(a) Authorization.--The county commissioners may adopt ordinances and resolutions prescribing the manner in which the powers of the county shall be carried out and generally regulating the affairs of the county. The county commissioners may formulate and adopt ordinances, resolutions, rules and regulations pertaining to the use of property owned or used by the county and the conduct of individuals in, on or about the property in order to preserve the property and to promote and preserve public health, safety and welfare.
(b) Publication.--
(1) A proposed ordinance, unless otherwise provided by law, shall be published at least once in a newspaper of general circulation in the county not more than 60 days before passage and not less than seven days before passage.
(2) A public notice of a proposed ordinance shall include the full text of the proposed ordinance or the title and a brief summary of the proposed ordinance prepared by the county solicitor setting forth all the provisions in reasonable detail and a reference to a location within the county in which copies of the proposed ordinance may be examined.
(3) If the full text is not included in the public notice required under this section, the following apply:
(i) A copy of the text shall be supplied to the same newspaper of general circulation in which the public notice is published.
(ii) An attested copy shall be filed in the county law library within 30 days after the enactment or adoption of the ordinance. The date of the filing of a proposed ordinance may not affect the validity of the process of the enactment or adoption of the ordinance and a failure to record within the time period specified under this subparagraph may not be deemed a defect in the process of the enactment or adoption of the ordinance.
(4) In the event substantial amendments are made in the proposed ordinance, the county commissioners shall, at least 10 days before the enactment or adoption of the ordinance, republish the proposed ordinance in a newspaper of general circulation in the county and a brief summary setting forth
all the provisions in reasonable detail with a summary of the amendments.
(5) An ordinance may not take effect until recorded in the ordinance book of the county. If maps, plans or drawings are adopted as part of an ordinance, the county commissioners may, instead of publishing the maps, plans or drawings as part of the ordinance, refer to the location where the maps, plans or drawings are on file and may be examined by the public in the publication of the ordinance.
(c) Violations.--The county commissioners may:
(1) Prescribe fines and penalties as follows:
(i) Not exceeding $1,000 for a violation of a building, housing, property maintenance, health, fire or public safety code or ordinance and for water, air and noise pollution violations.
(ii) Not exceeding $600 for a violation of any other county ordinance.
(2) Collect fines and penalties by suit, brought in the name of the county, in like manner for which debts of like amount may be sued.
(d) Penalties.--A person who violates an ordinance enacted by the county commissioners under this section shall, upon conviction at a summary proceeding, be sentenced to pay a fine as may be prescribed in the ordinance by the county commissioners. The fine shall not exceed an amount of $1,000 per violation, with the costs of prosecution, or imprisonment of not more than 10 days, or both. The fine shall be paid to the county for use by the county.
