Chap. 507.—An ACT to define the corporate limits and charter for the
city of Williamsburg.

Approved March 17, 1884.

Whereas much uncertainty exists asto the exact chartered
rights of the city of Williamsburg, as well as to the corporate
limits of said city, owing to the many amendments to the
said charter; now, therefore, to define both the corporate
limits of said city and the charter rights of the same,

1. Be it enacted by the general assembly of Virginia, That
the charter of the city of Williamsburg be amended and re-
enacted so as to read as follows:
§1. The corporate limits and bounds of the city of Wil-
liamsburg shall be as heretofore established and defined.

§2. The boundaries and plat of said city shall be recorded
among the deeds in the office of the clerk of the court for
James City county and city of Williamsburg.

§3. The municipal authorities of said city shall bea mayor
and six councilmen, who shall serve without salary, and who
together shall form a common council, and shall “be a body
poritie and corporate by the name of the city of Williams-

urg, Virginia, and shall have perpetual succession and a
common seal; and by that name may sue and be sued, and
may purchase and hold personal and real estate necessary to
enable them to discharge their dutics for the good order,
government and welfare of the city.

§4. There shall be a city sereeant, who shall be the chief
of the police force of said city, and one commissioner of the
revenue.

§ 5. An election for the mayor, councilmen, commissioner
of the revenue and sergeant shall be held on the fourth
Thursday in May, eighteen hundred and eighty-four, and
every two years thereaiter ; ; and the person elected as mayor
shall be a freeholder of said city, and shall execute each
a bond, with security, to be approved by the court of the
county of James City and city of Williamsburg, in the pen-
alty of one thousand dollars before entering upon the dis-
charge of their duties.

§ 6. The powers and authority of said council shall be such
as are mentioned and prescribed by section thirty-one, chap-
ter fifty-four, Code of Virginia, eighteen hundred and seventy-
three, except that the said council Inay not levy, in addition
to capitation, a greater tax for corporation purposes than at
the rate of fifty cents upon the one hundred dollars value of
real and personal property within the corporate limits: pro-
vided that for school purposes they may, in addition to said
rule, levy a special school tax for use of schools within corpo-
rate limits, not to exceed ten cents upon the one hundred
dollars of value of said real and personal property.

§ 7. The presence of the mayor and at least three council-
men, or in the absence of the mayor, the presence of at least
four councilmen, shall be necessary to make a quorum for the
transaction of business.

§ 8. The council shall cause a record to be kept of their
proceedings, by-laws, acts and orders, which shall be fully in-
dexed, and open to the inspection of any one entitled to vote
for members of the council.

§ 9. The mayor shall have a vote as a member of the coun-
cil, and in all cases of a tie the person at the time presiding,
shall have a casting vote.

§ 10. The treasurer elected by the county of James City
and city of Williamsburg shall collect all levies and taxes as-
sessed and levied by said council, and shall account with
them therefor in such manner as they may prescribe.
§11. That the corporate limits of said city shall be a schoo!
district, separate and distinct from the school organization of
James City county, and the common council shall elect the
schoo! trustecs for same; and it shall be the duty of said
common council to recommend to the board of public educa-
tion suitable persons to be by said board appointed superin-
tendent of schools in said district: provided the person so
appointed superintendent shall be a resident of said city.

P12. All elections beld in said city shall be under the con-
trol of judges of election, appointed for said city in the manner
prescribed by law for the general conduct of elections for coun-
ty and municipal elections; except that the common council
may fill any vacancy that may occur by death, removal or
resignation during their term.

§ 13. The term of office of all municipal officers of said city

‘shall be two years, beginning with the first day of July next

after their election.

§ 14. All acts and parts of acts inconsistent with this act
are hereby repealed.

§ 15. This act shall be in force from its passage.