344                               LAWS OF MARYLAND                        [CH. 243

for the health, welfare and safety of the residents residing therein,
then said Commission shall cause plats of such area to be made under
the supervision of its chief engineer showing the proposed water
and/or sewerage system, one copy of which plat shall be filed in the
office of the Commission, one in the office of the County Commis-
sioners and one in a plat book indexed ^(<Wicomico County Sewer
and Water Commission" in the office where the Land Records of
Wicomico County are kept, and upon the filing of said plat and the
approval thereof by the County Commissioners of said County and
the Commission, such sanitary district or districts shown on said
plat shall be and the same is hereby designated and constituted for
the purpose of this sub-title to be a separate sanitary district and
shall be given by the Commission a distinctive name and shall be
subject to all of the provisions of this sub-title, and the filing of said
plat shall constitute legal notice to the public of such action of the
Commission. for the purpose of providing for the organization and
preliminary expenses of any newly constituted sanitary district or
districts, the County Commissioners shall furnish the Commission
a sum not exceeding Twenty-five Thousand Dollars ($25,000.00)
which shall be repaid out of the first bond issue or income of the
particular district.

424. Whenever fifteen (15) property owners residing in any locality
in Wicomico County or if there are not fifteen (15) property owners
in such locality, then twenty-five per cent (25%) of the owners
therein shall petition the Commission to have said locality (the bound-
aries whereof shall be definitely stated in said petition) constituted as
a new sanitary district, the Commission, if it approves, shall cause
to be made a preliminary engineering survey of the project to deter-
mine the feasibility and probable cost of providing such area with
water and sewer. The Commission shall prepare without cost to the
petitioners a preliminary estimate to determine the approximate cost
of providing such facilities. The Commission will also submit an esti-
mate of the cost of making surveys and preparing a complete en-
gineering and financial report which shall include the estimated
assessed property valuation as fixed for County taxation purposes
within the locality involved, which estimated assessed valuation shall
be furnished to the Commission by the County Commissioners. When-
ever such preliminary estimates are completed the Commission shall
give notice by publication in one or more newspapers published with-
in the County once a week for three (S) successive weeks and by
handbills posted and circulated in the locality where said district is
proposed, which notice shall specify the proposed district together
with the time and place of the hearing to be held, at which hearing
those present shall be given the probable cost of providing such area
with water and sewer as shown by the preliminary survey and the
probable cost of the preparation of the complete engineering and
financial report incident thereto. If the estimated cost of the pro-
posed facilities, including the cost of the engineering and financial
report incident thereto shall exceed fifteen per cent (15%) of the
assessed property value as fixed for county taxation purposes in said
area or locality or if the project is not feasible from an engineering
or financial standpoint, then the Commission may in its discretion
deny the petition. If the Commission shall deny the petition, a ma-
jority of the land owners in said area or locality may petition the
Commission to prepare surveys, plans, engineer's reports and esti-