Section 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.