J. MILLARD TAWES, Governor                           29

from office at any time in the discretion of the County Commissioners,
and shall be paid such compensation for their services, and expenses
in connection therewith, as the County Commissioners of Howard
County may determine from time to time to be reasonable and proper,
and said County Commissioners are hereby authorized to levy
such sum or sums on the assessable property of Howard County as
shall be necessary to pay said salaries and expenses.

117.

(a) The County Commissioners of Howard County are hereby
authorized and empowered to fix a schedule of fees or charges NOT
TO EXCEED $5.00 PER UNIT for the issuance of a permit and/or
certificate of occupancy for leasing, renting or letting of any buildings
or structures, or parts thereof as dwelling units for human habitation
in Howard County, and from time to time to increase or decrease any
such fees or charges as it may deem proper and necessary. After July
1, 1964, no building or structure, or part thereof, shall be leased,
rented or let or subleased, subrented or sublet without first obtaining
a permit and/or certificate of occupancy in writing signed by the
Housing Administrator for Howard County, and paying the requisite
fee or charge therefor. The Housing Administrator of Howard
County shall provide application forms which shall contain such re-
quests for information as he may determine to be necessary. No appli-
cation for a permit and/or certificate of occupancy shall be considered
and no permit and/or certificate of occupancy granted unless and
until all information requested by the Housing Administrator is sup-
plied, including but not limited to, the information stating . THE IN-
FORMATION SHALL BE LIMITED TO the number of dwelling
units or rooming units per structure; the number of families and
the occupants per dwelling unit or rooming unit; and the number
and kinds of uses for which such structure or building will be used;
AND SUCH STRUCTURAL DATA AS HE MAY DEEM NECES-
SARY, provided that it shall not be necessary to make application or
obtain a permit and/or a certificate of occupancy for any owner-
occupied structure or building containing only one dwelling unit, nor
where such permit and/or certificate of occupancy is waived for cause
by the Housing Administrator. The Housing Administrator shall ac-
count for and pay over daily to the Treasurer of Howard County all
funds received from the issuance of permits and/or certificates of
occupancy, which said monies shall be expended by the County Com-
missioners of Howard County as a part of the general funds of said
county. Whenever the Housing Administrator shall refuse to grant
a permit and/or certificate of occupancy to an applicant, he shall
certify his reasons therefor in writing to the County Commissioners
of Howard County, and the said County Commissioners shall grant or
refuse such permit or certificate of occupancy by an order in writing.
Within fifteen days, and not longer, after an order refusing the
issuance of an application for a permit and/or certificate of occu-
pancy, the applicant shall be entitled to appeal to the Circuit Court
for Howard County; which Court, sitting without a jury, shall hear
and determine all matters relating to the application de novo, and
the decision of said Court shall be final. Such appeal shall be in-
stituted by filing in said Court, a petition, a copy of which shall be
served on the County Commissioners of Howard County, which said
petition shall set forth in clear and concise terms the grounds for
appeal. The County Commissioners shall promptly certify and file a