Section 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.