§ 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.