226 LAWS OF MARYLAND. [Ch. 109]

all contracts must be filed with and form part of the vouchers
upon which payments are made, which vouchers must be
approved by the president of said board, and it shall be unlawful
for the treasurer to pay any bill except upon proper vouchers
prepared, endorsed and approved as required by law; pro-
vided, that nothing contained in this section shall be construed
to affect the appointment or term of office of the present Road
Superintendent, who shall continue to hold his office for the
term of four years for which he has been heretofore appointed
subject to the requirements of this sub-title.

177J. Whenever the owners of property binding upon any
public road or street may desire to have the same improved to
an extent beyond that contemplated by the said County Com-
missioners, then, if the owners of two-thirds of the linear feet
of property binding on such road or street shall petition the said
commissioners for such improvement and deposit with the com-
missioners a sufficient sum of money, the same to be determined
by the said commissioners, to cover the cost of necessary sur-
veys and other necessary expenses of preliminary examination,
it shall be the duty of the said commissioners to appoint three
examiners, one to be selected by the petitioners, one to be a
member of the said Cpunty Commissioners, and the other the
Road Superintendent of the county, to examine into and report
upon the need for such improvement and the cost thereof; and
if the commissioners shall determine, after such report thereon,
that such improvement should be made, they shall determine
the amount to be appropriated from the road moneys of the
county or district for such improvement, if any, and what pro-
portion of the cost shall be paid by the petitioners and others
interested in the work, and shall have the power to determine
what individuals would be damaged and what individuals would
be benefited thereby, and the amount of such individual dam-
age and benefit, and to allow and assess the same; provided, the
amount of individual damage and individual benefit shall not
be finally fixed until notice shall be given to the persons to be
affected, and to have the opportunity to be heard, such persons
to have the right to appeal from the final decision of the said
County Commissioners to the Circuit Court for the county; and
such assessment or award shall be considered a tax and lien
upon the property, real and personal, of the person or corpora-
tion assessed to the same extent and as fully as State and county
taxes, and subject to the same limitations as to time, if not paid
within thirty days of the final order of ratification of such
award or return, and mav be collected by the treasurer of the
county by an action of debt or in the same manner as taxes are