CHAPTER 440

An Act to amend and reenact § 15-504, as amended, of the Code of
Virginia, relating to interest of certain officials in contracts with or
claims against counties.

(H 520]

Approved March 29, 1958

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:
1. That § 15-504, as amended, of the Code of Virginia be amended and
reenacted as follows:

§ 15-504. No supervisor, superintendent of the poor, special police-
man, commissioner of the revenue, treasurer, attorney for the Common-
wealth, clerk of the court, * judge of the county court, 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 supervisors, 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, commissioner,
ogee ca overseer for working and keeping in repair the public roads in
e 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 judge of the county court, 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 guardian,
become interested, directly or indirectly in any claim against his county,
whether the same shall have been passed upon by the board of supervisors
or not. Any such contract shall be void, and the amount embraced 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 be a director or
officer or have a stock interest; nor shall it include the granting of fran-
chises 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 this title.

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 * of sheriffs or their
deputies who also serve as jailors for their counties; nor to the employment
of a sheriff of a county or his deputy as janitor for a county building or

uildings.