SB257: Brodnax, Town of; amending charter, reduces number of town councilmen.


VIRGINIA ACTS OF ASSEMBLY -- CHAPTER
An Act to amend and reenact §§ 3.1 and 3.8, as amended, of Chapter 131 of the Acts of Assembly of 1977, which provided a charter for the Town of Brodnax in the Counties of Brunswick and Mecklenburg, relating to town council; membership; meetings.
[S 257]
Approved

 

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:

1. That §§ 3.1 and 3.8, as amended, of Chapter 131 of the Acts of Assembly of 1977 are amended and reenacted as follows:

§ 3.1. Election, qualification and term of office of councilmen and mayor.

The town of Brodnax shall be governed by a town council composed of seven councilmen and a mayor, all of whom shall be qualified voters of the town, to be elected from the town at large. Any person qualified to vote in the town shall be eligible for the office of councilman or mayor. The mayor and councilmen in office at the time of the passage of this act shall continue in office until the expiration of the terms for which they were elected or until their successors are duly elected and qualified. An election for mayor and councilmen shall be held on the first Tuesday in May, nineteen hundred seventy-eight and on the first Tuesday in May of every second year thereafter and take office on the first day of July succeeding their election;, provided that the mayor and councilmen elected the first Tuesday in May, nineteen hundred seventy-eight, shall not take office until September one, nineteen hundred seventy-eight, to serve for terms of one year ten months. Thereafter they shall each serve for a term of two years or until their successors have qualified.

However, beginning in 2009, the election for mayor and councilmen shall be held at the time of the November general election with elected members to take office on the first day of January succeeding their election. The terms of council members in office at the time of the November 2009 election shall end on January 1, 2010. The mayor and the three members of town council receiving the highest number of votes in the November 2009 election shall serve four-year terms. The other four persons elected to town council in November 2009 shall serve two-year terms. Thereafter, all council members shall be elected for four-year terms.

Beginning in 2019, the town shall be governed by a town council composed of five councilmen and a mayor. Three councilmen shall be elected to four-year terms at the November 2019 election, and the mayor and two councilmen shall be elected to four-year terms at the November 2021 election.

§ 3.8. Meetings of council.

The town council shall fix the time of its stated meetings, and it shall meet at least once a month and, except as herein provided, the council shall establish its own rules of procedure and such rules as are necessary for the orderly conduct of its business not inconsistent with the laws of the Commonwealth of Virginia. A journal shall be kept of its official proceedings and its meetings shall be open to the public. Four Three members of the town council shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business at any meeting. Special meetings may be called at any time by the mayor or by any four two members of the council;, provided that the mayor and all council members are duly notified a reasonable period of time prior to such meetings and no business shall be transacted at a special meeting thereof except that for which it shall be called. If all members are present, this provision may be waived by a majority vote of the council. No ordinance, resolution, motion or vote shall be adopted by the council unless it shall have received the affirmative votes of a majority of the members present. But no ordinance or resolution shall be adopted or passed having for its object the levying of taxes except by a concurring vote of two-thirds of the members of council.

2. That an emergency exists and this act is in force from its passage.

SENATE BILL NO. 257

Offered January 8, 2020
Prefiled January 3, 2020
A BILL to amend and reenact §§ 3.1 and 3.8, as amended, of Chapter 131 of the Acts of Assembly of 1977, which provided a charter for the Town of Brodnax in the Counties of Brunswick and Mecklenburg, relating to town council; membership; meetings.
Patron-- Ruff

Referred to Committee on Local Government

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:

1. That §§ 3.1 and 3.8, as amended, of Chapter 131 of the Acts of Assembly of 1977 are amended and reenacted as follows:

§ 3.1. Election, qualification and term of office of councilmen and mayor.

The town of Brodnax shall be governed by a town council composed of seven councilmen and a mayor, all of whom shall be qualified voters of the town, to be elected from the town at large. Any person qualified to vote in the town shall be eligible for the office of councilman or mayor. The mayor and councilmen in office at the time of the passage of this act shall continue in office until the expiration of the terms for which they were elected or until their successors are duly elected and qualified. An election for mayor and councilmen shall be held on the first Tuesday in May, nineteen hundred seventy-eight and on the first Tuesday in May of every second year thereafter and take office on the first day of July succeeding their election;, provided that the mayor and councilmen elected the first Tuesday in May, nineteen hundred seventy-eight, shall not take office until September one, nineteen hundred seventy-eight, to serve for terms of one year ten months. Thereafter they shall each serve for a term of two years or until their successors have qualified.

However, beginning in 2009, the election for mayor and councilmen shall be held at the time of the November general election with elected members to take office on the first day of January succeeding their election. The terms of council members in office at the time of the November 2009 election shall end on January 1, 2010. The mayor and the three members of town council receiving the highest number of votes in the November 2009 election shall serve four-year terms. The other four persons elected to town council in November 2009 shall serve two-year terms. Thereafter, all council members shall be elected for four-year terms.

Beginning in 2019, the town shall be governed by a town council composed of five councilmen and a mayor. Three councilmen shall be elected to four-year terms at the November 2019 election, and the mayor and two councilmen shall be elected to four-year terms at the November 2021 election.

§ 3.8. Meetings of council.

The town council shall fix the time of its stated meetings, and it shall meet at least once a month and, except as herein provided, the council shall establish its own rules of procedure and such rules as are necessary for the orderly conduct of its business not inconsistent with the laws of the Commonwealth of Virginia. A journal shall be kept of its official proceedings and its meetings shall be open to the public. Four Three members of the town council shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business at any meeting. Special meetings may be called at any time by the mayor or by any four two members of the council;, provided that the mayor and all council members are duly notified a reasonable period of time prior to such meetings and no business shall be transacted at a special meeting thereof except that for which it shall be called. If all members are present, this provision may be waived by a majority vote of the council. No ordinance, resolution, motion or vote shall be adopted by the council unless it shall have received the affirmative votes of a majority of the members present. But no ordinance or resolution shall be adopted or passed having for its object the levying of taxes except by a concurring vote of two-thirds of the members of council.

2. That an emergency exists and this act is in force from its passage.