(except within the limits of the City of Takoma Park), the proceeds of this new special tax to be appropriated by the Board "for the employment of at least two additional full-time paid firemen in each fire station validly in existence in Prince George's County, the acquisition or leasing of land or facilities for new fire house sites and training facilities, *459 and to supplement financial needs of fire companies based on budget review." The Act further provided:
"The Board of County Commissioners may enter into contracts with individual fire companies whereby volunteer fire companies may employ more full-time paid firemen than authorized by the Board of County Commissioners under this section. Firemen so employed shall be paid by the Board of County Commissioners out of tax moneys duethe fire companies under previous sections of this subtitle, and the Board of County Commissioners are authorized to withhold an amount of such tax moneys equal to the amount of tax moneys paid to full-time paid firemen pursuant to such contracts.
"All full-time firemen who meet the standards set out by the Prince George's County Merit Board and who are certified by the Personnel Director as meeting these standards shall be county employees entitled to the provisions of the merit system, whether paid from funds of the county or funds of volunteer fire companies. Full-time paid firemen shall be under the direct supervision and control of the individual fire company chief during working hours."
On July 1, 1966  one month after the effective date of the Act  the