{"data":{"id":"us-md/md.-code-local-government-21-801","jurisdiction":"us-md","citation":"Md. Code, Local Government § 21–801","heading":"","body":"(a) This section applies to all counties except Baltimore City.\n(b) The governing body of a county may:\n(1) provide for street lighting along the roads of the county; and\n(2) enter into contracts for the installation, maintenance, and\noperation of street lighting.\n(c) Except as provided in subsections (g) and (h) of this section, a county\nshall pay the costs of street lighting provided for under this section by an ad valorem\ntax imposed on each property in the district served by the street lighting.\n(d) (1) Except as provided in subsections (e) and (f) of this section, the\ngoverning body of a county may create a street lighting district only on receipt of a\npetition signed by 60% of the owners of property located in the proposed district.\n(2) The petition shall describe the boundaries of the proposed electric\nlighting district.\n(3) (i) On receipt of the petition, the governing body of the county\nshall hold a public hearing at which the residents in the proposed street lighting\ndistrict shall be given an opportunity to be heard.\n(ii) The governing body shall:\n1. hold the hearing not less than 14 days nor more than\n60 days following receipt of the petition; and\n2. publish notice of the hearing at least once in a\nnewspaper of general circulation in the boundaries of the proposed street lighting\ndistrict.\n(4) (i) After the hearing the governing body of the county may\nestablish the street lighting district and impose on all property that is subject to\ncounty taxes and is located in the district ad valorem taxes at a rate sufficient to pay\nthe cost of the street lighting.\n(ii) All taxes under this subsection shall be imposed in the\nsame manner as county taxes.\n(e) (1) In addition to the process set forth under subsections (b), (c), and\n(d) of this section, the County Commissioners of Frederick County may create, on\ntheir own initiative, a street lighting district for undeveloped land in the county if:\n(i) a subdivision plat for the land has not been approved by\nthe County Planning Commission or recorded by the clerk of the court; and\n(ii) the district is created in accordance with paragraph (2) of\nthis subsection.\n(2) (i) Before establishing a street lighting district under this\nsection, the county commissioners shall hold a public hearing on the proposal, at\nwhich time the boundaries of the proposed district shall be fully described.\n(ii) A notice of public hearing together with a summary of the\nproposal shall be published in at least one newspaper of general circulation in the\ncounty once each week for the 2 successive weeks immediately before the hearing.\n(f) The County Commissioners of St. Mary’s County may create a street\nlighting district on receipt of a petition signed by a majority of the owners of property\nlocated in the proposed district.\n(g) Somerset County may pay the cost of street lighting provided in\naccordance with this section by a tax imposed equally only on improved property in\nthe district.\n(h) (1) To cover the costs of street lighting, the County Commissioners of\nWashington County may impose either:\n(i) an ad valorem tax as provided in subsection (c) of this\nsection; or\n(ii) a fixed amount per tax account that shall be uniform in the\nstreet lighting district.\n(2) Late payments are subject to interest from the date due at the\nsame rate, and subject to the same collection procedures, as overdue county property\ntaxes.","path":["Article - Local Government"],"source_url":"https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/mgawebsite/Laws/StatuteText?article=glg\u0026section=21-801","current_through":"2026-01-01","vintage":"","retrieved_at":"2026-09-14T19:59:58Z","sha256":"6120e78e0b228b249238109bf390e8af89521abd1a187fd21f5b89154bf07dc8","source_id":"us-md","stale":false,"prev":"us-md/md.-code-local-government-21-702","next":"us-md/md.-code-local-government-21-802"},"notice":"GroundRules: Original legal text. Not legal advice."}