CHAPTER 70

An Act to amend and reenact § 8 of Chapter II and §§ 1, 2, and 8 of Chapter
XI of Chapter 578 of the Acts of Assembly of 1952, approved April 3,
1952, which provided a charter for the city of Danville, the sections
relating to date of initial meeting of council and the budget. H 268
[H 268}

Approved February 23, 1960

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:
1. That § 8 of Chapter II and §§ 1, 2 and 3 of Chapter XI of Chapter
578 of the Acts of Assembly of 1952, approved April three, nineteen hun-
dred fifty-two, be amended and reenacted as follows:

Chap II

§ 8. Induction of Members. The first meeting of the newly elected
council shall take place in the council chamber in the municipal building
at twelve o’clock noon on the first day of September following their
election, or if such day shall fall on Sunday or a holiday, then on the *
next day which is not a Sunday or a holiday. It shall be called to order by
the city clerk, who shall administer the oath of office to the duly elected
members. In the absence or inability of the city clerk, the meeting may
be called to order and the oath administered by the city attorney. The
first business of the council shall be the election of a president and vice-
president and the adoption of rules and of procedure. Until this business
has been completed, the council shall not adjourn for a period longer than
forty-eight hours.

§ 1. Preparation and Submission of the Budget.—At least sixty days
before the end of each fiscal year, the City Manager shall prepare and
submit to the council for its consideration an annual budget for the ensuing
fiscal year, based upon detailed estimates furnished by the several de-
partments and other divisions of the city government according to a
classification as nearly uniform as possible. The council may by ordinance
require the City Manager to submit to the council for its consideration,
instead of one general budget combining all departments of the city
government, separate budgets as follows: (a) A budget for the general
operation of the city government, including public schools and (b) a
combined budget for the water, gas and electric departments. The
budget or budgets, as the case may be, shall present such other informa-
tion as may be prescribed by ordinance. At least thirty days before the
end of each fiscal year the City Manager, after collaboration with the
council, shall have the budget or budgets as the case may be, completed
and ready for introduction at a regular or special meeting of the council.

§2. Publication: Hearing. A brief synopsis of the budget or budgets
as the case may be shall be published in a newspaper or newspapers having
general circulation in the city, and notice given of a public hearing. After
the conclusion of the public hearing the council may insert new items of
expenditures or may increase, decrease or strike out items of expendi-
tures in the budget or budgets as the case may be, except that no item of
expenditure for debt service or required to be included by this Charter or
other provision of law shall be reduced or stricken out.

§ 8. Annual Appropriation. Prior to the end of each fiscal year the
council shall pass an appropriation ordinance which shall be based on the
budget or budgets as the case may be, submitted by the City Manager;
and shall levy such tax for the ensuing fiscal year as may be necessary
to meet the appropriations made and all sums required by law to be
raised for account of the city debt. The total amount of appropriations
shall not exceed the estimated revenues of the city.

Nothing hereinabove contained shall be construed as rendering in-
eee the provisions of Chapter 79, Acts of Assembly, Special Session
of 1959.

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