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Ll CODE OF THE GENERAL ORDINANCES OF THE CITY OF CHARLOTTESVILLE Whereas, there has been no general revision of the ordi- nances of the City of Charlottesville since 1909 and Whereas, it is deemed advisable by the City Council that the ordinances of the City of Charlottesville be amended and re- vised: THEREFORE, BE IT ORDAINED by the Council of the City of Charlottesville that the following ordinances be now adopted by the City Council, and that the same shall be the Code of the City of Charlottesville, Va. CHAPTER I. THE COUNCIL -ITS POWERS, DUTIES AND PROCEDURE. Sec. 1. The council—term and compensation. (a) The Council of the City of Charlottesville shall be com- posed of five members, to be elected at large from the qualified voters of the City as provided by Section 4 of the charter. Their term of office shall be four years, except that all elections to fill vacancies shall be for the unexpired terms. (b) Each member of the Council shall receive an annual sal- ary of three hundred dollars ($300.00), except the president of said Council, who shall be Mayor and shall receive five hun- dred dollars ($500.00) per annum. Said salary shall be paid in equal monthly installments. Sec. 2. Oath of office—when taken. Each councilman shall, before entering upon the duties of his office, take the oath prescribed for councilmen by the laws of Virginia and qualify before the Corporation Court or the Judge thereof in vacation, a certificate of which shall be filed with the clerk of the Council who shall enter the same upon the journal thereof; but if any councilman shall fail to qualify as afore - 2 CHARLOTTESVILLE CITY CODE said, for ten days after the commencement of the term for which he was elected, his office shall be deemed vacant. Sec. 3. Time of meeting for organization. The Council shall meet for organization on the first day of September after their election (unless that day be Sunday or a legal holiday, in which case they shall meet on the following day), but in case of unavoidable absence from such meeting of any member elect it shall be competent to adjourn said meeting from time to time as they may deem proper. Sec. 4. Elections by council. At all elections by the Council the voting shall be viva voce. and each member shall be entitled to one vote. Only one per- son shalt be elected at a time, except with the consent of all members present. If, on any vote, no one receives a majority of all the votes, the name of the person receiving the smallest number of votes shall be dropped, and shall not again be put in nomination until a vote intervenes. At each election the roll shall be called by the clerk in alpha- betical order, and each member shall vote when his name is called, unless excused or disqualified by section 24, post. Sec. b. Election of president—vice-president, duties of. The Council shall, at its first meeting in September after the regular biennial election of councilmen, or as soon thereafter as practicable, elect one of its members president, who shall continue in office two years. If a vacancy occur in the office before the end of the term, such vacancy shall be filled as pro- vided by section 11. The president of the Council shall be the Mayor of the City, without veto power. At the same time the Council shall elect one of its members to be vice-president, who shall continue in office two years. If a vacancy occur in the office before the end of his term such vacancy shall be filled as provided by section 11. The president shall preside at the meetings of the Council, and when from any cause, he shall be absent the vice-president shall preside and in the absence of both a president pro tempore may be elected. GENERAL ORDINANCES 3 The president, vice-president, or president pro tempore, who shall preside when the proceedings of the previous meeting are read shall sign the same. He may call any member to the chair, who shall exercise its functions for the time ; _ and during such substitution he may participate in the debates. The vice-president in the absence of the president and while acting as president shall be vested with all the rights and duties of the president. The president or vice-president, as the case .may be, shall be entitled to vote on all questions as any other member, but in no case shall he be entitled to a second vote on any question, though it be necessary to break a tie that is to say, his office shall not entitle him to a vote. Sec. 6. Regular meetings—how special meetings may be called. The Council shall hold its regular meetings at the customary place for such meetings, or at such other place in the City as may be designated by the president of the Council, on the first and third Mondays of each month at such hour as may be agreed upon (unless such day be a legal holiday, in which event such meeting shall be held on the day following). The president of the Council or the vice-president, if acting in his stead, or any three members of the Council may call a special meeting of the Council at any time upon at least five hours written notice to each ,member, served personally or left at his usual place of business or residence. But special meet- ings maybe held at any time without notice provided all mem- bers of the Council attend and unanimously consent to the trans- action of all business transacted thereat. Sec. 7. Meetings—special—executive session. Every call for a special meeting shall specify the object there- of and no business shall be transacted at a special meeting ex- cept that for which it shall have been called, unless by a unani- mous consent. The Council shall be open except when, by a recorded vote of two-thirds of those members present, it declares that the 4 CHARLOTTESVILLE CITY CODE public welfare requires secrecy, in which case it shall go into executive session. Sec. 8. Quorum—reconsideration of votes. Three members of the Council shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of ordinary business, but no vote of a former meeting shall be reconsidered or rescinded at a special meeting unless there be then present as many members as were present when such vote was taken, and three-fifths of all members present vote in favor thereof. Sec. 9. Absence of quorum—how quorum secured. If a quorum fail to attend a meeting of the Council within a half hour after the appointed time for such meeting, those present may adjourn to such time as they deem proper, after the names of those present shall have been entered on the journal. At such meeting, two or more members shall have authority to compel the attendance of absent members by a process in writing signed by them and addressed to any policeman, directing him to summons such absent members to such time and place to which the meeting shall have been adjourned. Any member refusing to obey such summons may be fined by a four-fifths vote of the Council in a sum not less than five dollars nor more than twenty- five dollars. Sec. 10. Punishment of members. The Council may, by a majority vote of its whole number, pun- ish one of its own members for disorderly behavior by a fine not exceeding $300; and, by a two-thirds vote of its whole number, ex- pel a member of its own body for malfeasance or misfeasance in office. Fines imposed under this section shall be collected in such manner as fines imposed by the Civil and Police Justice. Sec. 11. Vacancies—office of mayor or councilmen, how filled. Whenever, from any cause, a vacancy shall occur in the office of mayor it shall be filled by the Council. A vacancy in the of- fice of councilman shall be filled by the Council at its next regu-. lar meeting from the qualified electors of the City. The officer 1