S.B. 592

VETOES

President of the Senate

State House

Annapolis, Maryland 21401

Dear Mr. President:

In accordance with Article II, Section 17 of the Maryland Constitution, I have today
vetoed Senate Bill 592.

Senate Bill 592 would require an applicant for a Howard County zoning change to file an
affidavit stating whether the applicant has made a contribution, within the past 48
months, to either a candidate who is running for the Howard County Council, a member
of the Howard County Council or a political committee. The applicant would be required
to file an affidavit at least 30 days prior to consideration of the zoning application.

Senate Bill 592 purports to protect the integrity of the Howard County Council by
requiring a zoning change applicant to reveal whether the applicant has made certain
political contributions. While the intent is meritorious, Senate Bill 592 is unfair in its
application. The bill not only limits .the disclosure requirement to contributions made to
Howard County Council members sitting on the zoning board, but is further limited to
contributions made only by zoning change applicants.

Presumably, the disclosure law is intended to remove any appearance of impropriety or
suspicion that a vote has been influenced by virtue of a political contribution. With its
limited scope, Senate Bill 592 implies that the applicant alone stands to benefit financially
from a zoning decision and may try to persuade the zoning board to take a particular
action by making a political contribution. This ignores the possibility that the applicant's
competitor may make a political contribution in hope of an unfavorable zoning decision.

Senate Bill 592 also assumes that only the council members sitting on the zoning board
can affect the fate of a zoning application. Other council members and the county
executive, while not actually voting on a zoning change, may have influence with a voting
member.

Ethics laws are vital to maintaining the public's confidence in government at all levels.
However, such a law is meaningless if it does not address all identifiable aspects of the
problem it seeks to remedy. In this instance, the bill would more effectively protect the
Council's integrity if the disclosure requirement applied to all persons appearing before
the county zoning board and to contributions made to all members of the Howard County
Council.

For these reasons, I have vetoed Senate Bill 592.

Sincerely,

William Donald Schaefer

Governor

Senate Bill No. 592

AN ACT concerning

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