Theodore R. McKeldin, Governor                    1121

its duly authorized agent or agents audit and examine the books and
records of such District; provided, however, that such audit or
examination shall be without cost to said District.

878. (a) Each District created hereunder shall be deemed to be
an instrumentality exercising public and essential governmental
functions to provide for the public health and welfare and shall be
for the purpose of acquiring, holding, constructing, reconstructing,
repairing, improving, maintaining and operating, owning, leasing,
either in the capacity of lessor or lessee, a project or projects within
or partly within the county by action of whose governing body the
District was created.

(b) Each District is hereby granted and shall have and may
exercise all powers necessary or convenient for the carrying out the
aforesaid purposes, including but without limiting the generality of
the foregoing, the following rights and powers:

(1)  To have existence for a term of fifty years as a corporation.

(2)   To adopt by-laws for the regulation of its affairs and the
conduct of its business.

(3)   To adopt an official seal and alter the same at pleasure.

(4)   To maintain an office at such place or places as it may
designate.

(5)   To appoint officers, agents, employees and servants, to pre-
scribe their duties and to fix their compensation.

(6)   To sue and be sued.

(7)   To acquire, purchase, hold, lease as lessee and use any fran-
chise, property, real, personal or mixed, tangible or intangible, or
any interest therein necessary or desirable for carrying out the
purposes of the District and to sell, lease as lessor, transfer and
dispose of any property or interest therein at any time acquired by it.

(8)  To acquire by gift, purchase or the exercise of the right of
eminent domain, lands or rights in land or water rights in connection
therewith; provided, however, that no property or any interest or
estate therein owned by any county, city, town or other political sub-
division of the State shall be acquired by the exercise of the power
of eminent domain without the consent of the governing body of
such county, city, town or political sub-division, nor any existing
privately owned and operated water or sewerage system without
the consent of the owners and operators thereof. At any time after
ten days after the return and recordation of the verdict or award
in any condemnation proceedings, the Commission may enter and
take possession of the property so condemned, upon first paying to
the Clerk of the Court the amount of said reward and all costs taxed
to that date, notwithstanding any appeal or further proceedings
upon the part of the defendant. At the time of said payment, how-
ever, the Commission shall give its corporate undertaking to abide
by and fulfill any judgment in such appeal or further proceedings.

(9)  To combine any water system and any sewerage system as a
single system for the purpose of operation and financing.

(10)   To enter into contracts with the Federal Government, the
State of Maryland, or any agency or instrumentality thereof, or with

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