§ 32. Officers and employees; compensation and expenses. 1. When the office of the first chairman of the authority becomes vacant, the authority shall select a chairman from among its members. An authority shall select from among its members a vice-chairman, and it may employ, subject to the provisions of the civil service law applicable to the municipality in which it is established, 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 local legislative body, fix their compensation. An authority may call upon the corporation counsel or chief law officer of the municipality 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 an authority from engaging by contract in the execution of a project architectural, engineering or other professional or consultant services.

2. An 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 an authority may be compensated on a per diem basis at a rate to be fixed by the authority not to exceed in the aggregate two thousand dollars for a member and two thousand five hundred dollars for a chairman per annum 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 an authority who shall sign the receipt upon the payroll of an 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 an 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.