§ 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.