(a) Special Funds; Revenue and Receipts; Appropriations. All revenues and receipts from utility assessments; from special services or benefits charges; from special taxes or assessments imposed upon special taxing areas for special or particular services, purposes or benefits; from funds held by the County as trustee or agent; or from bond proceeds, shall be paid into and appropriated from special funds created therefor.
(b) General Revenue and Receipts; Appropriations. All other revenues and receipts of the County from taxes, grants, State revenues and other receipts shall be paid into and appropriated from the general fund which shall be the primary fund for the financing of current expenses for the conduct of County business. A tax imposed upon all assessable property or class of property in the County which exempts assessable property in an incorporated municipality subject to the provisions of Article XI-E of the State Constitution shall not be deemed or construed to be a "special tax" for the purposes of this section and all receipts from such tax shall be paid into and appropriated from the general fund.
(c) Prohibitions. No general fund revenues or receipts as defined in subsection (b) of this section shall be dedicated to, expended for, or used to supplement, appropriations from the special funds referred to in subsection (a) of this section, except as a loan to such special fund as authorized by Section 711(c) of this Article which authorizes inter-fund borrowing.
(d) Levy for Roads.
(1) No tax for the purpose of raising revenue for the construction and maintenance of public roads shall be levied upon any assessable property in the county except on a Countywide basis, exclusive of incorporated municipalities subject to the provisions of Article XI-E of the State Constitution which operate and maintain their own road or street system.
(2) This subsection does not prohibit the County from collecting land development fees, in lieu of any road improvements that may be required under County law, for future roadway construction or spot road improvements. On the recommendation of the County Executive, the County Council may provide by ordinance for collection of fees for these purposes, their placement in escrow accounts, and the use of funds accumulated in those accounts for road construction or spot improvements.
(e) Special Taxing Districts; Existing Law. Nothing in this section shall be construed as affecting the provisions of Chapter 28 titled "Special Taxing Districts Generally" of the Anne Arundel County Code (1957 Edition as amended or supplemented) or the provisions of section 9-72 of said Code, which shall remain in effect until changed, modified or repealed by ordinance not inconsistent with the provisions of this section.
(f) Bond Interest and Redemption Obligations. Nothing in this section shall be construed to prevent the County from fulfilling any obligation to levy, if necessary, a tax upon all or a portion of the assessable property within the County to provide for the payment of the interest on and principal of any bonds issued upon the full faith and credit of the County.
(g) Working Capital Funds. Upon request of the County Executive, the Council may, by the annual budget and appropriation ordinance, or by other ordinance, provide for the establishment of working capital or revolving funds for the financing of central stores, equipment pools or other services common to the agencies of the County, and provide that expenditures from these funds for the purchase of inventory items need not be charged against appropriations until the inventory items are issued to the using agencies.
(h) Reserve Fund for Permanent Public Improvements. Notwithstanding the provisions of 718(c), above, the Council may establish a Reserve Fund for Permanent Public Improvements, into which there may be paid by the annual budget and appropriation ordinance unexpended fund balances not otherwise appropriated or toward the financing of which taxes or other sources of revenue may be dedicated.
(i) Reserve Fund for Retiree Health Benefits. The County budget shall including a continuing, nonlapsing fund known as the Reserve Fund for Retiree Health Benefits into which County revenues and receipts may be appropriated and from which appropriations shall be made for the sole purpose of paying the health care benefits of retired County employees and their spouses, dependents, and survivors to the extent that such benefits have been approved by ordinance of the County Council, with the interest earnings of the Fund retained to the credit of the Fund. The County Council may increase the appropriation to this Fund in an amount exceeding the recommendation of the County Executive. The existence of this Fund does not mandate the payment of any benefits or prohibit the use of General Fund revenues and receipts to pay for such benefits notwithstanding the provisions of Section 709 and 718(c) of this Article. The Fund shall be subject to the limit on contingency reserves set forth in Section 706(c) of this Article only to the extent that the balance in the Fund exceeds the unfunded accrued liability for such benefits.
(Bill No. 93-80; Bill No. 94-80; Bill No. 73-82; Res. No. 24-98; Res. No. 34-12)