Chap. 225.—An ACT to incorporate the town of Independence, in the county of
Grayson. [H B 380]
Approved March 27, 1934

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia, as follows:
1. The territory contained within the limits set forth and described
in the second cectinn anf thie act chal] he deemed and taken ac the tawn
of Independence, and the inhabitants of the town of Independence for
all purposes for which towns are incorporated in this Commonwealth,
shall be a body politic under the denomination of the town of Inde-
pendence, and as such shall have, exercise and enjoy all the rights,
privileges and powers conferred upon and be subject to all the duties
and obligations imposed upon towns by general law.

2. The boundaries of said town shall be as follows, namely: Begin-
ning at the courthouse of Grayson county, in said town, measuring
eight hundred and eighty yards in opposite directions parallel with Main
street, forming a square of one mile on each boundary.

3. The government of said town shall be vested in a mayor and six
councilmen, who shall be residents and voters in said town, to be chosen
every two years, by ballot, at an election held according to law, on the
second Tuesday in June, the first election to be held in June, nineteen
hundred and thirty-four, and enter upon their duties on the first day
of September following their election. In case a vacancy shall occur
in any municipal office, it shall be filled as prescribed by law. In ab-
sence of the mayor one of the councilmen shall act as mayor pro tem-
pore; any one of the councilmen shall have power to act as mayor in
his absence.

4. The council shall select from their own number a clerk, and from
the qualified voters elect a town sergeant.

5. The council of said town shall have all the general powers vested
in it by the general laws of the State, and shall also have the power
to mark the bounds of existing streets, and to widen or narrow, lay out
and graduate, pave, and otherwise improve streets and public high-
ways within the town, and move obstructions therefrom.

6. The said council shall have the power to regulate the sanitary
condition of said town, and to regulate the building and keeping in a
sanitary condition all stables, hog pens, privies, slaughter houses, et
cetera, to abate nuisances at the expense of those who create them.
They shall punish all violations of law and all violations of town ordi-
nances by fine or imprisonment, or both, at the discretion of the mayor,
subject to the general laws of the State.

7. The said town council shall have the power to adopt any and all
ordinances and enforce the same as they may deem necessary for the
regulation and improvement of said town, subject, however, to the
general laws of the State.

8. The authorities shall have the use of the county jail of Grayson
county until the said town shall have built one of their own, for the
safekeeping of all persons who shall be sentenced under the ordinance
of the town.

9. The council shall have power to suspend any officer for neglect
of duty or disorderly conduct. ,

10. The mayor shall be the presiding officer, and shall have all the
powers conferred upon mayors of towns by general laws.

11. The council shall have power to restrain and punish drunkards,
vagrants, and beggars, to prevent vice and immorality, and make all
ordinances necessary to preserve order.

12. There shall be a lien on the real estate within said town for the
town taxes assessed thereon, from the commencement of the year in
which they are assessed.

13. The sergeant shall collect the town taxes, fines, and levies, and
shall have the same authority and remedies to distrain and sell therefor,
as the treasurer of any county may for State taxes.

14. The council shall cause to be kept in a journal by its clerk an
accurate record of all its pfoceedings, by-laws, acts, and orders, which
shall be fully indexed and open to inspection by any one who 1s en-
titled to vote for members of the council. Said clerk shall also keep an
accurate account of all moneys paid in said town for fines, costs, taxes,
and so forth, and the disbursement of same.

15. All moneys collected under the provisions of this charter shall
be expended by order of the town council.

16. The salary or fees to be received by the mayor and town ser-
geant shall be the amount fixed by the town council.

17. The following persons are hereby appointed to serve as mayor
and councilmen of said town until a mayor and councilmen shall be
elected under the provisions of section three of this act and enter upon
the discharge of their duties, namely: H. E. Poole, mayor, and W. J.
Elliott, Opie Daniels, Neal Bedwell, D. T. Painter, L. E. Poole and Max
Gentry, councilmen. The said appointees may qualify before the clerk
of the circuit court of Grayson county and shall, from the date of their
qualification, be the mayor, and constitute the council, of said town,
and perform their duties as such within the time limit above prescribed.

18. An emergency existing, this act shall be in force from its pas-
sage.

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