248                               LAWS OF MARYLAND                        [CH. 170

salary to be paid during the year to the Mayor and each Commis-
sioner, which salaries so set shall not exceed the sum of Five Hundred
Dollars ($500.00) to the Mayor and Two Hundred Fifty Dollars
($250.00) to each Commissioner, excepting whenever any Commis-
sioner is designated as Treasurer of the Town he may be paid an
additional sum of Fifty Dollars ($50.00). They shall have the power
to designate and to employ by way of a retainer or otherwise an
Attorney at Law to be their legal adviser or representative, and may
contract with him as to his compensation and duties in their behalf.
They may by order or ordinance define and prescribe the duties of
the Clerk or the Bailiff and prescribe the amount of their respective
salaries or compensation, as well as to fix the rate of wages or
compensation of all other employees of said town. Without the
special permission of the Legislature of Maryland, the authority of
the Mayor and Commissioners to borrow money upon the faith and
credit of the Municipality of Westerport shall be limited to funds
for proper municipal purposes, [and at no time shall this power or
authority to borrow money or incur obligations for the payment
of money exist in excess of a total debt amounting to one and one-
half percent of the amount of the assessable property in said town
of Westernport, as carried for tax purposes.]

SEC. 2. And be it further enacted, That the effectiveness of this
Act shall be subject to the requirement of Section 5 of Article HE
of the Constitution of Maryland that no such local law shall become
effective in regard to a municipal corporation until and unless it
shall have been approved at a regular or special municipal election
by a majority of the voters of that municipal corporation voting on
the question.

SEC. 3. And be it further enacted, That this Act is hereby declared
to be an emergency measure and necessary for the immediate pres-
ervation of the public health and safety and having been passed by
a yea and nay vote, supported by three-fifth's of all the members
elected to each of the two Houses of the General Assembly of Mary-
land, the same shall take effect from the date of its passage.

Approved March 29,1955.

CHAPTER 170
(House Bill 539)

AN ACT to repeal and re-enact, with amendments, Section 645 of
Article 1 of the Code of Public Local Laws of Maryland (1930
Edition), as said section was enacted by Chapter 8 of the Acts of
1953, title "Allegany County", sub-title "Westernport", regulating
the maximum tax rate which may be imposed on property by the
Mayor and Commissioners of the Municipal Corporation of West-

EXPLANATION: Italics indicate new matter added to existing law.
[Brackets] indicate matter stricken from existing law.
CAPITALS indicate amendments to bill.
Strike out indicates matter stricken out of bill.