920 ARTICLE 4.

or the work of any sub-department under this Department. It shall per-
form such other duties as may be required of it by ordinances not incon-
sistent with this Charter.

1898, ch. 123.

85. When any ordinance for a public improvement, not included in
the Ordinance of Estimates furnished by the Board of Estimates under
the provisions of this Charter, exceeding in cost the sum of two thousand
dollars has passed its first reading in the City Council, it shall be referred
to the Board of Public Improvements for an opinion, in writing, as to its
advisability and whether the wants of the city actually require such an
improvement, and by the last-named Board with such opinion attached
to said ordinance it shall be sent to the Board of Estimates for its opinion,
in writing, as to the probable cost of the same and whether the financial
condition of the city will justify such an expenditure. No further action
with regard to said ordinance shall be taken by the City Council until
such reports have been made and submitted to the City Council and
read and entered on the journal of said Council. It shall be the duty
of both of the said Boards to promptly make the said reports and the
Board of Estimates shall return the same attached to said ordinance to the
City Council.

Baltimore City v. Gorter, 93 Md. 13. Patterson v. Balto., 130 Md. 654.

DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS.*

85A. PART I.

The Department of Public Works of Baltimore City is hereby created.
It shall have an exercise the rights, powers, duties, obligations and func-
tions, as provided herein, subject to the limitations herein set forth. The
head of said department shall be the Chief Engineer of Baltimore, who
shall be appointed by the Mayor with the consent of the City Council,
as provided in Section 35 of the Charter of Baltimore City, and hold his
office as therein provided.

The Chief Engineer shall have general educational equipment at least
equal to that of graduates of high schools. The Mayor, when appointing
a Chief Engineer, shall give first consideration to the qualifications of
those who are graduates in Engineering from a recognized college or tech-
nical school of collegiate grade. The Chief Engineer shall be a person
of broad experience and high standing in his profession, and shall have
had responsible charge of engineering works over a period of at ]east ten
years. If the person appointed as Chief Engineer is not a graduate in
engineering from a recognized college or technical school of collegiate
grade, he shall have had not less than fifteen years' experience in engi-
neering, during ten years of which he shall have been in responsible charge

*Sec. 85A was proposed as an amendment to the City Charter by Resolution No.
7 of the Mayor and City Council, approved Sept. 7. 1926. and ratified by the voters
at the November election, 1926.