THEODORE R. McKELDIN, GOVERNOR                     661

than the amount of the unencumbered balance thereof or below any
amount required by law to be appropriated.

The County Commissioners may at any time during the fiscal year
transfer part or all of any unencumbered appropriation balance
between classifications of expenditures within a department, office
or agency; and if in the last quarter of the fiscal year the Director
of Finance so requests in writing, the Commissioners, by resolution
effective immediately on adoption, may transfer part or all of any
unencumbered appropriation balance from one department, office or
agency to another. But no transfer shall be made from appropria-
tions for debt service or for estimated cash deficit; and no appropria-
tion may be reduced below any amount required by law to be
appropriated.

54. Every appropriation, except an appropriation for a capital
expenditure to be met from current revenues, shall lapse at the
close of the fiscal year to the extent that it has not been expended or
encumbered. An appropriation for a capital expenditure to be met
from current revenues shall continue in force until the purpose for
which it was made has been accomplished or abandoned. The pur-
pose of any such appropriation for a capital expenditure shall be
deemed abandoned if three years pass without any expenditure from,
or encumbrance of, the appropriation concerned.

54A. No payment shall be authorized or made and no obligation
incurred by the County except in accordance with appropriations
duly made. No payment shall be made and no obligation incurred
against any allotment or appropriation unless the Director of Finance
first certifies that there is available a sufficient unencumbered bal-
ance in the allotment or appropriation to meet the payment or obli-
gation. Every obligation incurred and every authorization of pay-
ment in violation of the provisions of this law shall be void.

Nothing contained in this section or other sections of this sub-
title shall be construed to prevent the making or authorizing of
payments or making of contracts for capital improvements to be
financed wholly or partly by the issuance of bonds; nor shall it pre-
vent the making, when permitted by laiv, of any contract or any
lease providing for the payment of funds at a time beyond the end
of the fiscal year in which the contract or lease is made.

54B. The Commissioners may by resolution establish a reserve for
permanent public improvements and may appropriate thereto any
portion of the general fund cash surplus not otherwise appropriated
at the close of any fiscal year. They may likewise assign to said
fund a specified portion of ad valorem taxes on real estate or delin-
quent taxes paid or the whole or part of any other tax. Appropria-
tions from the said fund shall be made only to finance improvements
included in the capital budget or to make a down payment thereon.

54C. The County Commissioners shall provide annually for an
independent audit of the accounts and other evidences of financial
transactions of the County and of every department, office and
agency thereof. The audit shall be made by a Certified Public Ac-
countant designated by the Commissioners, who has no personal
interest, direct or indirect, in the fiscal affairs of the County or any