1064                             Laws of Maryland                      [Ch. 484

wherein the improvements are contemplated shall thereupon, and

within ten days after the last of said publications of said notice,

file a petition with the [commission] Department protesting against
the proposed improvement, the [commission] Department shall grant

them a hearing within fifteen days after such petition is filed in the

office of the [commission] Department and after not less than five
days notice of the time and place of said hearing by advertisement
published in one newspaper published within the county, and by per-
sonal notices addressed to any one or more persons whose names are
signed to said petition. After due hearing as aforesaid, the [com-
mission] Department shall decide upon the reasonableness of the
objections stated in the petition; and shall dispose of the same by
written order concurred in by a majority of the commissioners,
which order shall be published in the same manner as herein re-

quired to be published and a copy of which shall be mailed to any

one or more of the petitioners, if the petitioners are not satisfied
with the [commission's] Department's decision, they shall have the

right to take and enter, within ten days after the last publication

of said order as aforesaid, an appeal to the County Commissioners
of Cecil County, who shall review the [commission's] Department's
decision and decide as to the necessity and propriety of the improve-
ment contemplated and whether the district can stand the cost of
the same; and the decision of the county commissioners shall be final.

CECIL COUNTY IS DECLARED TO BE A SANITARY DIS-
TRICT FOR THE PURPOSE OF THE EXERCISE OF THE
POWERS VESTED BY THIS SUBTITLE IN THE DEPART-
MENT OF PUBLIC WORKS; PROVIDED, HOWEVER, THAT
THE MERGER OF THE NORTH EAST SANITARY DISTRICT
AND THE NORTH EAST SANITARY DISTRICT, EXTENSION
"A" WITH THE CECIL COUNTY SANITARY DISTRICT, SHALL
IN NO MANNER AFFECT OUTSTANDING BONDS OR THE
RIGHT OF MUNICIPALITIES WITHIN CECIL COUNTY FROM
OWNING AND OPERATING INDEPENDENT WATER AND/OR
SEWER SYSTEMS SERVING THE MUNICIPALITY.

FOR THE PURPOSE OF PROVIDING FOR THE ORGANI-
ZATION AND PRELIMINARY EXPENSES OF ANY NEWLY
DESIGNATED WATER, SEWERAGE AND/OR DRAINAGE
DISTRICT, AS HEREINAFTER PROVIDED, THE COUNTY
COMMISSIONERS SHALL FURNISH THE DEPARTMENT A
SUM NOT EXCEEDING TWENTY-FIVE THOUSAND DOLLARS
($25,000.00) WHICH SHALL BE REPAID OUT OF THE FIRST
BOND ISSUE OR INCOME OF THE PARTICULAR DISTRICT.
FURTHER, FOR THE PURPOSE OF ASSISTING IN THE CON-
STRUCTION OF NEEDED WATER, SEWERAGE AND/OR
DRAINAGE FACILITIES WITHIN ANY DULY CONSTITUTED
DISTRICT, THE COUNTY COMMISSIONERS MAY MAKE
LOANS OR GRANTS TO THE DEPARTMENT UNDER APPRO-
PRIATE WRITTEN AGREEMENTS. THE COUNTY COMMIS-
SIONERS MAY MAKE GENERAL FUND APPROPRIATIONS
OR BORROW FUNDS FOR THIS PURPOSE, UPON SUCH
TERMS AND CONDITIONS AS THEY MAY DEEM RIGHT
AND PROPER.

THE DEPARTMENT SHALL CAUSE SURVEYS, PLANS,
SPECIFICATIONS AND ESTIMATES TO BE MADE THROUGH-
OUT CECIL COUNTY FOR WATER SUPPLY, SEWERAGE,