Chap. 113.—An ACT to provide for the building of bridges in the county
of Isle of Wight, and to authorize the board of supervisors to borrow
money by the issuing of bonds, and to build bridges in said county,
and to authorize the qualified voters of said county to vote on the
question. (H. B. 235.)

Approved March 4, 1916.

1. Be it enacted by the general assembly of Virginia, That
for the purpose of constructing and building new bridges in the
county of Isle of Wight, the board of supervisors be, and they
are hereby, empowered to issue bonds in the name and on be-
half of the county of Isle of Wight, to be called “Bridge Bonds’’,
for a sum not exceeding sixty thousand dollars ($60,000), and
to sell the bonds under such conditions as are hereinafter pre-
scribed, and with the proceeds of such sale to build bridges of
iron, steel, or of creosoted wood, in the various districts of said
county, provided, that the board of supervisors shall not issue
any bonds until it has ordered a special election for the purpose
and submitted the question of issuing bonds to the qualified
voters of Isle of Wight county. They shall fix the time for hold-
ing such election, and cause notice thereof to be published at
least four times in any newspaper generally circulated or pub-
lished in the county, and to be posted at each voting place in the
county, at least one (1) month before such election. Said elec-
tion notice shall state the purposes for which said election is

eld.

2. It shall be the duty of the officers charged with conduct-
ing elections in Isle of Wight county, to hold an election, when
so directed by the board of supervisors, in accordance with the
provisions of this act, for the purpose of taking the sense of
the qualified voters of said county upon the question of issuing
the bonds authorized in this act. Said election shall be by ballot,
and ke conducted as other elections are conducted. Upon each
ballot shall be printed the words, “For Bonds,” “Against Bonds.”
Each voter shall be handed a ballot at the voting place and he
shall express his choice by scratching from the ballot the words
“For Bonds” if he desires to vote against the issue ; “Against
Bonds” if he desires to vote for the issue.

3. The judges of each election precinct shall ascertain the
will of the people by counting the ballots, and certify the result
to the judge of the county court in the manner and form of other
elections.

The commissioners of election shall canvass the returns
within ten(10) days after the-election and declare the results.

4. The bonds provided for in this act shall be issued if the
majority of those voting at such election shall vote for the issu-
ance of the same. But should a majority of the ballots be cast
against such issue, then the question shall not, within twelve
(12) months, be again submitted to the vote of the people, and
said bonds shall not be issued.

5. The bonds issued in pursuance of this act shall be
coupon bonds of not less denomination than one hundred dol-
lars ($100) nor more than five thousand dollars ($5,000), each,
payable in not more than thirty (30) years from date, and bear-
ing interest, payable annually, at a rate not exceeding five per
centum (5%) per annum, the said board having the right to
redeem any of the said bonds after the.expiration of ten (10)
years. The said bonds shall be issued in the name of Isle of
Wight county, Virginia, shall be signed by the chairman of the
board of supervisors of said county, attested by the clerk of the
county court thereof.

6. The said board of supervisors are hereby empowered to
make sale of said bonds, but no bond shall be sold for less than
the par value thereof, and the said bonds and coupons for in-
terest thereon shall be redeemable in lawful money at maturity,
and shall be receivable at maturity for all taxes and other debts
due the said county of Isle of Wight except school levies.

7. The form of the said bonds and coupons shall be deter-
mined by said board of supervisors.

8. All moneys realized from the sale of said bonds shall be
received by the treasurer of the said county, and drawn out of
his hands on warrants issued by the board of supervisors.

9. The said bonds and coupons issued under this act shall
be redeemable at the office of the treasurer of Isle of Wight
county, and when paid by him or received for taxes or other
debts, shall be marked paid or cancelled. The said bonds shall
be exempt from all taxation of the county.

10. The said board of supervisors shall create a sinking
fund, to be applied to the redemption of the bonds issued under
this act, and shall annually, until such bonds are paid, pay into
the sinking fund a sum sufficient to meet the interest annually
to pay off the said bonds within the time provided for in this

ct.

11. The board of supervisors of said county shall, from time
0 time, issue bonds as provided for by this act, when in their
judgment it shall become necessary to build a bridge, and then
for such an amount only as shall be necessary to pay the cost of
juilding such bridge so decided upon. Provided, however, that
10 bonds for the building of a bridge shall be issued until plans,
specifications, and an estimate of the cost of building such
ridge shall have been made by a competent bridge engineer to
ye furnished by the State highway commission or the said board
yf supervisors shall have the authority to employ an engineer
elected by them.

12. It is further provided that the board of supervisors may
et to contract the building of any bridge to the lowest respon-
sible bidder, and have the power to reject any and all bids.

13. By reason of the bad condition of the bridges in the
ountv an emergency is hereby declared to exist and this act
shall be in force from its passage.