Chap. 154.—An ACT authorizing the creation of a road commission for Halifax
county; to provide for the appointment of the members of satd commission;
to prescribe their terms of office, their compensation, and their powers
and duties. [S B 225]

Approved March 10, 1920.

Whereas proceedings have been instituted in the county of Halifax
for the purpose of securing a bond issue in said county in an amount
not to exceed five hundred fifty thousand dollars for the purpose of
building and improving certain roads in said county, set out in said
proceedings; and whereas in the event the said bond issue is passed,
it will be desirable to create a road commission for the said county,
who shall be empowered to build the roads, provided for under the
said bond issue, therefore: .

1. Be it enacted by the general assembly of Virginia, That the
circuit court of Halifax county, or the judge thereof in vacation, is
hereby authorized and directed, within thirty days after the passage
of the aforesaid bond issue in said county (in the event that the
same shall be passed), to appoint three residents of said county, quali-
fied to vote, one to be from that portion of said county lying on the
south of Dan river, one from the town of South Boston, and one
from that portion of said county lying north of Dan river, who shall
be known and officially designated as the “Road Commission for
Halifax County;” and the names of the said commissioners who shall
be appointed are as follows: D. W. Owen, from south of Dan river;
W. L. Penick, from South Boston, and B. W. Leigh, from north of
Dan river. The members of said commission shall enter upon their
office immediately upon their appointment and qualification, and shall
continue in office for two years, provided, however, that the said judge
may, in his discretion, in the event they shall not have completed the
duties under this act, extend their term of office for an additional
term not to exceed two years, and the length of the said additional
term to be prescribed in the order extending the said term. They
shall qualify as other county officers, and shall give such bond or
bonds as the said court or judge may determine. They shall select
from among themselves a chairman and secretary. Each member of
the said commission shall receive as compensation five dollars per day
for each day actually served, but such compensation shall not exceed
two hundred and fifty dollars per annum to any one commissioner.
Said commission shall have charge of and control of the expenditure
of all moneys realized from the sale of the bonds described in the
preamble, and such other funds as may be turned over to them by
the board of supervisors, and shall also have charge of and direct
the building and permanent road improvements of said county made
from the proceeds of such bond issue. It may, for that purpose, ob-
tain additional legal advice, employ a competent road engineer, ac-
countants, and other necessary assistance; employ labor, receive pro-
posals, and award contracts, and enforce such rules and regulations
as it may adopt, and shall have power to do all other things that may
be necessary to carry out the powers hereby given; provided, that
if said commissioners shall determine to let said work or any part
thereof by contract, and the cost of such contract 1s to exceed two
hundred and fifty dollars, before the same shall be awarded, bids
therefor shall be received after ten days advertising for such bids in
one or more newspapers published in the county of Halifax; and pro-
vided, further, that nothing in this act shall be construed to prevent
the said commission from availing itself and Halifax county of the
benefit of the general law, provided for State money aid, in addition
to convict labor, for the improvement of public roads, and of the
services of the State highway commissioner and of his assistants, in
which case, and with reference thereto, the provision of the general
law shall be followed in lieu of any of the special provisions of this
act which may be in conflict therewith.

The said commission is hereby authorized and empowered to build
and improve the system of roads set out in the proceedings for a bond
issue, and with the advice and approval of the State highway com-
missioner, or his assistants, shall have full power to decide all mat-
ters as to the grade and character of roads and bridges, to be built,
and shall have power to make such regulations as to the use of any
roads under construction or that have been improved under their
supervision, as they may deem wise, in the same manner as the board
of supervisors may now do, and shall have power to enforce the
said regulations in accordance with the powers now granted to boards
of supervisors.

_ The compensation of the said commission, as hereinbefore pro-
vided for, and all necessary expenses incurred by the said commis-
sion, shall be paid out of the proceeds of the sale of said bonds or
any funds turned over to said commission by the board of supervisors
of Halifax county.

The said commission shall make a report on the fourth Mondays in
January, May and September, of each year, to the judge of the circuit
court of said county, and also to the board of supervisors of said
county in the meetings of said board held in the months of January,
May and September, which report shall be in duplicate, and said
report shall also be published, either in full or in summary, in the
two newspaper published in South Boston and the one published at
Houston, in the issues thereof after the filing of said report with the
judge of said court. The said report shall set forth which roads, if
any, have been improved by the commission during the preceding
period since the last report, and shall contain an itemized statement
of expenditures made by it, and shall also contain an estimate of
the amount needed for the next period, and for what purpose and
on what roads such expenditures are proposed to be needed; and the
board of supervisors shall, by the issue of the bonds, authorized, pro-
vide an adequate fund in the hands of the treasurer of said county
to meet the proposed expenditures; and the said treasurer shall pay
out the said money upon warrants being issued by the said commis-
sion in like manner as warrants are now issued by the board of super-
visors, or on such other proper order of said commission as may be
decided upon.

The circuit court of said county shall have power to remove from
ofice any officer appointed under this act for neglect of duty or
malfeasance in office. Any vacancy occurring in any office provided
by this act shall be filled by the said court for the unexpired term,
and the compensation provided herein shall be divided and appor-
tioned in such manner as the said court may direct.

The members of said commission are prohibited from being or
becoming interested, directly or indirectly, in any purchase, contract,
or contracts, which may be made by virtue hereof.

2. An emergency existing, this act shall be in force from its

passage.