198                         LAWS OF MARYLAND.                 [CH. 101

March in each and every year the Mayor and Council of
Chestertown shall make appropriations for each and every
department of the town government, and shall also provide
a contingent fund, not to exceed ten per cent, of the total
amount of the budget, and said provision when so made shall
not be changed except in case of emergency, nor shall any- said
appropriations be overdrawn by any department before Jan-
uary 1st, of the succeeding year; the Mayor and Council of
Chestertown shall annually, at the end of the fiscal year of
said town, have all books of the said corporation audited by
some competent person or persons, and shall have said books
and accounts of said corporation audited at such other times
as they may deem proper and necessary. The audit shall be
published in one or more newspapers published in Kent County
at least once in March, each year.

MEETINGS OF COUNCIL.

121.      The Solicitor, Engineer, Chief of Police and other
employees shall attend all regular meetings of the Mayor and
Council, and any special meeting of the Mayor and Council
at which their presence may be requested by any member of
the Council. They shall have the privilege of participating
in the discussion of matters relating to their respective de-
partments, but shall have no vote.

TERM OF OFFICE AND COMPENSATION.

122.      The Mayor shall receive an annual salary of $300. 00,
payable quarterly. He shall be elected for a term of two years
and serve for this period or until his successor shall be elected
and qualified. The Councilmen elected hereunder shall re-
ceive the sum of three dollars ($3. 00) per diem for each and
every meeting of said Mayor and Council which they shall
attend in the discharge of their duties as Councilmen as herein
provided. They shall serve for a term of four years or until
their successors shall be elected and qualified.

VACANCIES.

122A. If any vacancies should occur in the office of Mayor
or Councilman by death, removal, resignation, failure to qual-
ify or otherwise, the Councilmen at their next regular meet-
ing shall elect a suitable person as Mayor or Councilman, as
the case may be, to serve until the next election, who shall sub-