WM. PRESTON LANE, JR., GOVERNOR. 207

such manner as shall be provided by ordinance and to
purchase, contract to purchase, lay or contract to lay
water mains and trunk and lateral sewers in said town
and to pay the costs of all such work and assess said
cost, or any part thereof, against the abutting property as
hereinafter provided in this section. For the purposes of
this Act the term "water mains'' shall include fire hydrants,
meters, valves and connections and all other service equip-
ment. The foregoing action may be initiated by the Coun-
cil on its own motion without the filing of a petition by
abutting property owners hereinafter provided for.

Whenever a petition in writing, duly signed by the owners
of at least twenty per cent of the front footage of all the
property abutting upon any such proposed public improve-
ment, shall be filed with the Council praying for the con-
struction of any public improvement herein mentioned, the
Council shall, after having given the notice prescribed in
the following section, hold a public hearing upon the mat-
ter of such petition, and shall as soon thereafter as may be
convenient, render its decision thereon granting or deny-
ing the said application, as in its judgment the public
health, safety or comfort may require; provided, however,
that in case the Council shall grant such petition, it shall
thereupon proceed in all respects in the manner and in
the form hereinafter provided in this section.

(G) To carry out the provisions of this section the
said Council is hereby given power and authority, to bor-
row such sums from time to time as may be needed to make
such improvements, including the proportionate share
thereof, if any, to be assessed against the town in accord-
ance with this section, and to issue certificates of indebted-
ness as evidence thereof. All sums so borrowed shall be
kept in a separate account to be known as the "Special
Improvement Fund" and shall be borrowed for no longer
period than shall be sufficient to collect the special assess-
ments provided for; said certificates of indebtedness shall
be full and complete general obligations of the Town of
Rockville and shall be payable first from the special as-
sessments levied under the provisions of this section; and
in the event of any deficiency occurring in the amount
received from said special assessment, the Council shall
and it is hereby directed to make up such deficiency
from the proceeds of ad valorem taxes which the Mayor
and Council of Rockville is hereby authorized and empow-
ered to levy upon all property within the present or future
corporate limits of the Town subject to assessment for full
municipal taxation, which taxes said Town is authorized
and empowered to levy in an amount sufficient to meet