Chap. 77.—An ACT to amend and re-enact Section 2717 of the Code of Virginia,
relating to the organization and meetings of boards of supervisors of counties.

[S B 40]
Approved March 2, 1946

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:

1. That section twenty-seven hundred seventeen of the Code of
Virginia be amended and re-enacted, as follows:

Section 2717. Board to sit with open doors; sheriff to attend; his
pay ; majority to decide questions; how in case of tie —It shall sit with
open doors, and all persons conducting themselves in an orderly manner
may attend its meetings. It may require the sheriff of the county, or at
his option, one of his deputies, to attend its meetings and preserve order,
or discharge such other duties as may be necessary to the proper dispatch
of the business before it. All questions submitted to the board for de-
cision under the provisions of this chapter, or any law of the State, shall
be determined by viva voce vote of a majority of the supervisors voting
on any such question; but in any case in which there shall be a tie vote
of the board upon any question when all the members are not present,
the question shall be passed by till the first meeting at which all the
members are present, when it shall again be voted upon; in any case in
which there shall be a tie vote on any question, all the members of the
board being present, the clerk shall record the vote, and immediately
notify the commissioner in chancery, designated by the court to give the
casting vote in case of a tie, if that be practicable, and request his pres-
ence at the present meeting of the board; but if that be not practicable
then the board may adjourn to a day fixed in the minutes of the board, or
in case of a failure to agree on a day, to a day fixed by the clerk and en-
tered by him on the minutes. At the present meeting or on the day named
in the minutes the commissioner shall attend. He shall be entitled to be
fully advised as to the matter upon which he is to vote, and if not pre-
pared to cast his vote at the time he may require the clerk to enter an or-
der adjourning the meeting to some future day to be named in the min-
utes not to exceed thirty days and from time to time he shall have con-
tinuances entered until he is ready to vote, not to exceed thirty days.
When he casts his vote the clerk shall record his vote and the tie shall
be broken, and the question shall be decided as he casts his vote. Ifa
meeting for any reason shall not be held on the day named in the minutes
the clerk shall enter on the minute book a day within ten days as a sub-
stitute day and duly notify all the members, and this shall continue until
a meeting is held. After a tie has occurred, the commissioner shall be
considered a member of the board for the purpose of counting a quorum
for the sole purpose of breaking the tye.