Chap. 522.—An ACT to amend and reenact Section 698, as amended, of the Code
' of Virginia, providing for the levying of taxes and the appropriating of
money by counties, cities and towns for public school purposes. {H 520]

Approved April 5, 1948

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:

1. That section six hundred ninety-eight of the Code of Virginia
be amended and reenacted as follows:

Section 698. Levying taxes and appropriating money for school
purposes.—Each county and city is authorized to raise sums of money
by a tax on all property, subject to local taxation, at such rate as may
be deemed sufficient, but in no event less than fifty cents nor more than
two dollars and fifty cents on the one hundred dollars of the assessed
value of the property in any one year, provided that in the county of
Bland such rate may be increased to three dollars on the one hundred
dollars of the assessed value of the property therein in any one year to be
expended by the local school authorities in the counties and cities in
establishing, maintaining and operating such schools as in their judg-
ment the public welfare requires.

In lieu of making such school levy, the governing body of any
county or city may, in its discretion, make a cash appropriation from the
funds derived from the general county or city levy of an amount not less
than the sum required by the county or city school budget provided
for by section six hundred fifty-seven and approved by the governing
body of the county or city, but in no event to be less than the minimum
nor more than the maximum amount which would result from the laying
of the school levy authorized by this section for the establishment,
maintenance and operation of the schools of the county or city. In addi-
tion to this, the governing body of any county or city may appropriate
from any funds available, such sums as in its judgment may be n
or expedient for the establishment, maintenance and operation of the
public schools in the county or city.

For capital expenditures and for the payment of indebtedness or
rent, the governing body of any county or city may levy a special county
tax, a special district tax, or a special city tax, as the case may be, on
all property subject to local taxation, such levy or levies to be at such
rate or rates as the governing body levying the tax may deem n
for the purpose or purposes for which levied, except that where the tax
is for raising funds for capital expenditures the rate shall not be more
than one dollar and fifty cents on the one hundred dollars of the assessed
value of the property in any one year, provided that in the county of
Bland such rate may be two dollars.

The governing body of any incorporated town in the State is author-
ized to levy an additional tax on all the property in the town, subject to
local taxation, at such rate as it may deem proper, but in no event more
than one dollar on the one hundred dollars of the assessed value of
property in the town subject to taxation by the local town authorities,
for the support and maintenance, and capital outlay of the public schools
in the town; or, in lieu of such levy, the governing body may make a
cash appropriation out of the general town levy of an amount not more
than the maximum amount which would result from the school levy for
the support and maintenance of the public schools in the town. Nothing
herein shall be construed as raising or abrogating any maximum tax rate
limit provided in any city charter.

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