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Md. Code, Local Government § 5-205

This is the official text of Md. Code, Local Government § 5-205, 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.

§5–205.

Official statutory text

(a) (1) A municipality may provide for the control and management of its finances.

(2) The municipality may:

(i) designate the banks or trust companies of the State in which the municipality shall deposit all money belonging to the municipality; and

(ii) provide for the appointment of an auditor or accountant to audit the books and accounts of municipal officers collecting, handling, or disbursing money belonging to the municipality.

(b) (1) A municipality may spend money for any public purpose and to affect the safety, health, and general welfare of the municipality and its occupants.

(2) Except as provided in paragraph (4) of this subsection, a municipality may not spend money under paragraph (1) of this subsection if the money was not appropriated at the time of the annual levy.

(3) Except as provided in paragraph (4) of this subsection, a municipality may spend money only for the purpose for which the money was appropriated.

(4) A municipality may spend money for a purpose different from the purpose for which the money was appropriated or spend money not appropriated at the time of the annual levy if approved by a two–thirds vote of all the individuals elected to the legislative body.

(c) A municipality may provide for:

(1) the purchase of materials, supplies, and equipment through the Department of General Services;

(2) municipal advertising;

(3) printing and publishing statements of its receipts and expenditures; and

(4) codifying and publishing laws, ordinances, resolutions, and regulations.

(d) (1) Except as otherwise provided under this article, the Tax – General Article, and the Tax – Property Article, a municipality may establish and collect reasonable fees and charges:

(i) for franchises, licenses, or permits granted by the municipality; or

(ii) associated with the exercise of a governmental or proprietary function exercised by a municipality.

(2) A municipality may provide that any valid charge, tax, or assessment made against real property in the municipality is a lien on the property to be collected in the same manner as municipal taxes.

(e) A municipality may enter into an agreement with other municipalities for purposes including:

(1) the joint administration of the municipalities;

(2) the cooperative procurement of goods and services, including construction services;

(3) the provision of municipal services; and

(4) the joint funding and management of any project that is centrally located to the municipalities.

Status: in_force · Read it on the official government site

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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.