CHAPTER 234

AN ACT to amend and reenact § 15-167 of the Code of 1950,
relating to elections for the consolidation of counties,
§ 15-268 in relation to elections for the change to a county
executive or a county manager form of government,
§ 15-840 in relation to elections for the change from a
county executive to a county manager form, or vice versa,
§ 15-860 in relation to elections for a change to a modified
commission plan or county manager plan of government,
and § 15-495 relating to elections to determine whether or
not a joint county officer or officers shall be employed, so as
to provide for an affirmative method of voting.

: { H 516 ]

Approved March 15, 1950

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:

1. That §§ 15-167, 15-268, 15-340, 15-360 and 15-495 of the
Code of 1950 be amended and reenacted as follows:

§ 15-167. Conduct of election.—The regular election offi-
cers at the time designated in the order authorizing the vote
shall open the polls at the various voting places in their respec-
tive counties and conduct the election in such manner as is pro-
vided by general law for other elections, in so far as the same
is applicable. The election shall be by secret ballot. The ballots
for each county shall be prepared by the electoral board thereof
and distributed to the various election precincts therein as pro-
vided by law. The ballots used shall be printed and shall contain
the following:
Shall... (here insert names of counties proposing to con-
solidate) counties consolidate pursuant to consolidation agree-
ment?

[] For

[] Against

&

Voting shall be in accordance with the provisions of
24-141.

; § 15-268. The election—tThe regular election Officers of
such county at the time designated in the order authorizing the
vote shall open the polls at the various voting places in the
county and conduct the election in such manner as is provided
by law for other elections, in so far as the same is applicable.
The election shall be by secret ballot and the ballots shall be
prepared by the electoral board and distributed to the various
election precincts as in other elections. The ballots used shall be
printed to read as follows:

uestion one. Shall the county change its form of govern-
ment?
[] For
CJ Against

Question two. In the event of such change, which form of
organization and government shall be adopted?

[] County Executive Form

CT County Manager Form

If the petition or the resolution provided for in the preced-
ing section shall ask for a referendum on the single question as
to whether the county shall adopt that form of county organiza-
tion and government designated herein as the County Executive
form, the ballot shall read:

Shall the county adopt the county executive form?

[] For
a Against

If the petition or the resolution shall ask for a referendum
on the single question as to whether the county shall adopt that
form of county organization and government designated herein
as the County Manager form, the ballot shall read:

Shall the county adopt the county manager form?

(] For
[] Against
P

Voting shall be in accordance with the provisions of
§ 24-141.
The ballots shall be counted, returns made and canvassec
as in other elections, and the results certified by the commis.
sioners of election to the circuit court or judge thereof In vaca:
tion. If it shall appear by the report of the commissioners of
election that a majority of the qualified voters of the county
voting are in favor of changing the existing form of govern-
ment therein provided for, the circuit court, or the judge thereoi
in vacation, shall enter of record such fact and the additional

fact as to the form of county organization and government
adopted.

§ 15-340. Changing from one form to another.—Any coun-
ty which adopts either form of organization and government
provided for by this chapter may change to the other form of
organization and government therein provided for, or change
back to the form of county organization and government pro-
vided for by article VII of the Constitution and the general law
of the state. The procedure shal] be the same, in so far as ap-
plicable, as that herein provided in §§ 15-266 to 15-271, except

that question two in the ballot to be used shall be printed to read
as follows:

Question two. In the event of such change, which form or
organization and government shall be adopted ?
[) County Manager Form (or County Executive Form, as
the case may be)
C) The Form of County Organization and Government Pro-
vided for by Article VII of the Constitution of Virginia
*

If the petition or resolution shall ask for a referendum on
the single question as to whether the county shall adopt the
county manager form, or the county executive form, as the
case May be, the ballot shall read:

Shall the county adopt the county manager form (or the
county executive form, as the case may be) ?

{] For

[] Against

*

If the petition or the resolution, shall ask for a referendum
mn the single question as to whether the county shall give up the
ounty executive form, or the county manager form, as the
ase may be, and adopt the form of county organization and
overnment provided for in article VII of the Constitution of
Jirginia, the ballot shall read:
Shall the county adopt the form of county organization and
government provided for in article VII of the Constitution of

T] Against

Voting shall be in accordance with the provisions of
§ 24-141.

§ 15-860. Form of ballot; calling election; salary of
board.—Whenever two hundred or more qualified voters in any
such county shall petition: the circuit court or the judge thereof
in vacation for the purpose, such court or judge shall by order
entered of record require the judges of election, on the day fixed
in the order, not less than thirty days from the date of such
order, to open a poll and take the sense of the qualified voters, of
the county on the questions submitted as hereinafter provided
for. In the calling and holding of such election, the same pro-
cedure shall be followed as is provided in § 15-602 except that
the ballot shall have written or printed thereon the following:

Question 1. Shall the county change its form of govern-
ment?

[] For

OJ Against

Question 2. In the event of such change, which form of
government shall be adopted?
[] Modified commission plan
or
[] County manager plan
*&

Question 3. In the event of such change, shall the govern-
ing board be elected at large or by districts?
[] At large
L] By districts
*

Voting shall be in accordance with the provisions of
§ 24-141.

The commissioners of election shall ascertain whether a
majority of the qualified voters of the county voting on the
question are in favor of changing its form of government and, if
so, whether the form shall be the commission plan or the county
manager plan, and whether the governing board shall be elected
by the county at large or by districts and make report thereof
to the circuit court of the county or to the judge thereof in
vacation. If it appears from such report that a majority of the
qualified voters of the county, voting on the question, are in
favor of the change, the circuit court, at its next term, shall
enter of record such fact and such additional facts as to the
form of county government adopted and as to whether the gov-
erning board shall be elected by the county at large or by
districts.

From and after the date on which the officers first elected
under the provisions of this chapter shall take office, the form of
government of such county shall be in accordance with the ap-
plicable provisions hereof.

When either of the forms of county government provided
herein shall be adopted for any county in the manner herein
prescribed, the members of the county board shall be elected
at the next succeeding regular election and shall take and hold
office for a term of four years beginning on the first day of
January after their election. The salary of each member of the
board shall be twelve hundred dollars per annum; provided that
in any county having a population of more than one thousand
per square mile such salary shall be eighteen hundred dollars
per annum.

§ 15-495. Conduct of election.—The regular election off-
cers of the county, at the time designated in the order authoriz-
ing the vote, shall open the polls at the various voting places
in the county and conduct the election in such manner as is pro-
vided by law for other elections, in so far as the same is appli-
cable. The election shall be by secret ballot and the ballots shall
be prepared by the electoral board and distributed to the various
election precincts as in other elections. The ballots used shall be
printed to read as follows:

May the county employ, appoint or elect, conjointly with
one or more adjoining or adjacent counties:

A county road manager?

[] Yes
CJ No

A county road engineer?
[1] Yes
[] No

*

A county superintendent of public welfare?
[] Yes
[] No

, 4

Voting shall be in accordance with the provisions of
) 24-141.

If any other ministerial or executive officer is to be voted
yn, the title of each such officer shall be printed on the ballot in
ike manner as above set forth.
If the resolution asks for a referendum as to employing,
appointing or electing conjointly such officers, or any of them,
with one or more designated counties, the name or names of
such counties shall appear on the ballot in lieu of the words “one
or more adjacent or adjoining counties”; if the resolution does
not ask for a referendum as to each of the officers named, then
the names of only those officers referred to in the resolution
shall appear on the ballot.

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

an a