUNCIL 16
DISTRICT IS CHANGED, THE TERM OF AN INCUMBENT MEMBER OF THE COUNTY 17
BOARD WHO NO LONGER RESIDES IN THAT COUNCILMANIC DISTRICT BECAUSE OF 18
THE CHANGE IS NOT AFFECTED DURING THIS TERM. 19

(c) The seven elected members of the Howard County Board shall be elected: 20

(1) [At] BEGINNING IN 2020, AT the general election every [2] 4 years as 21
required by subsection (d) of this section; and 22

(2) From Howard County at large BY THE VOTERS OF THE ENTIRE 23
COUNTY. 24

(d) (1) (i) The terms of the elected members are [staggered] as provided in 25
this subsection. 26

(ii) Each term of office begins on the first Monday in December after 27
the election of a member and until a successor is elected and qualifies. 28

(2) (i) The term of office of [the] EACH member elected at the [2002] 29
2020 election is 4 years. 30

HOUSE BILL 1299 3

(ii) The successor to this office shall serve for a term of 4 years. 1

[(3) (i) Two members shall be elected at the 2004 election. 2

(ii) The successors to these offices elected at the 2008 election shall 3
serve a term of 4 years. 4

(4) (i) Five members shall be elected at the 2006 election. 5

(ii) Subject to paragraph (5) of this subsection, the successors to 6
these offices shall be elected at the 2010 election and shall serve for a term of 4 years. 7

(5) (i) Except as provided in subparagraph (ii) of this paragraph, as of 8
the 2006 election, the term of each office is 4 years. 9

(ii) 1. At the 2006 election, the individual elected as a member 10
who receives the lowest number of votes among the five members elected in that election 11
shall serve for a term of 2 years. 12

2. The successor to the office for the member elected at the 13
2006 election who receives the lowest number of votes among the five members elected in 14
that election shall be elected at the 2008 election and shall serve for a term of 4 years.] 15

[(6)] (3) Except as provided in paragraph [(7)] (4) of this subsection and 16
subject to the confirmation of the County Council, the County Executive of Howard County 17
shall appoint a qualified individual to fill any vacancy FOR AN ELECTED MEMBER on the 18
county board for the remainder of that term and until a successor is appointed and qualifies. 19

[(7)] (4) If a vacancy FOR AN ELECTED MEMBER occurs before the date 20
that is 1 year following the date of the member’s election, the individual appo