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Terms Used In Maryland Code, LOCAL GOVERNMENT 12-411

  • County: means a county of the State or Baltimore City. See
  • Fiscal year: The fiscal year is the accounting period for the government. For the federal government, this begins on October 1 and ends on September 30. The fiscal year is designated by the calendar year in which it ends; for example, fiscal year 2006 begins on October 1, 2005 and ends on September 30, 2006.
  • Lease: A contract transferring the use of property or occupancy of land, space, structures, or equipment in consideration of a payment (e.g., rent). Source: OCC
  • Real property: Land, and all immovable fixtures erected on, growing on, or affixed to the land.
(a) (1) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the County Commissioners of Somerset County may enter into a lease purchase agreement and related financing agreements to obtain property for a public purpose in the county.

(2) The county commissioners shall solicit bids in at least two newspapers of general circulation in the county before entering into a lease purchase agreement.

(3) If the county commissioners enter into a multiyear lease purchase agreement or related financing agreement, the agreement shall be subject to cancellation by the county commissioners at the end of a fiscal year if sufficient money is not appropriated to fund the agreement in the subsequent fiscal year.

(b) (1) The County Commissioners of Somerset County may sell any interest in county surplus property by soliciting and accepting sealed bids.

(2) The county commissioners shall publish an invitation for bids at least twice in a newspaper of general circulation in the county between 10 and 90 days, inclusive, before the date set for opening bids.

(3) The county commissioners:

(i) shall open the bids in public; and

(ii) may act on the bids only during a public session of the county commissioners.

(4) The county commissioners may reject all bids on the property if the county commissioners determine that the highest bid does not yield a reasonable price.

(5) If the county commissioners reject all bids, the county commissioners:

(i) shall record the highest bid in the minutes of the public session; and

(ii) may sell the property:

1. by republishing an invitation for sealed bids;

2. by public auction; or

3. if the property is surplus school property, in accordance with subsection (c) of this section.

(6) The county commissioners shall adopt an ordinance or resolution to govern the sale of property under this subsection.

(c) The County Commissioners of Somerset County may sell to a government unit located in the county surplus school board real property:

(1) without advertising the property for sale; and

(2) after obtaining three independent appraisals.

(d) (1) The provisions of this subtitle do not apply to a sale of property under this subsection.

(2) The County Commissioners of Somerset County may sell the approximately 4.02 acres of property at county Tax Map 103, Grid 8, Parcel 1467 (known as Whittington Elementary School) to Shore Up Inc., under terms considered appropriate by the county commissioners.

(3) The county commissioners may sell the following property to the City of Crisfield under terms considered appropriate by the county commissioners:

(i) 7 North First Street, Tax Map 101, Grid 22, Parcel 757 (.073 acres);

(ii) 320-322 Locust Street, Tax Map 101, Grid 21, Parcel 810 (.158 acres);

(iii) 304 Tyler Street, Tax Map 102, Grid 11, Parcel 616 (.146 acres); and

(iv) 15 West Main Street, Tax Map 103, Grid 1, Parcel 1373 (.386 acres).