866                          LAWS OF MARYLAND.                 [CH. 335

ties, from time to time, as said properties change in the uses
to which they are put. The Commissioners shall be empow-
ered and directed to make a charge upon every building and
place having a connection with the sewerage system under their
control, said charge to be an annual sewerage service charge.
All assessments and charges shall be uniform for each class of
property throughout any sub-district, shall be subject to change
annually and shall be collected by the treasurer of Baltimore
County, excepting the water service rates, which shall be col-
lected as already specified in Section 6. For those water sup-
ply systems not falling under the provisions of Sections 5 and
6, but constructed and operated by the Commissioners, water
service rates shall be established by the Commissioners. All
front foot assessments shall run for an equal term of years;
provided, however, that any property owner may, at his option
within one year from the time said front foot assessment or
benefit charge is levied, extinguish the same by the payment
in cash, in one sum, of the proportion of the estimated cost
of the project of which the construction abutting upon his
property is a part, represented by the number of front feet
with which he is assessed, with interest at the rate of six per
cent, per annum from the date of said levy, less any annual
payment that may have been made thereon. The Commission-
ers, however, in estimating said cost for the purpose of extin-
guishment, may add thereto a reasonable margin to protect
themselves against possible changes in the cost of construction
and the loss of interest. All sums received under such plan
of extinguishment shall be preserved intact fey the treasurer
of Baltimore County, less the payment of the proportion of
interest and sinking fund properly chargeable to the amount
so received, and used for future construction. The said as-
sessments and charges shall be and constitute a lien upon the
property chargeable with the same until paid, and if remain-
ing unpaid for sixty days after becoming due, they may be col-
lected by an action of debt or by a bill in equity to enforce
such lien. All suits, either in law or in equity, shall be in the
name and at the instance of the treasurer of Baltimore County.
The amount collected by the treasurer of Baltimore County,
whether by suit (either at law or in equity) or otherwise, for
the construction, maintenance and operation of the said water
and sewerage system, after deducting therefrom all overhead
expenses of the Commissioner and all proper and necessary
costs of maintaining and operating the systems, and all such