Chap. 210.—An ACT to amend and re-enact section 28 of the charter of the city
of Richmond, as heretofore amended. [H B 282]

Approved March 16, 1920.

1. Be it enacted by the general assembly of Virginia, That sec-
tion twenty-eight of the charter of the city of Richmond, as heretofore
amended, be amended and re-enacted so as to read as follows:

28. The government of the city of Richmond, for its more con-
venient and efficient administration, is hereby divided into six depart-
ments, as follows:

(1) Department of -law ;

(2) Department of finance;

(3) Department of public works;

(4) Department of public welfare;

(5) Department of public utilities ;

(6) Department of public safety.

Provided, however, that the council may, by ordinance adopted by
an affirmative vote of at least two-thirds of its members in each
branch, create new sub-divisions of any department where absolutely
necessary or abolish existing departments and distribute the func-
tions thereof or establish temporary departments for special work.

At the head of each department, except the departments of law
and finance, there shall be a director whose term of office shall be two
years, to commence on the first day of October of the year in which
appointed, who shall be appointed by the mayor, subject to confirma-
tion by the council of the city of°Richmond, at a joint meeting of the
two branches to be called for that purpose on the first day of Septem-
ber of the year in which their terms commence, or as soon thereafter
as practicable, the terms of office of the directors first appqinted under
this section to commence on the first day of October, nineteen hun-
dred and twenty. All of such directors and heads of departments
shall be chosen by reason of fitness, training and education for the
duties which pertain to the department to which they belong. The
persons now in office shall continue to serve until the first day of
October, nineteen hundred and twenty, and thereafter until their suc-
cessors are duly appointed and qualify unless sooner removed by the
mayor or the council, and provided further, that should the council
fail, within ten days after the appointment required to be made by the
mayor, to confirm the same, the mayor shall, within ten days there-
after, appoint another suitable person and report such appointment to
the council for confirmation, and the same procedure shall continue
until the council shall have confirmed the appointment made by the
mayor. They shall each qualify and give bond payable to the city
of Richmond, with sureties, conditioned for the faithful discharge of
their duties, satisfactory to the city attorney, in an amount not less
than five thousand dollars, except as otherwise in this charter pro-
vided. In case of vacancies occurring in the office of director of any
of the departments hereinbefore enumerated, except the head of the
legal department and the head of the department of finance, the mayor
shall fill the vacancy in the manner herein provided. The heads of
each of the departments, except the legal department, shall have power
to appoint such number of officers, assistants, clerks and employees,
as he shall deem necessary for the proper administration of his de-
partment, and fix their compensation and wages, subject to the ap-
proval of the advisory board as provided in this charter; but such
officers, assistants, clerks and employees may be removed at any time
by the head of the department with which they are connected.

The heads of the several departments shall have the management
and control of the administration of the affairs of the respective de-
partments under their control, and shall each be responsible to the
mayor for the efficient management of their department, and their
advice in writing may be required by the mayor on all matters affecting
their respective departments. They shall each provide and forward to
the mayor departmental estimates, and thev shall make all other re-
ports and recommendations concerning their respective departments,
deemed necessary by them or when required by the mayor, under rules
and regulations to be prescribed by him. Upon the receipt of such
estimates the mayor, in consultation with the advisorv board. after
having first received from the comptroller the estimated anticipated
revenues of the city for the next ensuing fiscal year, from every source
whatsover, other than revenues derived from a bond issue or by tem-
porary loans, shall make up and forward to the council a tentative
budget of expenditures, which shall be within such anticipated reve-
nues; provided, however, that if, in the opinion of the mayor, the
needs and exigencies of the city require a larger revenue for the com-
ing fiscal year than the rate of tax in force for the previous year will
produce, he shall report whether he deems it advisable or not to
increase the revenues of the city by levying a larger tax, and, if so, he
shall recommend on what particular subject the rate should be in-
creased so as to produce the desired revenue.

2. This act shall be in force on and after July first, nineteen hun-
dred and twenty.