the Board ruled against their contentions and dismissed their bill of complaint in an order of January 6, 1970. A petition for reconsideration of this order was denied by the lower court on January 30, 1970; and an appeal was timely entered on the same day to this Court from the order of January 6.
The facts are not in dispute. Gover became a volunteer fireman with Clinton on February 2, 1952. He became a paid fireman on April 19, 1965. Schultz, who had previously worked for the Fire Department of the District of Columbia, came to work for Clinton on January 23, 1967. At first his terms of employment were governed by an oral contract with Clinton. Between the time Gover began work as a paid employee andSchultz's employment by Clinton, the Act of 1966 of the General Assembly of Maryland, Ch. 745 (the Act), amending the provisions of Art. 17, subsection 32-18 of the Code of Public Local Laws of Prince George's County (the Prince George's County Code) became effective on June 1, 1966. The Act repealed subsection 32-18 of the Prince George's County Code as enacted by the Act of 1965, Ch. 437 and enacted a new subsection 32-18 in lieu thereof. The new Act authorized the Board to levy for each tax year commencing July 1, 1966, a special fire tax, in addition to the existing fire tax, up to 10 cents upon each $100.00 of the assessed valuation of real and personal property assessed for County purposes in Prince George's County