352                               Laws of Maryland                      [Ch. 282

cast at said hearing are in favor of the establishment of said district
or districts, then the area described in said survey shall be and be-
come a district or districts for the service or services approved at
said meeting. If twenty per cent (20%) of said owners of property
lying within proposed district or districts are dissatisfied with the
establishment of the district by the Commission after said hearing,
they shall have the right to take and enter within ten (10) days
after said Commission's decision is filed with the Clerk of the County
Commissioners an appeal to the County Commissioners of Wicomico
County.

515.

(a) Petition.—Whenever twenty (20) property owners residing
in any locality in Wicomico County or if there are not twenty (20)
property owners in such locality, then twenty-five per cent (25%)
of the owners therein shall petition the Commission to have said lo-
cality (the boundaries whereof shall be definitely stated in said
petition) constituted as a new district, the Commission, if it ap-
proves, shall cause to be made a preliminary engineering survey of
the project to determine the feasibility and probable cost of providing
such area with the urban service or services requested in said pe-
tition. The Commission shall prepare without cost to the petitioners
a preliminary estimate to determine the approximate cost of provid-
ing such facilities. The Commission will also submit an estimate of
the cost of making surveys and preparing a complete engineering
and financial report which shall include the estimated assessed prop-
erty valuation as fixed for County taxation purposes within the lo-
cality involved, which estimated assessed valuation shall be furnished
to the Commission by the County Commissioners. Whenever such
preliminary estimates are completed the Commission shall give notice
by publication in one or more newspapers published within the Coun-
ty once a week for three (3) 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 the urban
service or services requested in said petition as shown by the pre-
liminary survey and the probable cost of the preparation of the com-
plete engineering and financial report incident thereto. [If the esti-
mated cost of the proposed facilities, including the cost of the engi-
neering and financial report incident thereto together with the un-
amortized balance of the cost of all facilities previously installed by
the Commission in the area involved 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.] The owners (eliminating mortgagee
(s), and considering joint owners or owners in common as one
person) of property lying within said proposed district or districts,
shall have the right to vote for or against the establishment thereof,
and for the purpose of such balloting, each owner shall be entitled
to cast one vote for each $500.00, or majority fraction thereof, of
assessed valuation of his land, excluding the assessed valuation of all
improvements thereon lying within said proposed district or districts,
and if a majority of the votes cast at said hearing are in favor of the
establishment of said district or districts and if the Commission shall
find that the estimated cost of the proposed facilities, including the