1834                             Laws of Maryland                       Ch. 655

constructed, purchased or established under this subtitle, the said
Commission is hereby empowered to establish a proper and reason-
able charge for connection with said water supply, sewerage and
drainage system so to be constructed, purchased or established as
aforesaid, and to fix an annual assessment on all properties, improved
or unimproved, binding upon a street, road, lane, alley or right-of-
way in which a water main sewer or drain has been built or which

are otherwise served by the water supply, sewerage or drainage

systems, or a part thereof.

(b)    The said annual assessment based on the Commission's fiscal
year shall be made upon the front foot basis or upon other basis as
the Commission shall determine to be equitable [and the first pay-
ment shall be collected during the year which the construction is
completed on the water supply, sewerage or drainage systems, or
in which the systems are purchased or acquired]. The said Com-
mission for the purpose of assessing benefits shall divide all proper-
ties binding upon a street, road, lane, alley or right-of-way, in which
a water pipe or sanitary sewer is to be laid or otherwise served
by the water supply, sewerage or drainage systems or a part there-
of,, into four classes, namely: Agricultural, small acreage, industrial
or business, and sub-division property, and the Commission may sub-
divide each of said classes in such manner as it may deem to be in
the public interest. Whenever any water supply or sewerage project
in said sanitary district or sanitary districts [shall have been com-
pleted by June 30th, in any one year, regardless of when said con-
struction was commenced, then] is available for service the said
Commission shall fix and levy a benefit charge [as of the follow-
ing first day of July] for the remainder of the fiscal year on a pro
rata basis upon all property in said sanitary district abutting upon
said water main or sewer or otherwise served by the water supply,
sewerage or drainage systems or a part thereof 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 case of a vacant or unimproved property posted
upon the premises.

(c)    Classification. 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 prop-
erties change in the uses to which they are put. Said benefits shall
be levied for both water supply and sewerage construction and when
made upon the front foot basis shall be based for each class of
property upon the number of front feet abutting upon the street,
lane, road, alley or right-of-way in which the water pipe or sewer is
placed; provided, however, that in the case of any irregular shaped
lot abutting upon a road, street, lane, alley or right-of-way in which
there is or is being constructed a water main or sewer at any point,
said lot shall be assessed for such frontage as the Commission may
determine to be reasonable and fair; and provided further that no
lot in a subdivision property shall be assessed on more than one side,
unless said lot abuts upon two parallel streets, that corner lots may
be averaged and assessed upon such frontage as the Commission may