CHAPTER 462

An Act to amend and reenact § 2 of Chapter II, § 4 of Chapter IV as
amended, § 1 of Chapter X as amended, and § 1 of Chapter XXVII,
as amended, of Chapter 481 of the Acts of Assembly of 1950, approved
April 6, 1950, which provided a charter for the city of Hopewell,
relating to the power to ratse taxes, election of officials and their
terms, appointment of justices of the peace and to the establishment
of a pension fund; and to repeal §§ 2 through 15, inclusive, of Chapter
XXVII, relating to the pension fund.
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:

1. That § 2 of Chapter II, § 4 of Chapter IV as amended, § 1 of Chapter X
as amended, and § 1 of Chapter XXVII, as amended, of Chapter 431 of
the Acts of Assembly of nineteen hundred fifty, approved April six,
nineteen hundred fifty, be amended and reenacted as follows:

Chapter II—§ 2. The city shall have the power to raise annually by
taxes, licenses and assessments such sums of money as the council shall
deem necessary to pay the debts and defray the expenses of the city in
such manner as the council shall deem expedient, and to appropriate
the same to all legal municipal purposes, provided that such taxes, licenses
and assessments are authorized by the general laws of the Commonwealth,
and provided further that the present outstanding bonds of the city shall
not be taxable by the said city. In addition to the other powers conferred
by law the city shall have the power to levy, impose and collect, in such
manner as the Council may deem expedient, a consumer or subscriber
tax at a uniform rate of levy as to all such consumers or subscribers
upon the amount paid by such consumer or subscriber for the use within
the city of water, electricity, gas, telephone and other public utility
service or upon the amount paid for any one or more of such public utility
service used within the city, and the council may provide that such tax
shall be added to and collected with bills rendered consumers for such
services; provided, however, that no such tax shall be levied, imposed,
computed, or paid by a subscriber or consumer upon so much of any
amount paid or owed as hereinafter described by a subscriber or consumer
as shall exceed the following amounts: ten dollars per month paid or owed
by residential consumers for electricity, telephone or water; seven dollars
per month paid or owed by residential consumers for gas; twenty-five
dollars per month paid or owed by commercial users for each of such
water, electricity, gas or telephone or any other public utility service or
the use thereof or service in connection therewith; two thousand five
hundred dollars per month paid or owed by any industrial users for each
of such water, electricity, gas, telephone or any other public utility service,
or the use thereof or service in connection therewith.

Chapter IV—§ 4. On the first Tuesday in September next following
the regular municipal election, or as soon thereafter as may be practicable,
the newly elected council shall:

(a) Proceed to choose by majority vote of all the members thereof
one of their number to be president, who shall be ex-officio mayor, and
another vice-president, of the council, who shall be ex-officio vice-mayor,
each of whom shall serve for a period of two years from the first day
of the September in which such election is held and until their successor
or successors have been elected and qualified.

(b) Appoint a city manager, a city clerk, a city auditor (whose duties
may be combined with that of the city clerk) *, a municipal judge, a sub-
stitute municipal judge and a judge of the juvenile and domestic relations
court, the last of whom may also be the municipal judge.

(c) Appoint the members of such boards and commissions as are
provided for in this charter, or as may be established by the council or by
general laws. The school board, library board, City Planning and Zoning
Commission, Public Recreation and Parks Commission and Dock Com-
mission shall each consist of five members who shall be appointed as

ollows:

On the first Tuesday in September, nineteen hundred fifty, there shall
be appointed two members of each board or commission for a term of
four years each and three members for terms of two years each, and
thereafter, upon the expiration of the terms of the said members, their
successors shall be appointed for terms of four years each.
The members of said boards and commissions shall serve until their
successors have been appointed and qualified.

(d) If it deems necessary, appoint a city attorney and * justices of
peace.

Chapter X—§ 1. The city council may appoint one or more persons,
from time to time, as it may deem necessary, for terms to expire on the
first Tuesday in September next following each regular municipal election,
as * justices of peace for said city who shall have such power and authority
as 1s authorized by the general laws of the Commonwealth of Virginia,
and in addition who shall have authority to issue warrants and summonses
wn criminal cases and to bail persons charged with violations of city
ordinances, whose qualifications, terms of office and compensation shall
be such as the council may by ordinance or resolution provide.

Chapter XXVII—§ 1. The council of said city shall * establish a
fund or funds for the relief or pensions of persons in the service of the
city; to receive gifts, devises and bequests of money or property for the
benefit of such fund or funds; to make contributions of public moneys
thereto on such terms and conditions as it may see fit; and, subject to the
provisions of this chapter, to make rules and regulations for the manage-
ment and administration of such fund or funds.

2. en §8§ 2 through 15, inclusive, of Chapter XXVII are hereby
repealed.

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