Marvin Mandel, Governor                         873

without lengthening his successor's term. Vacancies shall be filled
by the Governor, with the advice of the Secretary of Licensing and
Regulation, for the unexpired term.

The Governor, with the advice of the Secretary of Licensing and
Regulation, may remove any commissioner for incompetency or mis-
conduct in office, in accordance with the procedure set forth in
Article 41, Sections 51 56.

12.

The general counsel of the Commission shall be an attorney at
law of this State, and shall be appointed by the Governor upon the
recommendation of the Commission and the Secretary of Licensing
and Regulation. His compensation shall be fifty five hundred dollars

($5500.00) per year. His term of office shall be six years, and he

shall be eligible for reappointment. Vacancies shall be filled for the
unexpired term in the same manner as original appointments are

made. He may be removed by the Governor, with the advice of the

Secretary of Licencing and Regulation, for the same reasons, and
in the same manner as commissioners.

14.

The people's counsel shall be an attorney at law of this State. He

shall be appointed by the Governor, with the advice of the Secre-

tary of Licensing and Regulation, and shall hold office at the pleasure

of the Governor. He shall receive an annual salary as provided

in the budget.

15B.

The people's counsel, with the approval of the Secretary of Licen-

sing and Regulation, may hire from time to time, as needed, in con-

nection with specific proceedings before the Commission, experts in
the utility regulation field including but not limited to economists,

cost of capital experts, rate design experts, and, to the extent Com-

mission personnel cannot be utilized, accountants, engineers, and
transportation specialists. An aggregate sum of not than twenty-
five thousand dollars ($25,000.00) for compensation and/or expenses

of these experts shall be provided in the budget, and if not used

for this purpose, shall revert to the treasury; nothing contained
herein precludes the people's counsel, with the prior approval of
the Secretary of Licensing Regulation, from applying to the

Board of Public Works for additional funds to be allotted from the

General Emergency Fund for the purposes expressed herein if the
budgetary appropriation is insufficient to meet the people's counsel's
expenses in representing the people of Maryland.

The Commission shall make an annual report to the Secretary of
Licencing and Regulation for review and transmittal to the Gov-
ernor and the General Assembly on or before the third Wednesday

of February of each year, which shall contain copies of all Com-

mission rules, regulations and orders of the calendar year covered

57.

8.