Chap. 180.—An ACT to amend and reenact Sections 9, and 45 as amended, of
Chapter 288 of the Acts of Assembly of 1924, approved March 20, 1924, which
provided a charter for the town of Salem, the sections relating to the town
council. {H 331]

Approved March 10, 1948

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:

1. That sections nine, and forty-five as amended, of chapter
two hundred eighty-eight of the Acts of Assembly of nineteen
hundred twenty-four, approved March twenty, nineteen hundred
twenty-four, be amended and reenacted as follows:

Section 9. Organization rules of the council——(a) At nine
o’clock ante meridian on the first day of September following a
regular municipal election, or if such day be a Sunday, then on
the day following, the council shall meet at the usual place for
holding the meetings of the legislative board of the town, at which
time the newly elected councilmen, after first having taken the
oaths prescribed by law, shall assume the duties of their office.
Thereafter the council shall meet at such times as may be pre-
scribed by ordinance or resolution, except that they shall regularly
meet not less than once each month. The mayor, any member of
the council, or the town manager may call special meetings of the
council, at any time upon giving at least twelve hours written notice
thereof with the purpose of said meeting stated therein, to each
member served personally or left at his usual place of business or
residence, or such meeting may be held at any time without notice,
provided all members of the council attend. No business other than
that mentioned in the call shall be considered at such meeting,
unless all members of the council be present and first give their
unanimous consent to the consideration of such business.

(b) All meetings of the council shall be public and any citizen
may have access to the minutes and records thereof at all reasonable
times.

(c) The council shall elect one of its members as chairman,
who shall be ex officio mayor, also a town manager, a town clerk,
a town attorney, a town treasurer, and a town commissioner of
the revenue.

The council shall also appoint the members of such boards and
commissions as are hereinafter provided for. The council may
appoint all such other boards and commissions as may be deemed
proper, and prescribe the powers and duties thereof, under the
supervision of the director of the department pertaining thereto.
The council may determine its own rules of procedure, may punish
its own members for misconduct and may compel attendance of
members. It shall keep a journal of its proceedings. A majority of
all members of the council shall constitute a quorum to do business,
but a smaller number may adjourn from time to time, and compel
the attendance of absentees. All elections by the council shall be
viva voce and the vote recorded in the journal of the council.
Section 45. Salaries and compensation—From and after the
passage of this act, the salaries of the councilmen and the chair-
man, who is ex officio mayor, shall be such as may be fixed by the
council; provided, however, that the salary of no councilman shall
exceed fifty dollars per month and that the salary of the chairman
of the council, who is ex officio mayor, shall not exceed the sum
of one hundred dollars per month, in addition to his salary as
councilman.

All charges, costs and fees taxable and collectible by the chair-
man, who is ex officio mayor, in the trial of all cases, civil and
criminal, when taxed and collected, shall be paid into the treasury
of the town, and the mayor shall have no personal financial interest
therein. The salaries and compensation of all other officers and
employees of this town shall be such as may from time to time be
fixed and prescribed by the council.

2. An emergency exists and this act is in force from its passage.