Md. Code, Local Government § 1-706
This is the official text of Md. Code, Local Government § 1-706, part of Maryland’s Code, Local Government — governs the powers and operations of Maryland counties and municipalities.
Not legal advice. This page reproduces the official text of a government statute for reference only. Laws change, and how a statute applies depends on your specific facts. For advice about your situation, consult a licensed attorney in your state.
§1–706.
Official statutory text
(a) It is the policy of the State to authorize each county and municipality to displace or limit competition in the awarding of concessions on, over, or under property owned or leased by the county or municipality and in the leasing or subleasing of property owned or leased by the county or municipality to:
(1) use its assets properly for the best public purpose;
(2) protect the public from unscrupulous business practices and excessive prices;
(3) provide maximum accessibility to public property;
(4) provide desirable or necessary governmental services at the lowest possible cost; and
(5) promote the general welfare by using public property for the benefit of the residents of the county or municipality.
(b) Notwithstanding any anticompetitive effect, a county or municipality may:
(1) (i) grant one or more franchises for any concession on, over, or under property owned or leased by the county or municipality on an exclusive or nonexclusive basis;
(ii) control prices and rates for the franchise; and
(iii) adopt rules and regulations for the operation of the franchise; and
(2) lease or sublease publicly owned or leased real property on terms that the county or municipality determines.
(1) use its assets properly for the best public purpose;
(2) protect the public from unscrupulous business practices and excessive prices;
(3) provide maximum accessibility to public property;
(4) provide desirable or necessary governmental services at the lowest possible cost; and
(5) promote the general welfare by using public property for the benefit of the residents of the county or municipality.
(b) Notwithstanding any anticompetitive effect, a county or municipality may:
(1) (i) grant one or more franchises for any concession on, over, or under property owned or leased by the county or municipality on an exclusive or nonexclusive basis;
(ii) control prices and rates for the franchise; and
(iii) adopt rules and regulations for the operation of the franchise; and
(2) lease or sublease publicly owned or leased real property on terms that the county or municipality determines.
Status: in_force · Read it on the official government site
Need a lawyer in Maryland?
Find a Maryland lawyer
About this page: Statute text is reproduced from official government publishers via the
Open US Law dataset
(Vaquill AI, snapshot v2026.08, CC BY 4.0). Primary legislative text like this is public domain under the government-edicts doctrine
(Georgia v. Public.Resource.Org, 2020). We link every section back to its official source so you can verify it independently.