OCEAN CITY                                             2371

"REFERENDUM" of the Municipal Charter of the Town of Ocean City. Maryland
by eliminating from said section of said charter the matter hereinafter
enclosed in double parentheses, and by adding to said section of said charter new
matter hereinafter underscored as follows:

"178C REFERENDUM. If, before the expiration of [sixty] TWENTY calendar
days following approval of any ordinance by the Mayor or passage of any
ordinance over the Mayor's veto, a petition is filed with the Clerk-Treasurer
containing the signatures of not less than twenty per centum (20%) of the qualified
voters of the town and requesting that the ordinance, or any part thereof, be
submitted to a vote of the qualified voters of the town for their approval or
disapproval, the Council shall have the ordinance, or the part thereof requested for
referendum, submitted to a vote of the qualified voters of the town at the next
regular town election or, in the Council's discretion, at a special election occurring
before the next regular election. No ordinance, or the part thereof requested for
referendum, shall become effective following the receipt of such petition until and
unless approved at the election by a majority of the qualified voters voting on the
question. An ordinance, or the part thereof requested for referendum, shall
continue in effect for sixty days following receipt of such petition. If the question
of approval or disapproval of any ordinance, or any part thereof, has not been
submitted to the qualified voters within sixty days following receipt of the petition,
then the operation of the ordinance, or the part thereof requested for referendum,
shall be suspended until approved by a majority of the qualified voters voting on
the question at any election. Any ordinance, or part thereof, disapproved by the
voters, shall stand repealed. The provisions of this section shall not apply to any
ordinance, or part thereof, passed under the authority of the municipality levying
property taxes for the payment of indebtedness, but the provisions of this section
shall apply to any ordinance or part thereof levying special assessment charges
under this charter. The provisions of this section shall be self-executing but the
Council may adopt ordinances in furtherance of these provisions, and not in
conflict with them."

The Section 178C so amended shall read as follows:

178C. REFERENDUM. If, before the expiration of twenty calendar days
following approval of any ordinance by the Mayor or passage of any ordinance
over the Mayor's veto, a petition is filed with the Clerk-Treasurer containing the
signatures of not less than twenty per centum (20%) of the qualified voters of the
town and requesting that the ordinance, or any part thereof, be submitted to a vote
of the qualified voters of the town for their approval or disapproval, the Council
shall have the ordinance, or the part thereof requested for referendum, submitted
to a vote of the qualified voters of the town at the next regular town election or, in
the Council's discretion, at a special election occurring before the next regular
election. No ordinance, or the part thereof requested for referendum, shall become
effective following the receipt of such petition until and unless approved at the
election by a majority of the qualified voters voting on the question. An ordinance,
or the part thereof requested for referendum, shall continue in effect for sixty days
following receipt of such petition. If the question of approval or disapproval of any
ordinance, or any part thereof, has not been submitted to the qualified voters
within sixty days following receipt of the petition, then the operation of the
ordinance, or the part thereof requested for referendum, shall be suspended until
approved by a majority of the qualified voters voting on the question at any
election. Any ordinance, or part thereof, disapproved by the voters, shall stand
repealed. The provisions of this section shall not apply to any ordinance, or part
thereof, passed under the authority of the municipality levying property taxes for
the payment of indebtedness, but the provisions of this section shall apply to any
ordinance or part thereof levying special assessment charges under this charter.
The. provisions of this section shall be self-executing but the Council may adopt