J. MILLARD TAWES, Governor                       173

of Montgomery County, first appointed under this section, shall be
for two years. Thereafter the term of office of each of the members
shall be for four years. Any vacancy occurring at any time in the
membership of the Commission shall be filled by the Governor and in
the case of a vacancy from Prince George's County with the advice
and consent of the Senate of Maryland for the unexpired term, and
the appointee named to fill such vacancy shall be from the County for
which such vacancy exists; and if such vacancy exists for one of the
appointments made from nominations of either said County Commis-
sioners or County Council then the appointment to fill such vacancy
shall be made by the Governor from nominations of such Commission
or Council made in the manner provided herein for appointments to
the Commission. The annual salary of the Chairman of said Commis-
sion shall be forty-eight hundred dollars ($4,800.00); of the Vice-
Chairman forty-five hundred dollars ($4,500.00); and of the other
members of said Commission, forty-two hundred dollars ($4,200.00),
all payable bi-weekly. The Chairman and Vice-Chairman shall perform
such duties as the Commission shall from time to time designate. The
Commission shall, in June, 1959, after the six members have been
appointed as herein provided, and in June every two years thereafter
at its first meeting or as soon thereafter as possible elect from among
its members a Chairman and a Vice-Chairman, one to be from Prince
George's County and one to be from Montgomery County, who shall
serve for two years or until their successors are elected and qualified.
If a vacancy exists in the position of Chairman or Vice-Chairman,
the Commission shall elect a new Chairman or Vice-Chairman, as the
occasion requires after the Commission vacancy has been filled. The
Commission shall appoint, discharge and fix the compensation of a
Secretary and a Treasurer, who shall not be the same person, a
Chief Engineer, Deputy Chief Engineer, Assistant Chief Engineers
and Division Engineers, and such engineering, legal, clerical and
other force and help as, from time to time, in its judgment may be
deemed necessary to carry out the provisions of this sub-title. The
duties of the Secretary shall be prescribed by the Commission and
shall include the supervision of all the administrative activities of the
Commission except those relating to engineering and financial mat-
ters, acting as liaison between the Commission and the public, and in
general to promote public relations for the Commission; the duties
of the Treasurer, in accordance with directions of the Commission,
shall include, but not be limited to, administrative performance and
authority to maintain a proper and effective utilities accounting sys-
tem for all financial transactions of the Commission, and to perform
such other duties respecting the financial affairs of the Commission
as may be required by law or by directive of the Commission. All
acts, orders and regulations heretofore passed by said Commission
while sitting in the District of Columbia are hereby ratified and con-
firmed and are to be given the same force and effect as if passed in
the State of Maryland. Said Commission shall annually publish in
at least one newspaper in Montgomery County, and one in Prince
George's County, a full and true account of its receipts, expenses and
expenditures; said Commission shall employ a certified public ac-
countant, certified to practice as a public accountant in the State of
Maryland, to audit its books and accounts. Said Commission shall
always keep available and open to public inspection during business
hours, at its principal office, a detailed audit and financial statement
of its accounts. The Commission shall file with the County Commis-
sioners of Prince George's County and the County Council of Mont-