Chap. 101.—An ACT to amend and re-enact section 9 of an act of the general

assembly, entitled an act to provide a charter for the city of Winchester,

- approved April 2, 1874, as amended by an act approved April 30, 1874, as

amended by an act approved February 26, 1896, as amended in section 9
and section 11 thereof by an act approved March 5, 1900.

Approved March 9, 1910.

1. Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia, That section
nine of an act of the general assembly, entitled an act to provide a charter
for the city of Winchester, approved April second, eighteen hundred and
seventy-four, as amended by an act approved April thirtieth, eighteen
hundred and seventy-four, and as further amended by an act approved
February twenty-sixth, eighteen hundred and ninety-six, and as further
amended by an act approved March fifth, nineteen hundred, be amended
and re-enacted to read as follows:

§9. The common council shall elect a president, who shall preside at
its meetings. The council shall also elect a vice-president, who shall
perform the duties of the president in his absence. The council shall
have power within said city to lay off, alter and improve streets, allevs,
squares and walks; to regulate the width or size of same and to keep them
in order, or cause them to be kept in order; to require the owners or
occupants of property abutting thereon to keep sidewalks free of ice,
snow and other obstructions; to lay off public grounds and to regulate
and control the same, and to provide and take care of public buildings
and to require and compel the abatement of anything which, in the
opinion of the majority of the council, shall be a nuisance, at the expense
of the person causing the same, or of the owner of the ground whereon
the same shall be, and to provide for the collection of said expense by
suit or motion; to prevent and regulate slaughterhouses, privies, cess-
pools or open receptacles for water, or the exercise of any dangerous,
offensive or unhealthy business or employment in the city; to provide
for the inspection of meats, milk and food products to be sold in the
city of Winchester, and to prohibit the sale in the city of Winchester of
impure ineats, milk or food products that are prepared for market under
unsanitary conditions, and to prohibit the exposure of meats, milk or
food products for sale in an unsanitary way upon the public streets, un-
protected from dirt, flies and other contamination; to provide fines for
the sale in the city of Winchester of impure or unsanitary meats, milk
or food products, to be imposed and collected as other city fines are now
imposed and collected; to provide for the collection of vital statistics
and for the reporting of all dangerous diseases to the health department
of the city; to provide rules and regulations for inspection of plumbing,
drains, gas and water pipes and fixtures in the city of Winchester, and
to prohibit plumbing deemed unsanitary, and provide rules and regu-
lations for plumbing work, gas and water installation in the city of
Winchester; to prescribe rules and regulations for the government and
operation of the sewerage and water systems of the city of Winchester,
and to impose a sewerage tax or rental for the use of the sewers by those
connecting therewith; to prohibit the running of waste water into the
public streets; to prevent stock from running at large in said city; to
provide against and for contagious diseases; to establish markets and
regulations for the same; to provide for taking care of the poor of the
city; to purchase or accept gifts of and hold such real estate as it may
deem necessary for the purposes of the city; to levy taxes on all property,
persons and licenses taxable by the State; to tax dogs and impose a water
and sewerage tax; to provide a revenue for the city, and to appropriate the
same; to contract debts in the name of the city of Winchester, and for
the use of said corporation, not to exceed in the aggregate at any one
time (except specially authorized by act of the general assembly) the
sum of fifty thousand dollars; to adopt rules for its government and
the transactions of business; to establish offices and appoint such officers
as it may deem necessary; to define the powers and liabilities, prescribe
the duties, and fix the terms of service of all its appointees, except where
they are defined, prescribed or fixed by this act, or the laws of the State ;
to require and take from them bonds, with such sureties and in such
penalties as it may determine for the faithful discharge of their duties,
all such bonds to be made payable to the city of Winchester; to remove
its appointees ; to fill all vancancies in the council, and generally (and in
addition to the special powers in this act granted) to do all such things
as the council may deem proper for the prosperity, quiet and good order
of the city. The council shall have all such other powers as are now or
may hereafter be conferred on the council of any city or town having a
population of five thousand or over by the Constitution and general laws
of the State, not to conflict with this act. For carrying into effect its
special and general powers the council shall have power to make all such
ordinances and by-laws, not inconsistent with the laws of the State, as it
may deem necessary, and to prescribe fines and other punishment for a
violation thereof, not in conflict with the laws of the State, and to en-
force the ordinances of the city. Any fine or other punishment pre-
scribed for violation of any ordinance of the city may, upon conviction,
be imposed upon warrant issued in the name of the city of Winchester by
any justice of the peace or the mayor.

All fines imposed for violation of city ordinances may be recovered
by execution issued by the justice or other officer imposing the fine, or
by some other justice, or the payment of any such fine may be enforced
by imprisonment in jail not exceeding sixty days. When a fine is im-
posed by a justice or the mayor shall exceed, exclusive of costs, the sum
of twenty dollars, the defendant shall have the right to appeal to the
corporation court of Winchester, upon giving bond with good and suffi-
cient security, payable to the city of Winchester, conditioned to satisfy
such judgment as may be rendered by said court.

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