Baltimore County Coalition Against Unfair Taxes v. Baltimore County

MURPHY, Chief Judge.

This case involves the referendum provisions of § 309(a) of the Baltimore County Charter and whether a county ordinance, imposing a tax on non-reusable sealed beverage containers, was referable to county voters at the November 1990 General Election.

I

Section 309(a) of the Charter reserves to the people of Baltimore County “the power known as ‘The Referendum,’ by petition to have submitted to the registered voters of the county, to approve or reject at the polls, any enacted law or ordinance or part of any such law or ordinance of the county council.” Under this provision of…