234                             LAWS OF MARYLAND                     [CH. 220

taken into the county roads system. In the exercise of the powers
granted by this section, the County Commissioners by proper ordi-
nance, passed in accordance with the provisions of Section 3 of
Article 25 of the Annotated Code of Maryland (1957 Edition, as
amended from time to time), may adopt all necessary rules and
conditions for the acceptance, construction, and maintenance of such
roads and/or other authorized improvements by the county. Such
ordinance may also provide for annual benefit assessments to be levied
against the abutting properties and other properties benefited by the
construction or improvement, for the purpose of reimbursing the
county for the cost of such improvements and the time and manner of
payment, except that the time of payment may not exceed ten years.
Annual benefit assessments shall be a first lien upon the property
against which they are assessed, until paid, subject only to prior
State and county taxes; and if any property is sold for State and
county taxes, and there remains a surplus over the amount of the
taxes due, the County Commissioners upon proper petition to the
Circuit Court may be allowed the payment of their lien.

443A.

(a)   The Director of Public Works has full power to grade and
regulate sidewalks along all paved streets, lanes, and alleys in Har-
ford County.

(b)  If the Director of Public Works finds that any sidewalk or
portion thereof is not properly graded and paved or is in bad repair
or otherwise in a defective condition, he may in his judgment deter-
mine that it needs grading, paving, or repairing. In such case the
Director of Public Works shall serve a written or printed notice on
every person whose property binds or abuts upon the sidewalk or
portion thereof which requires grading, paving, repaving, or repair-
ing. In this notice he shall give all persons interested an opportunity
within fifteen days after the date of the notice to show cause if any
why the sidewalk area should not be graded, paved, or repaired. If
the owner of any property cannot be found by the Director of Public
Works, the notice shall be conspicuously posted upon the premises
where the sidewalk is located.

(c)  Any person dissatisfied with the decision of the Director of
Public Works concerning the necessity for grading, paving, repaving,
or repairing the sidewalk area within ten days after the date of the
hearing before the Director of Public Works may appeal to the County
Commissioners of Harford County. In such event the Board of County
Commissioners shall hear the appeal and its decision shall be final as
to the necessity for the work of grading, paving, repaving, or repair-
ing the sidewalk area. If there is no appeal from the decision of the
Director of Public Works or if after appeal his decision is affirmed
by the Board of County Commissioners, the Director of Public Works
shall have the sidewalk area properly graded, paved, repaved, or
repaired; except that the owner of the property then has the option of
having the work done himself with materials approved by the Director
of Public Works, within thirty days after the hearing held by the
Director of Public Works or after the decision of the Board of County
Commissioners, as the case may be. In either event, the work shall
be done under the supervision of the Director of Public Works and in
accordance with his specifications therefor, using the materials and
following the procedures usually followed in modern, improved side-
walk paving.