Chap. 579.—An ACT to amend and re-enact sections 3, 4, 6 and 7 of an act of
the general assembly of Virginia, approved January 16, 1886, entitled an act
to incorporate the town of Claremont, in the county of Surry.

Approved March 8, 1894.

1. Be it enacted by the general assembly of Virginia, That sections
three, four, six and seven of an act entitled an act to incorporate the
town of Claremont, in the county of Surry, approved January six-
teenth, eighteen hundred and eighty-six, be amended and re-enacted
so as to read as follows:

§ 3. ‘The officers of the said town shall! consist of a mayor, five coun-
cilmen, a recorder and a sergeant.

The said officers shall be elected on the fourth Thursday in May
by the qualified voters of the said town, and shall continue in office
for two years, and until their successors are elected and qualified.
They shall enter on their duties on the first day of July succeeding
their election.

§ 4. The said council shall have power to pass all by-laws and
ordinances for the proper government of the town not in conflict
with the constitution and laws of the state of Virginia and the con-
stitution and laws of the United States. They shall have power to
impose a license tax upon all business upon which the state imposes
license or which is provided by law, and its officers shall have such
power to collect the same as a state officer would have in like case,
and impose a tax for the keeping of a dog or dogs within the corpo-
rate limits, and to levy annually such taxes as it may deem necessary
for the purposes of the corporation: provided that no tax upon the real
and personal property in the said. town shall exceed one dollar on
the one hundred dollars’ valuation of property, as per assessment
hereinafter provided for.

The town council may, in the name and for the use of the town,
contract loans or cause to be issued certificates of debt or bonds:
provided no such certificates of debt or bonds shall be issued except
by a two-thirds vote of the council, endorsed or authorized by a ma-
jority of the freehold voters voting on the question; but such loan,
certificates or bonds shall not be irredeemable for a period greater
than thirty-four years: provided, further, that said council shall
not contract said loans or issue such certificates of debt or bonds for
the purpose of subscribing to the stock of any company incorporated
for a work of internal improvement, a manufacturing establishment
or other purpose, without being first authorized so to do by a two-
thirds majority of the freehold voters of the town voting, together
with a majority of the votes cast on the question: provided, further,
that in no case shall the aggregate debt of the town at an y one time
exceed ten per centum of the assessed value of the property, real and
personal, within the town limits. Whenever hereafter there shal]
be contracted by the council any debt not payable within one year
thereafter, there shall be set apart annually, for thirty-four years or
until the debt is paid, a sum not less than one per centum on the
amount of any debt, in addition to the annual interest agreed to be
paid thereon, which sum shall be applied and invested towards the
payment of such debt. There shall be a lien on all goods and chat-
tels and real estate for the town taxes, as assessed thereon, from the
beginning of the year for which they were assessed. The council
may require real estate in the town delinquent for the non-payment
of taxes to be sold for said taxes, with interest thereon at the rate
of ten per centum per annum. and such per centum as the council
may prescribe for charges. Such real estate may be sold and may
be redeemed in the manner provided by law. The said council
shall annually, in the month of March, appoint an assessor or asses-
sors, whose duty it shall be to assess all the lands and personal
property within the corporate limits. The said assessors shall make
out a list of all the real estate within the town, showing the name
and residence of the owner, the quantity of land held, the title of
the owner, whether in fee or for life, a local description of the same,
the value of each lot and the amount included in such value for the
buildings or other improvements thereon.

He shall also make out a list of all persons chargeable with taxes
on personal property, which shall include all the subjects taxable
by the state, and value such subjects according to the laws of the
state governing state assessments of personal property. The said
lists shall be returned to the common council at its meeting in April
in each year, and the rate of taxation for corporate purposes shall
be based upon this assessment. The council shall have power to
pass such ordinances as it shall think proper for the relief of per-
sons from erroneous or excessive assessments. The said assessors
shall give bond in such penalty as the council may require, condi-
tioned for the faithful performance of their duties.
The council shall have power to close or extend, widen or narrow,
lay out and graduate, pave, curb and otherwise improve the streets
and public alleys in the town. Whenever any new street shall be
laid out, a street graded or paved, or any other public improvement
whatsoever made, the council may determine what portion, if any,
of the expenses thereof are to be paid from the public treasury: pro-
vided, however, that the same be not more than one-third thereof,
unless it be for such parts of the streets as adjoin the public im-
provements or lands belonging to the town, or at the intersection of
the public streets one with another; and may determine what por-
tion shall be paid by the owners of real estate benefited by said im-
provement: provided, however, that not more than two-thirds of the
said expenses shall be assessed against the owners of the real estate
benefited thereby. But no such improvement shall be made, to be
defrayed by local assessments, until first requested by petition signed
by at least a majority of the owners of property to be assessed for
such improvement, or unless two-thirds of all the council shall con-
cur in voting any improvement to be expedient, or in determining to
make the same after allegations have been heard, in which case no
request shall be necessary. The council shall have the same power
to collect such local assessments for improvements as are hereinbe-
fore vested in them for the collection of taxes.

§ 6. The recorder shall keep an accurate record of all the proceed-
ings of the council, its by-laws, acts and ordinances, which record
shall be open at all times to the inspection of any voter in the town;
and the recorder shall be ex officio treasurer of said corporation,
giving such bond, performing such duties and receiving such com-
pensation as shall be prescribed by the council. He shall make out
tax bills upon the assessment made in accordance with section four
of this act when ordered by the council, and deliver the same to the
sergeant for collection. Heshall also administer the oath of office
to any officer of the corporation. .

§ 7. The sergeant shall be vested with the powers of a constable
within the limits of said town; before entering upon his duties he
shall give a bond in such penalty as the town council may prescribe,
conditioned for the faithful discharge of his duties; he shall collect
all town and sub-district school levies, and have power to sell and
distrain therefor, in like manner as a county treasurer may distrain
and sell for state taxes; shall be a conservator of the peace, and
shall have power to arrest in said town, or anywhere in Surry
county, upon a warrant issued by the mayor, any person charged
with the violation of the laws or ordinances of said town, or the
commission of any crime in said town, or within a mile of its cor-
porate limits. W hen a violation of any law or ordinance of the said
town is committed in his presence, he shall have authority and
power forthwith to arrest the offender and carry him before some
conservator of the peace of said town to be dealt with according to
law. He shall perform such other duties and receive such compen-
sation as the council may prescribe.

2. This act shall be in force from its passage.