654 LAWS OF MARYLAND. [CH. 526

districts, including the necessary preliminary expense, and for
the purpose of maintaining said systems when constructed,
the Commission may request the County Commissioners of
Prince George's County and the County Commissioners of
Montgomery County to levy a direct ad valorem tax not ex-
ceeding 2c per $100. 00 on all of the property assessed for
County tax purposes within the Sanitary District and within
the respective Counties. When so requested, the respective
County Commissioners shall levy such tax at the next tax
levying period and the amount of such tax shall be levied and
collected by the County Treasurers of the respective Counties
as the general ad valorem tax of the Commission is now levied,
collected and paid.

The County Commissioners of either County may, however,
in lieu of levying the tax provided for herein, pay the amount
which would be produced by such levy out of any funds not
otherwise appropriated and available for the purpose, and
shall not then be required to make the levy requested by the
Commission.

SEC. 6. And be it further enacted, That for the purpose of pro-
viding for the payment of the principal and the interest on the
bonds so issued by the Commission for the construction of drain-
age systems, there shall be levied by the Commission a drain-
age system assessment against all of the properties within said
drainage area served by said system whether immediately or
remotely, which the Commission determines to be benefited by
said system, based on the assessed value of all of the property
belonging to any owner within said drainage area and so bene-
fited, which tax or assessment shall be uniform throughout the
area affected. Such tax or assessment shall be levied annually
in a sufficient amount to meet the principal and interest re-
quirements of the bonds outstanding, the proceeds of which
went into the construction of the drainage system and such
tax or assessment may be graduated from year to year as the
bonds are retired. Before any such tax or assessment is levied
the Commission shall mail to the best obtainable addresses of
the owners of all properties within said drainage district or
part thereof upon which it is proposed to levy a tax or assess-
ment, notice that said tax or assessment is to be levied and
giving said property owners an opportunity to be heard
thereon at a time and place fixed in said notice, and at said
hearing the Commission may adjust said tax or assessment,
maintaining, however, a rule of uniformity as to the base rate
or percentage of levy. Upon completion of such levy, the Com-
mission shall certify the same, including the names, properties
and amounts to the County Commissioners of the County
within which such drainage system is to be constructed, and
the County Commissioners shall thereupon direct the Treasurer