J. MILLARD TAWES, Governor                       1469

payments when due, together with accrued interest to the date of
payment. In the event the proceeds from the taxes so levied in any
fiscal year are inadequate for the above purposes, the County Com-
missioners of Harford County shall levy additional taxes in the
succeeding fiscal year to make up any deficiency.

421. Front foot benefit assessments.

(a)  For the purpose of paying the interest on and principal of
the bonds issued by said Commission as in this subtitle provided for
the water supply, sewerage, or drainage systems to be constructed,
purchased, or established under this subtitle, the Commission may
fix an annual assessment on all properties, improved or unimproved,
binding upon a street, road, lane, alley, or right-of-way in which a
water main, sewer, or drain has been built. The annual assessment
shall be made upon the front foot basis, and the first payment shall
be collected during the year in which the construction is completed
on the water supply, sewerage, or drainage systems, or in which the
systems are purchased or acquired. All sums collected by the Com-
mission for benefits levied against the property for water, sewerage,
or drainage construction shall be set aside as a separate fund to be
known and designated as the Front Foot Benefit Assessment Fund.

(b)   The Commission for the purpose of assessing benefits shall
divide all properties binding upon a street, road, lane, alley, or right-
of-way, in which a water pipe or sanitary sewer is to be laid, into
four classes, namely: agricultural, small acreage, industrial or busi-
ness, and residential, and the Commission may subdivide each of
these classes in such manner as it deems to be in the public interest.
Whenever any water supply or sewerage project in the sanitary
district has been completed and declared ready for service the Com-
mission shall fix and levy an assessment for the remainder of the
fiscal year on a pro rata basis upon all property in the district
abutting upon the water main or sewer, in accordance with the
classification or subdivision thereof; and it shall in writing notify
all owners of said properties into which class and subdivision their
respective properties fall and the charge determined upon, naming
also in the notice a time and place, when and at which time the owner
will be heard. Such notice may be mailed to the last known address
of the owner, or served in person upon any adult occupying the
premises or in case of a vacant or unimproved property posted upon
the premises.

(c)   The classification of and the benefit assessment made against
any property by the Commission is final, subject only to revision at
the hearing. The Commission may change the classification of prop-
erties from time to time as the properties change in the uses to
which they are put. The benefit assessment shall be levied for water
supply, sewerage and drainage construction, and shall be based for
each class of property upon the number of front feet abutting upon
the street, lane, road, alley, or right-of-way in which the water pipe
or sewer is placed; provided, however, that in the case of any ir-
regular shaped lot abutting upon a road, street, lane, alley, or right-
of-way in which there is or is being constructed a water main,
sewer or drainage system at any point, the lot shall be assessed for
such frontage as the Commission may determine to be reasonable