In an interesting, yet unsurprising turn of events, petitioners for an elected charter-writing board plan to take the case to court, as reported on May 18, 2011 by The Frederick News-Post’s Patti S. Borda.
Petitioners who want an elected charter-writing board have a lawyer to take their case.
The Frederick County Board of Elections ruled Friday that eight petitioners seeking to become candidates for an elected charter-writing board did not have enough valid signatures to call for a special election.
Lawyer and former Commissioner John L. Thompson Jr. said Tuesday he will ask the Circuit Court of Frederick County for a judicial review of the decision…
…Several cases support his position, Thompson said, but none of them has dealt specifically with a petition for an elected charter board.
“This is sort of fresh ground,” he said.
His reasoning is that the state constitution refers to the requirement to have a petition signer’s signature in addition to printed name, but says nothing about middle initials. Administrative regulations and interpretations added those requirements, he said…
…The charter would establish a government run by a county council and an executive, set the number of people on the council, whether they will represent districts or serve at large and whether the executive is elected or appointed.