CHAPTER 107

An Act to amend and reenact §§ 20 and 22 as amended, of Chap 180
of the Acts of Assembly of 1884, approved February 19, 1884,
amended and reenacted by Chap 52 of the Acts of Assembly of
1888, approved January 80, 1888, which chapter provided a charter
for the town of South Boston, so as to remove limitations as to the
rate of taxation; to authorize the issuance of certain bonds; to make
certain persons eligible to vote in certain elections, and providing a
procedure for such elections; and to amend the said chapter by adding
thereto a section, numbered $1, to provide for election of certain
town officers, and to prescribe the powers and duties of such Riese

Approved February 23, 1952

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:

1. That §§ 20 and 22 as amended, of Chap 180 of the Acts of Assembly
of 1884, approved February 19, 1884, amended and reenacted by Chapter
52 of the Acts of Assembly of 1888, approved January 30, 1888, be
amended and reenacted and that the chapter be amended by adding thereto
a section numbered 31, as follows:

§ 20. To meet any expenditures that may be lawfully chargeable
to the said town, the council may annually levy a town levy of so much
as in its opinion may be necessary upon all taxable persons and property,
resident or situate within the said town, not exempted from taxation by
the laws of this State; provided, that a capitation tax not greater than
one dollar per head on the inhabitants of said town over the age of twenty-
one years shall not be levied in any one year; and provided * further that
the council shall have power to levy taxes for general town purposes, and
for the payment of principal and interest of bonds issued by the town at
such rate and amount as shall be determined by the council and within
the limits permitted by law.

§ 22. For the purpose of constructing, extending, repairing or im-
proving a sewerage system or systems for said town, and for the purpose
of constructing, extending and adding to other public utilities and improve-
ments, authorized by the charter of said town or by the general laws of
the State of Virginia, the council may, in the name of and for the use of
said town, contract loans and issue bonds therefor, bearing interest at
the rate of six per centum or less per annum, payable semiannually, and
redeemable in thirty-four years or less, which bonds shall be exempt from
taxation by the said town; provided, that the council shall not contract any
loan or issue any bonds therefor, unless the question of such issue be first
submitted to the * duly registered and qualified voters residing within
the said town under the provisions of the present Constitution of this
State, * and a majority of those voting at any election held hereunder
upon such question be in favor thereof; and provided, further, that in no
case shall the aggregate debt of the said town at any one time exceed
eighteen per centum of the assessed valuation of the real estate in said
town subject to taxation, as shown by the last preceding assessment for
taxes; * except that the debt limitation hereinbefore provided in this
section shall not apply to bonds issued in accordance with section one
hundred twenty-seven (b) of the Constitution of Virginia.

Any election for the purpose of authorizing the issuance of town
bonds shall be called, conducted, and the result thereof determined, and
the bonds issued in accordance with the general laws of the Commonwealth
of Virginia relating to bond issues by cities and towns.

§ 81. The council of the town shall have power to elect a legally
qualified person to be known and designated as the Clerk of the Police
Court of the Town of South Boston and to fix the compensation of such
officer. Such clerk shall hold office during the pleasure of the council.
The clerk of the police court so elected shall qualify in the same manner
as the mayor, and shall enter into bond in such penalty as the council shall
prescribe, conditioned for the faithful performance of his duties. Such
clerk shall have the same power as the police justice to issue warrants,
to issue subpoenas for witnesses and to take recognizances and bail bonds
and in the performance of such duties to administer oaths.

The council shall have power also to elect a duly qualified person to
be known as the Warrant Officer of the town of South Boston, who shall
hold office during the pleasure of the council. Such warrant officer shall
qualify in the same manner as the mayor and shall enter into bond in such
penalty as the council shall prescribe, conditioned for the faithful per-
formance of his duties. Such warrant officer shall have the same powers
as the clerk of the police court to issue warrants and subpoenas for wit-
nesses, to take recognizances and bail and in the performance of such
duties to administer oaths.

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