Chap. 423.—An ACT to provide for a special election in the town of Boykins,
upon the question of issuing bonds for the purpose of improving the streets
of said town, and installing a water and sewerage system in said town,
and install lights in said town, to allow the council of the said town to issue
bonds, if the same shall be authorized by a majority of the qualified voters
thereof at such special election, and by a majority of the registered voters
of said town, and to levy and collect taxes sufficient to pay the interest
thereon, and to create a sinking fund for the redemption of the said bonds
upon their maturity. (H B 261]

Approved March 23, 1920.

1. Be it enacted by the general assembly of Virginia, That it
shall be lawful for the town of Boykins, for the purpose of grading,
paving, curbing, macadamizing or otherwise improving the streets
of the said town, and to install a water and sewerage system in said
town and installing lights in said town to issue coupons, or regis-
tered bonds in the sums not less than one hundred dollars, to an
amount not exceeding seventy-five thousand dollars, to bear interest
at the rate not to exceed six per centum per annum, payable semi-
annually, said bonds payable thirty years after the date of their
issuing, and any or all of the said bonds shall be redeemable at the
option of the town council at any time after ten years from the date
of their issue ; the said bonds shall be signed by the mayor and attested
by the town clerk, with the seal of the town affixed thereto. Said
bonds shall be exempt from any and all taxation by the town of
Boykins, and shall not be sold for less than their par value.

2. That the town council shall not issue any bonds provided
for in this act until the said council shall have taken the sense of the
qualified voters of said town, as hereinafter provided for; the said
council shall not order any election under this act until a majority
of the council have voted in favor of some definite measure or sub-
scription, as the case may be, for the improvement of the said town,
as contemplated by this act, and has ascertained the approximate
cost thereof, and they shall also ascertain and designate the streets
and squares of said town to which such improvements are to apply
and the part of the town over which the water and sewerage system
are to extend, and shall publish all such information at least once a
week for two weeks, before any election held under this act, in one
or more newspapers of the county of Southampton, for the informa-
tion of the voters.

3. That when the council has complied with the second section
of this act and made a record of same upon its minutes, it is authorized
to make an order requiring the sergeant, and the judges of the elec-
tion, at such time, not less than thirty days fromthe date of said
order, which time shall be designated therein, to open a poll and
take the sense of the qualified voters of the said town, whether the
said council shall make such improvements as has received the ap-
proval of a majority of said council, as aforesaid. The judges of
the election, after taking an oath to faithfully perform the duties
assigned them, shall open polls at the voting place in the said town
and shall conduct said election and close said polls as required by
law in other elections.. At said election each qualified voter wh
shall approve said improvements, shall deposit a ballot on which 1
written or printed, “For improvements,” and each voter opposed t
said improvements shall deposit a ballot on which is written or printer
‘Against improvements.” The judges of the election, at the voting
place, shall immediately after the closing of the polls, count the bal
lots deposited and shall, within two days after said election, mak
return to the mayor, or other presiding officer of said council, of th
number of votes cast against said improvements, and the number o
votes cast for said improvements, and shall return to and deposi
with the clerk of the circuit court of Southampton county, in sepa
rate sealed packages, the ballots for and against the improvements
and the council shall appoint four citizens of the said town, who
with the clerk of the circuit court of Southampton county, shall con-
stitute a board of commissioners, whose duty it shall be, within two
days thereafter, to meet and, after an oath to faithfully perform thei
duty, open said ballots, count the same, correct the returns, if neces-
sary, and ascertain and report to the council how many of said bal-
lots were cast for and against said improvements, which said report.
signed by a majority of said board, shall be entered in the minute
book of said council.

4. If it appears by the report of the board of commissioners
that a majority of the qualified voters of said town, voting upon the
question, are in favor of said improvements at such election, and a
majority of the registered voters of said town, the town of Boykins
is hereby authorized to enact such ordinances as may be necessary
Or appropriate to carry out and effectuate the provisions and the
full intent and meaning of this act, and to issue and dispose of so
many of said bonds as may be authorized by the vote taken and re-
ported, as hereinbefore provided.

5. That the town council be authorized annually to levy and cal-
lect taxes sufficient to pay the interest on all bonds issued under this
act, and said council shall provide for the payment of the principal
of said bond when the same shall mature and become payable, and 1n
their discretion may create a sinking fund to be applied to the redemp-
tion and payment of said bonds.

6. The funds derived from sales of any bonds issued under this
act shall be deposited in the town treasury as a separate and special
fund, and no part of the same shall be used or applied to any other
purpose than that for which the same was authorized by the voters
of the town as herein provided for.

7. An emergency existing, this act shall be enforced from its

yassage.