CHAPTER 327

An Act to amend and reenact § 15-504 of the Code of Virginia, as
amended, relating to contracts with counties, so as to extend the
exemptions.

[S 65]

Approved March 29, 1952

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:

1. That § 15-504 of the Code of Virginia, as amended, be amended and
reenacted as follows:

§ 15-504. Supervisors, etc., not to have interest in contracts with, or
claims against, counties No supervisor, superintendent of the poor,
special policeman, commissioner of the revenue, treasurer, attorney for
the Commonwealth, clerk of the court, trial justice, sheriff or any paid
officer of the county shall become interested, directly or indirectly, in
any contract, or in the profits of any contracts, made by or with any
officer, agent, commissioner, or person acting on behalf of the super-
visors, the county school board, or superintendent of the poor of the
county, or in any contract, fee, commission, premium or profit therefrom,
paid, in whole or in part, by the county or any board, commission or agency
thereof, or in the sale or furnishing of supplies or materials to such county,
and shall not become interested, directly or indirectly, in any contract,
or in the profits of any contract, made by or with any officer, agent, com-
missioner, trustee or overseer for working and keeping in repair the
public roads in the county.

On application of the board of supervisors, board of public welfare,
or school board, the circuit court may designate such attorney, who may
be the attorney for the Commonwealth or trial justice of such county, to
represent either or all such boards in matters requiring the services of an
attorney, such attorney so designated to be paid such compensation by the
county or school board or by the board of public welfare, as requisite, as
the court prescribes.

And no supervisor shall, except by descent or devise, marriage or as
a personal representative, committee of an insane person, or guardiar,
become interested directly or indirectly in any claim against his county,
whether the same shall have been passed upon by the board of super-
visors or not. Any such contract shall be void, and the amount emhraced
by any contract, the value of any such supplies or materials and the
amount of any such claim shall never be paid; or, if paid, may be recovered
back, with interest, by the county, in the circuit court of the county, by
action or motion, within two years from the time of payment.

The term ‘contract’, as herein used, shall not be held to include the
depositing of county or town funds‘in, or the borrowing of funds from,
local banks in which members of the board of supervisors, members of
the school board, or other county officers herein named may have a stock
interest; nor shall it include the granting of franchises to or purchase of
services from public service corporations.

This section shall not apply to attorneys for the Commonwealth em-
ployed by the governing bodies of counties under the provisions of
§§ 58-762, 58-1016 or 58-1102 to collect taxes which are a lien on real
estate; nor to contracts for additional compensation to be paid an attorney
for the Commonwealth for services rendered in connection with proceed-
ings under Chapter 8 of Title 15 of this Code.

Nor shall this section apply to the publication of notices, lists, or
other information, which the county is required or permitted by law to
publish, in a newspaper owned directly or indirectly by a county officer
or operated by such officer, provided such newspaper is the only newspaper
of general circulation published in such county.

Nor shall this section apply:to the compensation, not in excess of one
dollar per day, of sheriffs who also serve as jailors for their counties.