§ 44. Officers and employees; compensation and expenses. 1. When the
office of the first chairman of the mass transportation authority
becomes vacant, the authority shall select a chairman from among its
members. The Utica transit authority shall select from among its
members, a vice-chairman, and it may employ a general manager, a
secretary, technical experts and such other officers, agents, and
employees as it may require and determine their qualifications, duties
and, subject to the approval of the Board of Estimate and Apportionment
fix their compensation. The Utica transit authority may call upon the
chief law officer of any municipality or municipalities for such legal
services as it may require and it shall reimburse the municipality for
the cost of such services, or it may employ its own counsel and legal
staff. This section shall not be construed to prevent the Utica transit
authority from engaging by contract planning, architectural, engineering
or other professional or consultant services in the execution of a
project.

2. The Utica transit authority may delegate to one or more of its
agents or employees such powers or duties as it may deem proper.

3. A member of the Utica transit authority may be compensated at a
rate to be determined by the Board of Estimate and Apportionment of the
city of Utica and in addition shall be entitled to the necessary
expenses including traveling expenses incurred in the discharge of his
duties.

4. Every officer, agent or employee of the Utica transit authority who
shall sign the receipt upon the payroll of the authority as having
received the amount therein mentioned in full payment for services
rendered by him for the entire time specified in such payroll, or, in
the event no payroll receipt is required by the authority, shall endorse
a check in the amount shown upon such payroll and receive payment
thereof, shall be deemed to have made an accord and satisfaction of all
claims against the authority for wages, salary or other compensation due
to such person from the authority for the period covered by such
payroll, unless at the time of signing such payroll or endorsing such
check the person receiving such wages or salary shall write legibly on
the payroll in connection with his receipt or on such check in
connection with his endorsement that the amount received is received
under protest, and unless such protest is so written upon such payroll
or check, no recovery shall be had against the authority upon any
further claim for wages, salaries or other compensation for the period
of time covered by such payroll.