Chap. 370.—An ACT to provide for the creation of a metropolitan commission
for certain areas of the State; to prescribe its powers and duties; to authorize
the governing bodies of certain counties, cities and towns to enter into certain
contractual relations with and contribute funds to such commission; to provide
for the entry of certain other political subdivisions into such commission; to
authorize certain school boards to enter into certain contractual relations with
such commission. H 543

Approved March 31, 1948

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:

1. Section 1. The governing bodies of each of any one or more
counties having an area of less than seventy-five square miles of high
land, and any city or town, where such county, city or town, as the case
may be, either adjoins or is adjacent to any city having a population in
excess of thirty thousand inhabitants, all according to the last preceding
United States census, may by resolution declare that there is need for a
Metropolitan Commission. A commission to be known as the ....................
essuaseeesevensve (insert name) Metropolitan Commission (hereinafter referred
to as commission) shall thereupon exist for such counties, cities and
towns and shall have such powers as may be hereinafter conferred upon
it in this act or by general or special law. The governing body of any
county, city or town contiguous or adjacent to any county, city or town
for which the Metropolitan Commission has been created may by resolu-
tion of the governing body elect to enter such Commission and if the
governing bodies of the political subdivisions already composing the
Commission agree thereto such other county, city or town shall thereupon
become and be an integral part of the Commission.

Section 2. The Commission when created shall cooperate with other
regional commissions which have been or are hereafter created. The
power to form or continue such Metropolitan Commission shall extend to
any city or county hereafter created under the provisions of chapter three
hundred ninety-five of the Acts of Assembly of nineteen hundred forty
as amended.

Section 3. Upon creation of such commission the governing bodies
of the respective counties, cities and towns which have joined the Com-
mission may provide for the appointment or the election of persons to
represent them upon the Commission; they may further provide for the
appointment by their representatives upon the Commission of a Metro-
politan Manager who shall direct, under the supervision of the
representatives upon the Commission, the activities of the Commission.

Section 4. The Commission may enter into contractual arrangements
with the governing bodies of the respective counties, cities and towns for
the performance by the Commission of such governmental services and
functions as may be lawfully delegated to it and upon such terms as the
respective contracting parties agree to. The Commission may enter into
contractual arrangements with the school boards of the respective political
subdivisions, if the governing bodies thereof concur, for the employment
of a regional superintendent of schools and the operation of the schools
under the direction of the school boards on a regional basis upon such
terms as the boards may agree to.

Section 5. The governing bodies and school boards of the respective
political subdivisions are authorized to enter into such contracts with the
Commission as are herein provided for upon such terms as they may
deem satisfactory under the circumstances. All such contracts shall be
for not less than one year with the proviso that the same shall be automat-
ically renewed unless six months’ notice of termination be made by the
counties, cities and towns desiring so to do. In so far as not prohibited
by general law contracts for longer periods of time may be entered into
with such options or renewals as appear proper under the circumstances.

Section 6. Any other regional agency or commission created in the
area affected by this act may enter into contracts with the Commission
for the performance of such duties upon such terms as the contracting
parties deem desirable. ,

Section 7. The Commission, and the governing bodies and school
boards of the respective political subdivisions are hereby vested with
such powers as may be necessary to enable them to assign to and provide
for discharge by the Commission of such governmental functions as may
be deemed proper under the circumstances except such as are prohibited
by the Constitution of this State.

Section 8. The Commission when once formed shall continue to
exist so long as at least two political subdivisions of the State are mem-
bers thereof.

Section 9. Any county, city or town which has joined the Commis-
sion shall have power to appropriate its funds for the administration
expenses of the Commission under such conditions as appear proper to
the county, city or town so contributing.