MARVIN MANDEL, Governor                          409

and enter into agreements with respect thereto and for any studies,
plans, demonstrations or projects;

(g) Contracts for providing transit facilities and services. To
enter into and perform contracts with the State of Maryland, or any
agency or political subdivision thereof, for providing transit facilities
and services, including service in any county contiguous to the
District and for any other purposes incidental to the establishment,
financing and operation of the regional transit system;

(h) Joint use of property. To enter into and perform con-
tracts with any public utility, railroad, transportation company or
private carrier for the joint use of property or rights:

(i) Agreements for reduced or free fares. To enter into and
perform contracts and agreements with the Federal Government,
State of Maryland, or any agency or political subdivision thereof for
payments to the Authority for free or reduced fare transportation
of employees or other persons for whom such governments, agen-
cies or political subdivisions desire such transportation;

(j) Arrangements for providing transit service. To provide or
cause to be provided transit service with the transit facilities owned
or controlled by the Authority, or to enter into contracts or leases
with others to provide transit service with the transit facilities
owned or controlled by the Authority or with transit facilities
owned or controlled by others, including service in any county con-
tiguous to the District;

(k) Personnel. Create and abolish offices, employments and posi-
tions (other than those specifically provided for herein) as it deems
necessary and fix and provide for the qualification, appointment,
removal, term, tenure, compensation, pension and retirement rights,
AND COMPENSATION of its officers and employees without regard
to the laws of the State of Maryland relating to other State employees
with respect to such matters:

(1) Personnel system; pension and retirement plans. Establish,
in its discretion, a personnel system based on merit and fitness and,
subject to eligibility, participate in the pension and retirement plans
of the State of Maryland, upon terms and conditions mutually ac-
ceptable; SUBJECT TO THE PROVISIONS OF ARTICLE 73B,
PARTICIPATE IN THE EMPLOYEES' RETIREMENT SYS-
TEM OF THE STATE OF MARYLAND, UPON TERMS AND
CONDITIONS MUTUALLY ACCEPTABLE TO THE AUTHOR-
ITY AND THE SYSTEM. THE AUTHORITY MAY ESTABLISH
AND MAINTAIN A SYSTEM OF PENSIONS AND RETIRE-
MENT BENEFITS FOR ITS OFFICERS AND EMPLOYEES IN-
DEPENDENT OF THE EMPLOYEES' RETIREMENT SYSTEM
OF THE STATE OF MARYLAND.

(m) Technical and consulting services. To enter into contracts
or agreements for planning, engineering and technical services and,
to contract for or employ, consultants, engineers, attorneys and other
professional, planning, engineering and technical services;

(n) Security force. To contract