Chap. 382.—An ACT to amend and re-enact an act entitled “An act to provide
for a road law for Spotsylvania county,” approved February 21, 1898.

Approved March 14, 1908.

1. Be it enacted by the general assembly of Virginia, That an act
entitled “an act to provide for a road law for Spotsylvania county,”
approved February twenty-first, eighteen hundred and ninety-eight, be
amended and re-enacted to read as follows:

§1. That a commission of four persons, who shall each be freeholders
of the county of Spotsylvania, and who shall be residents of said county,
shall be appointed by the circuit court of Spotsylvania, or the judge
thereof in vacation, by an order entered of record either in term time or in
vacation, which said commission of four persons shall be known as the
board of public roads for Spotsylvania county.

§2. The board of public roads shall have the power to change the loca-
tion of any of the roads in the said county before undertaking to per-
manently improve them, or may build a permanent road over a different
route from that followed in whole or in part by any section of any present
public road which they are charged with improving, and in event a
majority of the said board decides to change the location of any section
of road, the said board shall appraise the amount of damage that will
be caused thereby to the owner of the land, deducting from such damage
the value of the benefit that will accrue to such land owner by reason of
the building of a permanent and improved road upon his land, (but in
no case shall the benefit in such case to the land owner be estimated to
be more than the amount of damage he will suffer), and shall tender
such amount of money to the land owner out of the road fund in their
hands. And in case the Jand owner shall decline to accept such amount
of money the board of public roads shall at once proceed to condemn the
said land according to law. And it shall also be the duty of the board
of public roads to arrange for and provide land for a supply of rock and
other road materials for the building of said roads, and their powers in
this connection shall be the same as in the case of acquiring a new site
for any section of road they may decide to change the location of.

§3. Said board of public roads shall be appointed for a term of three
years from the date of their qualification and the execution of the bond
required and may be reappointed thereafter for a similar term, but their
duties shall only concern the permanent building or improvement of the
road and shall in no way concern or interfere with the ordinary working,
care and repair of the public roads under the general laws of this State,
or any special laws of the county. When there is no permanent building
or improvement to be done in the county, the term of the members of
said board shall, on an order to this effect being entered by the circuit
court or the judge thereof in vacation cease and determine and said
members shall not receive pay for the unexpired term.

§4. The board of supervisors shall direct the treasurer of the county
immediately upon the appointment and qualification of said board to
place the fund derived from any sale of county or district bonds for
permanent road improvement at the disposal of and subject to the order
of the board aforesaid for the purpose of macadamizing or otherwise
permanently improving the public roads, which the board may decide
to so build or improve, but not until the said appointees under this act
shall have entered into and acknowledged a bond with approved security
in a penalty of not less than the amount realized from the sale of bonds
which may be issued by virtue of any election held for the districts or
district of said county for the faithful discharge of the duties of their
office and said bond or bonds shall be delivered to and kept by the clerk
of the circuit court. The persons appointed under this act shall qualify
and give the required bonds before the circuit court of Spotsylvania
county, or the judge thereof in vacation or before the clerk of the said
circuit court, within thirty days after such appointment.

85. Upon the completion of their work and in any event once in every
six months the board shall make a report to the board of supervisors of
the county, showing the location, length and width of the roads as im-
proved under their direction and such reports shall be filed and kept
open for inspection by the clerk of the circuit court of the county.

§6. The members of the board of public roads shall be entitled to a
salary for their services the amount of which shall not exceed three
hundred dollars per annum to the chairman, and two hundred and
seventy-five dollars per annum to each of the other members of the said
board, and the amount of compensation shall be fixed by an order en-
tered by the circuit court at the time the said members, respectively are
appointed.

$7. The circuit court of the county may remove any member of the
hoard from office for malfeasance, misfeasance, or gross neglect of official
duty and such removal shall be deemed a vacation of the office. But all
proceedings for the purpose of removal shall be by an order or motion
before said court, upon reasonable notice to the party affected thereby,
and the decision of the circuit court shall be final. In such proceedings,
the Commonwealth’s attorney of the county shall represent the county.
In the event of death, resignation or removal of any member of the board,
his place shall be filled by appointment by the circuit court of the county,
or the judge thereof in vacation, in the same manner as hereinbefore
provided, and said appointee shall in thirty days from the date of said
appointment give bond with approved security in the penalty of not less
than an amount equal to one fourth of the amount realized from the
sale of bonds, said bond may be given in the manner hereinbefore pro-
vided.