ยง 500. County park and recreation commission. The board of supervisors
of any county adopting an alternative form of county government under
this chapter may create a county park and recreation commission. The
commission shall consist of five members to be appointed by the county
executive with the approval of the board of supervisors. One of the
members shall be designated as chairman by the county executive with the
approval of the board of supervisors. The term of office of the members
of the commission shall be five years, except that of those first
appointed, one member shall be appointed for five years, one for four
years, one for three years, one for two years and one member shall be
appointed for one year. Successors shall be appointed in the same manner
as those originally appointed for terms of five years each. A vacancy
occurring otherwise than by expiration of term shall be filled by
appointment for the unexpired portion of the term. The members of the
commission shall receive for the services such compensation as may be
fixed by the board of supervisors, together with their actual expenses
incurred in the performance of their duties. The commission, with the
approval of the county executive, may appoint and at pleasure remove an
executive secretary and employ and contract for such engineers,
architects, experts and employees as may be necessary to perform the
duties of the commission. The secretary and each such engineer,
architect, expert or other employee shall receive a compensation to be
fixed by the commission within the scale and line item schedule of funds
appropriated by the board of supervisors. In any county having a
department of public works, county engineers and county architects, when
available, shall be assigned temporarily to the work of the commission
but without additional compensation. Nothing in this section contained
shall affect the civil service or retirement rights of any person
assigned to the work of the commission.