10                                 LAWS OF MARYLAND                            [CH. 5

thereafter, these positions shall be so filled. No member of the Board
shall be eligible for reappointment within a year from the expira-
tion of his full six year term, nor if he has served as much as four
years of any unexpired term. Members of the Board shall be selected
from among persons who have been residents of Allegany County
for at least three years next preceding their appointment and they
shall be so selected that as many areas of the County as is practical
shall be represented on the Board.

(c)  The members of the Board shall serve without compensation.

(d)   The Board shall establish, maintain, and operate a nursing
or convalescent home or homes and any other facilities and services
necessary for the proper care and treatment of aged, convalescent,
and chronically ill residents of the county and shall have the fol-
lowing powers and duties:

(1)  To accept gifts, legacies, bequests or endowments for purposes
of the Board. Unless otherwise specified by the donor making such
gift, legacy, bequest or endowment, the Board, in its discretion, may
expend both principal and income of any such gift, bequest, legacy
or endowment to support the Board's program;

(2)   To acquire and hold real and personal property by any means,
including land, other than land being used as a cemetery or burial
ground, which the County Commissioners may decide and are hereby
authorized to convey to the Board, and to preserve and administer
such properties;

(3)  To provide adequate facilities and services for the care and
treatment of the aged, convalescent, and chronically ill citizens of
the county. These facilities and services may include physical care,
medical, nursing, recreational, rehabilitative, special education, and
other similar activities, and, in addition, dissemination of informa-
tion relative to causes and prevention of chronic and debilitating
illnesses;

(4) To charge such fees for admission to and maintenance in
such facilities and for use of such services as may support the
facilities and services subject, however, to the provision that where
aged, convalescent, and chronically ill residents of the county are
in need of such facilities and services and are unable to pay the full
cost of such care, then the charges to such residents shall be in direct
proportion to their ability to pay for the services, and in determin-
ing the ability to pay for services, the Board's decision shall be final;

(5)  To apply all monies, assets, property or other things of value
it may receive to the general purposes of the Board;

(6)  To adopt, subject to the terms of this section, such rules and
regulations of any facilities or services that it establishes as may be
necessary for their proper operation;

(7)   To cooperate with and assist, insofar as practicable, any
agency of the State of Maryland, the United States of America, any
subdivision of either, or any private agency or person in further-
ance of any of the purposes of this section;

(8)  To hire a director of any facility or service that it establishes
and to provide for such additional employees, their qualifications
and wages as are necessary to properly operate such facilities;