780                               LAWS OF MARYLAND                     [CH. 470

actually sitting as a substitute judge as hereinafter provided. All
compensation as provided herein shall be paid by the county council,
[who] which is hereby authorized and directed to levy to pay such
salaries [of] or such additional salaries as they may determine.

Sec. 2. And be it further enacted, That this Act shall take effect
June 1,1966.

Approved April 29, 1966.

CHAPTER 470
(House Bill 775)

AN ACT to repeal and re-enact, with amendments, Section 3(a),
(f) and , (r) AND (W) of Article 25 of the Annotated Code of
Maryland (1957 Edition and 1965 Supplement), title "County Com-
sioners," subtitle "General Provisions," to make a general grant of
powers available to the County Commissioners of Dorchester
County, INCLUDING A SCHEDULE OF MINIMUM PAY-
MENTS TO VOLUNTEER FIRE COMPANIES IN THE COUN-
TY but to exclude the county from the effect of two of these
powers relating to merit systems for county employees and the
manner of adopting any of the powers granted by this act.

Section 1. Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Maryland,
That Sections 3(a), (f) and , (r) AND (W) of Article 25 of the
Annotated Code of Maryland (1957 Edition and 1965 Supplement),
title "County Commissioners," subtitle "General Provisions," be and
they are hereby repealed and re-enacted, with amendments, to read
as follows:

3.

(a) The county commissioners of each county in this State, ex-
cept Worcester, Kent, Caroline, (except as hereinbelow provided),
Allegany, except as specifically provided in subsection (s), Prince
George's, Washington, Somerset, [Dorchester,] Baltimore, Anne
Arundel, Cecil, Charles (except as provided in subsection (bb)),
Howard, Frederick and Queen Anne's counties, in addition to, but
not in substitution of, the powers which have been or may hereafter
be granted them, shall have the following express powers:

(f) To establish a merit system in connection with the appoint-
ment of all county officials and employees not elected or appointed
under the Constitution or public general laws of the State, except
that this power is not available to the County Commissioners of
Dorchester County.

(r) No act, ordinance or resolution shall be adopted by the
county commissioners, under the powers conferred by this section,
until ten days after a public hearing has been held on the proposed
act, ordinance, or resolution. Prior notice of such public hearing,
together with a fair summary of the proposed act, ordinance, or res-
olution, shall be published in at least one newspaper of general
circulation in the county once each week for three successive weeks;