(a)    The St. Mary’s Board consists of:

(1)    Five voting members; and

(2)    One student member.

(b)    The student member shall:

(1)    Be an 11th or 12th grade student in the St. Mary’s County Public School System;

(2)    Serve for 1 year;

(3)    Be a nonvoting member; and

(4)    Advise the county board on the thoughts and feelings of the students.

(c)    Unless invited to attend by an affirmative vote of a majority of the county board, the student member may not attend an executive session of the county board.

(d)    (1)    (i)    A candidate elected to the county board shall be a resident and registered voter of St. Mary’s County. A member who is no longer a resident and a registered voter of St. Mary’s County may not continue as a member of the county board.

(ii)    A candidate who files to represent one of the commissioner election districts must be a resident of that election district.

(iii)    Candidates filing for office to represent the county at large may reside anywhere in the county.

(2)    An individual subject to the authority of the county board at the time of filing is ineligible to be a candidate.

(e)    (1)    The St. Mary’s County Board consists of five voting members who shall be elected as follows:

(i)    One member shall be elected from the county at large; and

(ii)    One member shall be elected from each of the four commissioner districts.

(2)    Voting members of the county board shall be elected:

(i)    At a general election as required by this section; and

(ii)    On a general countywide ticket.

(3)    Members of the county board elected in the 1996 general election from Commissioner Districts One and Three shall serve for an initial term of 2 years. An election shall be conducted in 1998 and every 4 years thereafter.

(4)    Members of the county board elected in the 1996 general election from Commissioner Election Districts Two and Four and from the county at large shall serve for an initial term of 4 years. An election shall be conducted in 2000 and every 4 years thereafter.

(5)    Except as specified in this section, elections shall be conducted in accordance with Title 8, Subtitle 8 of the Election Law Article.

(f)    (1)    The student member of the county board shall be elected by qualified students of the St. Mary’s County Public School System. The student member shall not be subject to approval by the county board.

(2)    The voting members of the county board shall:

(i)    Determine which students in the St. Mary’s County Public School System may elect the student member of the county board; and

(ii)    Develop nomination and election procedures governing the election of the student member.

(g)    (1)    Except as specified in this section, an elected member shall serve for a term of 4 years. The term of each member shall commence on the first Monday in December after the member’s election and shall continue until a successor is elected and qualifies.

(2)    The term of the student member shall commence on the first Monday in July and continue for 1 year.

(3)    If a vacancy occurs on the county board, the St. Mary’s Board of County Commissioners shall appoint a qualified individual to serve for the remainder of that term and until a successor is elected and qualifies.

(h)    (1)    The State Board may remove a member of the county board for:

(i)    Immorality;

(ii)    Misconduct in office;

(iii)    Incompetence; or

(iv)    Willful neglect of duty.

(2)    Before removing a member, the State Board shall send the member a notice, by registered mail, return receipt requested, that specifies the charges against the member.

(3)    (i)    Within 15 days from the date the State Board sends the notice, the member may request a public hearing. The member shall send this request to the county board by registered mail, return receipt requested.

(ii)    If the member requests a hearing, the State Board shall conduct a hearing promptly, but not before the 11th day from the date the State Board sent notice to the member.

(iii)    The member shall have the right to a public hearing and to representation by counsel at the hearing.

(4)    A member removed under this subsection has the right to a de novo review of the removal by the Circuit Court of St. Mary’s County.