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Home Rule reading approved

By Staff | Mar 18, 2016

Shepherdstown Town Council had a special meeting on Tuesday to have the first reading of the ordinance authorizing Mayor Auxer to submit a Home Rule proposal to the municipal home rule board.

The first reading was approved without objection.

The proposal provides for marketing revenue and generation by allowing establishments to serve alcohol at 10 a.m. on Sunday as part of brunch, the implementation of a one percent sales tax, an imposition of liens for delinquent town taxes and the ability to purchase tax liens on properites subjedct to delinquent property taxes.

The second component of the proposal regards public safety by reducing speed limits and placing other restrictions on state roadways within municipal boundaries, and will allow the town to exercise the same enforcement authority as the Alcoholic Beverage Control. The council decided against speed cameras, and decided not to change the closing time of bars; they will remain open until 3 a.m.

The third component of the home rule application entails more efficient exercise of property maintenance by granting authority to town code enforcement officials to immediately issue citations for external sanitation violations, and liens for actions taken in regard to eyesore and dilapidated buildings.

The final portion deals with administrative efficiency and support by allowing the town the ability to enter into contracts with other jurisdictions, and for the implementation of an additional $3 to $5 court fee for the advancement of technology in the town’s municipal court.

The home rule application can be viewed in its entirety online at www.shepherdstown.us.