Chap. 79.—An ACT to amend and re-enact an act entitled an act to
amend and re-enact chapter 44 of the Code of Virginia (1887) in
relation to cities and towns, and to repeal sectioris 1039 and 1040 of
the Code of Virginia, and secticn 1043 of the Code of Virginia, as
amended and re-enacted by an act approved March 4, 1896, and as
attempted to be repealed by an act approved March 7, 1900, and to
repeal an act approved March 7, 1900, entitled, an act to provide for
local assessments in cities and towns, approved May 20, 1903, by
amending section 1015-a so as to reduce the minimum number of
members of the board of aldermen and of the common council in cities.

. (S. B. 119.)
Approved February 29, 1916.

1. Be it enacted by the general assembly of Virginia, That
section one thousand and fifteen-a of an act entitled, an act to
amend and re-enact chapter forty-four of the Code of Virginia
(eighteen hundred and eighty-seven) in relation to cities and
towns, and to repeal sections ten hundred and thirty-nine and
ten hundred and forty of the Code of Virginia, and section ten
hundred and forty-three of the Code of Virginia as amended
and re-enacted by an act approved March fourth, eighteen hun-
dred and ninety-six, and as attempted to be repealed by an act
approved March seventh, nineteen hundred, and to repeal an
act approved March, nineteen hundred, entitled an act to pro-
vide for local assessments in cities and town, be and the same
is hereby amended and re-enacted so as to read as follows:

Sec. 1015-a. There shall be in every city a council. In cities
of ten thousand or more population it shall consist of two
branches, having a different number of members, one of which
shall be called the “common council” and be composed of not less
than five nor more than forty members, and the other shall be
called the “board of aldermen” and be composed of not less than
three nor more than twenty-two members. In cities of under
ten thousand population the council shall consist of one branch,
which shall be called its common council, and be composed of
not less than eight nor more than forty members. The members
of the council of each city, and of each branch thereof, when the
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council consists of two branches, shall be residents of their re-
spective wards and qualified voters therein, and shall be elected
by the qualified voters of such wards, and so far as practicable
each ward in every city shall have equal representation in the
council, and in each branch thereof, where it consists of two
branches, in proportion to the population of such ward. The
members of every council, and of each branch thereof, when it
consists of two branches, shall be elected for a term of four
years; but upon the first assembling under this act of every
council, and of each branch thereof, where there are two, the
members of each branch thereof shall be divided into two equal
classes to be determined by lot, and the term of the members
of the first class shall be two years, and that of the members of
the second class shall be four years, and thereafter the terms
of all the members of each class shall be four years, so that one-
half of each branch shall be elected every two years; provided,
however, that in cases where the total membership of a branch
is uneven, provision may be made in such division into classes
for the assignment of the odd number to one of such classes; and
provided, that all elections to fill vacancies in any council shall
be for the unexpired term; and provided, further, that nothing
in this section in conflict with the charter of any city whose
council now consists of two branches, shall affect the charter of
said city, except in so far as the same is affected by the Consti-
tution. In those cities where the council is already composed
of two branches, it shall be the duty of said council to provide
by ordinance the number of members which each branch shall
have, so that the same shall not be more than the maximum
or less than the minimum number provided for in this section,
and to apportion the same among the wards of said city, and in
any city, having a population of ten thousand or more, where
the council now consists of only one branch, it shall be the duty
of said council to provide by ordinance for the number of mem-
bers of each branch, and to apportion the same among the wards
of said city.