(a)      Except as provided in subsection (b) of this section, the County Commissioners of Cecil County, in addition to, but not in substitution of, the powers which may have been or may hereafter be granted them, shall have the full power and authority to acquire by lease, purchase or condemnation real or leasehold property needed for any public purpose and to erect buildings thereon for the benefit of the county and to sell at public or private sale or lease any real or leasehold property belonging to the county when in their discretion it is no longer needed for public use, and to execute and acknowledge any and all deeds and/or other instruments necessary to effect and complete such lease, purchase or sale of real or leasehold property; provided, however, notwithstanding any other provisions of this article or any provisions of any other article of the Annotated Code of Maryland, when the Board of County Commissioners of Cecil County or any other Cecil County governmental board or agency, including but not limited to the Cecil County Board of Education, negotiates to purchase real property, it shall first acquire an option, for a nominal consideration not to exceed one hundred dollars ($100.00), to buy the property at any time within an agreed period, not to exceed six months at a fixed price. Until the option is signed by both parties, there shall be no public disclosure. After the option is signed by both parties, the County Commissioners or county board or agency shall cause a notice of the signing of the option to be published two times in two successive weeks in one newspaper of general circulation in the county; the notice shall specify the name of the optioner and optionee, the length of the option, and the proposed purchase price, and the time and place fixed by the board or agency for hearing upon the option which shall be not less than seven, nor more than thirty days after the last publication. At the time fixed by the notice for hearing upon the option, any person shall be heard on either side of the question. After the hearing, if the board or agency feels that the exercise of the option is not necessary or desirable, the option shall not be exercised, but if the board or agency feels that the exercise of the option is necessary or desirable, it shall be exercised as soon as legally permissible.

      (b)      Before the County Commissioners of Cecil County may contract to sell or otherwise transfer real property, or any interest therein, owned by Cecil County, the County Commissioners shall hold, between the hours of 6:00 p.m. and 10:00 p.m., a public hearing advertised in a local newspaper of general circulation at least 2 weeks before the hearing.