CHAP. 28.—JOINT RESOLUTION proposing amendment to section 117 of
article 8 of the Constitution of Virginia.

Signed February 15, 1912.
Whereas, the proposed amendment to section one hundred

and seventeen of the Constitution, hereafter fully set forth, was
agreed to bv a majority of the members elected to the two houses
of the general assembly, at its session of nineteen hundred and
ten, and referred to this, the next general assembly, and pub-
lished for three months, as required by the Constitution, and as
shown by report of such publication by the clerk of the house
of delegates; now, therefore, be it

1. Resolved by the senate and the house of delegates (a ma-
jority of the members elected to each house agreeing thereto),
That the following amendment to the Constitution of Virginia
be, and the same is hereby, proposed, in conformity with the
provisions of section one hundred and ninety-six of article fifteen
of said Constitution—namely

Strike out from the Constitution of Virginia section one hun-
dred and seventeén, which is in the words and figures follow-
ing, to-wit:

§117. General laws for the organization and government of
cities and towns shall be enacted by the general assembly, and
no special act shall be passed in relation thereto, except in the
manner provided in article four of this Constitution, and then
only by a recorded vote of two-thirds of the members elected
to each house. But each of the cities and towns of the State
having at the time of the adoption of this Constitution a munici-
pal charter may retain the same, except so far as it shall be
repealed or amended by the general assembly: provided, that
every such charter is hereby amended so as to conform to all the
provisions, restrictions, limitations and powers set forth in this
article or otherwise provided in this Constitution.

And insert in lieu thereof the following:

§117. General laws for the organization and government of
cities and towns shall be enacted by the general assembly, and
no special act shall be passed in relation thereto, except in the
manner provided in article four of this Constitution, and then
only by a recorded vote of two-thirds of the members elected to
each house; and except also in the case of cities having more
than fifty thousand inhabitants, as hereinafter provided. But
each of the cities and towns of the State having at the time of
the adoption of this amendment a municipal charter may retain
the same, except so far as it shall be repealed or amended by the
general assembly: provided, that every such charter is hereby
amended so as to conform to all the provisions, restrictions,
limitations and powers set forth in this article, or otherwise
provided in this Constitution.

Notwithstanding, however, anything in this article contained,
the general assembly may, by general law or by special act
(passed as prescribed in article four of this Constitution), depart
in any respect (except as otherwise in this section expressly pro-
vided) from the form of organization and government prescribed
by this article for cities and towns, and may provide, from time to
time, for the various cities and towns of the Commonwealth
such form or forms of municipal government as the general
assembly may deem best; but no form or forms of government
authorized by the second paragraph of this section shall become
operative except as to such cities or towns as may thereafter
adopt the same by a majority vote of its qualified electors at an
election to be held as may be prescribed therefor by law. All
the limitations on the powers of the councils of cities and towns
imposed by this article shall apply in like manner to the princi-
pal legislative authority under any form of government which
may be authorized hereunder. The term “council” as used in
sections one hundred and twenty-five and one hundred and
twenty-seven of this Constitution shall be construed to include
the body which, under any form of municipal government, shall
be vested with the principal legislative authority of such munici-
pality.

The general assembly, for the purposes of this article, may
classify cities according to their population, but the maximum
population prescribed for any class shall exceed the minimum
population for the same class by at least ten thousand. The
general assembly, at the request, made in manner which may
be prescribed by law, of any city having a population of over
fifty thousand inhabitants, may grant a special form of govern-
ment for such city.

Any laws or charters enacted pursuant to the provisions of
this section shall be subject to the provisions of this Constitu-
tion relating expressly to judges and clerks of courts, attorneys
for the Commonwealth, commissioners of revenue, city treasu-
rers and city sergeants.