The governing body of any county, city or town having a port may, at its pleasure, create such agencies, appoint such agents and employ such persons as may be required for the orderly and effective management of such port and its harbor; but nothing herein shall be construed to repeal or amend any prior act of the General Assembly creating or authorizing the creation of any port authority, port and industrial authority, port commission or port and industrial commission or the provisions of any municipal charter. The Circuit Court of the County of Northumberland shall appoint such an agent for the Port of Reedville. The appointing authority may prescribe for such agents and agencies such terms of office, titles, authority, duties, fees and compensation not inconsistent with law as it may deem appropriate, and may require from each person so appointed a fidelity bond in favor of the Commonwealth. All controversies arising between or among agents, agencies, authorities or commissions of two or more ports shall be referred to the Virginia Port Authority, which authority shall, under such rules and regulations not inconsistent with law as it shall promulgate, resolve every such controversy in the best interests of the Commonwealth as a whole; but any party thereto shall have a right of appeal to the Supreme Court in the same manner and under the same rules as appeals are taken from orders of the State Corporation Commission.