518                              LAWS OF MARYLAND                      [CH. 356

and the said salaries and expenses as aforesaid, and shall then
deposit the residue of said moneys in some bank or banks in said
County to the credit of the Commission. The Commission is author-
ized to pay the interest on any bonds that it may issue out of the
proceeds of the sale of said bonds, but not more than one year's
interest may be so expended.

131.

Whenever the plans and specifications for water supply, sewerage
or drainage systems for [any subdistrict] the Metropolitan District
shall have been completed and the Commission shall have decided
after opportunity for a hearing has been given to proceed with the
construction thereof, it shall advertise, by notice in one newspaper
published in Howard County and such newspapers and technical
press as it may deem proper, for bids for the construction of said
system or systems, in part or as a whole, as in its judgment may
appear advisable. The contract shall be let to the lowest responsible
bidder, or the Commission may reject any and all bids, and if in its
discretion the prices quoted are unreasonable or unbalanced, it may
readvertise the work or any part of it or may do any part or all of
the work by day labor; provided that at any time the Commission
may, in its discretion, expend by day labor for construction work
an amount not exceeding Three Thousand Dollars ($3,000.00) with-
out advertising or receiving bids. All such contracts shall be pro-
tected by such bonds, penalties and conditions as the Commission
may require, all of which shall be enforced in any court having
jurisdiction.

132.

(c) Whenever any water supply or sewerage project in said
[district or districts] Metropolitan District shall have been com-
pleted by June 30 or December 30, in any one year, regardless of
when said construction was commenced, then the said Commission
shall fix and levy a benefit charge as of the first day of July or
January [in which the project was completed] upon all property
in said [subdistrict] Metropolitan District abutting upon said water
main or sewer, in accordance with the classification or subdivision
thereof, and 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 said notice a time
and place, when and at which time said 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 the
case of a vacant or unimproved property posted upon the premises.
The classification of and the benefit assessed against any property
as made by the Commission shall be final, subject only to revision
at said hearing. The Commission may change the classification of
property from time to time as said properties change in the uses to
which they are put.

(e) Front foot benefit charges for water supply and sewerage
construction shall be as nearly uniform as is reasonably practical
for each class or subclass of property throughout [each subdistrict]
the Metropolitan District for any one year and no benefit charge,
once levied, shall be increased; provided, however, that whenever
the Commission acquires an existing system other than a municipal