Charters and Uncodified Authorities Passed HB20 Charter; Town of Onancock. Changes the starting date of council terms from September 1 to July 1. This conforms with general law. Patron - Bloxom HB37 Charter; Town of Herndon. Updates the town's legal description. Also, outdated references to Title 15.1 are changed to Title 15.2 in the descriptions of the town's general powers and condemnation power, and the town manager is authorized to settle certain claims against the town. Patron - Callahan HB51 Charter; City of Portsmouth. Authorizes the city to acquire, but not by condemnation, land for the purpose of encouraging economic development. This bill is identical to Senate Bill 32. Patron - Melvin HB85 Charter; City of Covington. Updates the city boundary description. Other changes (i) incorporate a 1988 court decree regarding composition of council, (ii) move from one section of the charter to another a provision regulating appointment of a council member to an office of profit, (iii) delete provisions regarding council salaries, thereby defaulting to general law provisions, and (iv) delete outdated provisions regarding justices of the peace, city sergeants and employee residence requirements. Patron - Deeds HB94 Charter; Town of Vinton. Provides that if a vacancy in the office of mayor or councilman occurs with more than two years remaining in the four-year term, the person appointed by council shall serve only until the next councilmanic election, at which time the voters shall fill the vacancy. The mayor shall always be elected for a four-year term, even though he is filling an unexpired term. Currently, the town council fills the vacancy for the unexpired portion of the term. Patron - Cranwell HB116 Charter; Town of Tazewell. Allows the town to prescribe penalties for violation of ordinances not to exceed penalties established by the Commonwealth for similar offenses. Patron - Tate HB219 Charter; City of Chesapeake. Changes the annual deadlines for submission and adoption of the city's capital improvement program so that they coincide with the deadlines for submission and adoption of the operating budget. Patron - Spruill HB225 Charter; Town of Keysville. Extends the terms of the council and mayor from two to four years. Patron - Bennett HB244 Charter; Town of Pulaski. Grants power to the town manager, rather than town council, to appoint and remove all department heads. Patron - Baker HB266 Charter; City of Fredericksburg. Allows members of council to serve in various unpaid positions of trust upon expiration of their terms. This bill is identical to Senate Bill 72. Patron - Orrock HB306 Charter; City of Richmond. Makes the first comprehensive revision of the city charter since its enactment in 1948 for the primary purposes of simplifying the charter, deleting archaic provisions, providing greater flexibility to city council to change the structure of departments and eliminating many detailed descriptions and procedures from the charter. Specific amendments in the bill (i) update the city's boundary description; (ii) eliminate the current prohibition on privatization of correctional facilities; (iii) allow the city to call a special election to fill a council vacancy if the vacancy occurs more than one year prior to the expiration of the term; (iv) give city management greater flexibility in determining the number of needed employment positions within the council-approved budget; (v) eliminate the requirement to publish certain notices in a daily newspaper, but instead require publication in a paper of general circulation; (vi) eliminate a hearing requirement for removal of a department head and clarify that department heads that are appointed by the city manager serve at the pleasure of the city manager; (vii) require the city manager to submit financial and activity reports as required by council rather than at each council meeting; (viii) delete the provision which prevents the city manager from attending and participating in personnel board meetings; (ix) eliminate from the charter the listing of administrative departments and their components and grant general authority to establish departments, bureaus, divisions and offices; (x) authorize the city manager to submit recommendations to the council for its adoption of a personnel system and establishes broad parameters for adoption of such a system; (xi) change the narrow phrase "general fund budget" to the broader term "budget" in numerous places; (xii) eliminate the requirement to itemize the appropriation ordinance by units within a department; (xiii) alter the procedure for budget transfers between departments; (xiv) broaden the council's ability to amend the capital budget so long as funds are available to finance the cost of the amendment, regardless of the funding source; (xv) broaden the city manager's authority to transfer the balance of any completed capital project to an approved incomplete capital project; (xvi) broaden the council's authority to assign revenue from any source and for any amount to the reserve fund for capital projects; (xvii) update the city's borrowing authority by replacing detailed provisions with reference to the general law; (xviii) conform certain zoning notices to general law; (xix) clarify that the posting of a bond is not necessary for any employee to whom liability coverage has been granted by the city, regardless of whether the employee is sued in his official capacity or in his individual capacity; and (xx) make numerous updating and technical changes. Patron - Jones, D.C. HB401 Charter; Town of Castlewood. Repeals the charter for the Town of Castlewood, which was incorporated in 1991. Patron - Phillips HB798 Charter; Town of Edinburg. Increases the mayor's term from two to four years. Also, the maximum penalty for violating a town ordinance is increased from $500 to $1,000, and various outdated provisions are deleted. An emergency clause is added because of the May 1998 election requirement. Patron - Guest HB1335 Certain hospital authorities. Changes the terms of member appointments to the Chesapeake Hospital Authority to achieve the staggered terms contemplated by current law. For terms which commence in 1999, four members are to be appointed for four-year terms and two members for five-year terms; and for terms which commence in 2001, four members are to be appointed for four-year terms and one member for a three-year term. The maximum amount of member compensation is increased from $2,000 to $3,000. The bill also exempts the Chesapeake Hospital Authority and Hospital Authority of Norfolk from the provisions of the Public Procurement Act, and provides that they shall not discriminate against any person on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, pregnancy, childbirth or related medical conditions, age, marital status, or disability in the procurement of goods and services. Patron - Spruill SB32 Charter; City of Portsmouth. Authorizes the city to acquire, but not by condemnation, land for the purpose of encouraging economic development. This bill is identical to HB 51. Patron - Quayle SB37 Charter; Town of Scottsville. Provides a new charter for the Town of Scottsville and repeals the existing charter. The new charter grants general powers available to all Virginia towns and updates many outdated provisions from the original charter. Patron - Couric SB52 Charter; City of Chesapeake. Changes the annual deadlines for submission and adoption of the City's capital improvement program so that they coincide with the deadlines for submission and adoption of the operating budget. This bill is identical to HB 219. Patron - Quayle SB53 Chesapeake Hospital Authority. Changes the terms of member appointments to the Chesapeake Hospital Authority to achieve the staggered terms contemplated by the current act. For terms which commence in 1999, four members are to be appointed for four-year terms and two members for five-year terms; and for terms which commence in 2001, four members are to be appointed for four-year terms and one member for a three-year term. The maximum amount of member compensation is increased from $2,000 to $3,000. Patron - Quayle SB72 Charter; City of Fredericksburg. Allows members of council to serve in various unpaid positions of trust upon expiration of their terms. This bill is identical to HB 266. Patron - Houck SB111 Charter; Town of Drakes Branch. Provides that the mayor and council are to serve four-year terms. The bill also makes technical changes and deletes obsolete provisions. Patron - Holland SB143 Charter; City of Martinsville. Allows the City to establish design overlay districts to encourage compatible development in areas identified on a comprehensive plan as having historic value or unique architectural value and located within an area designated for conservation, rehabilitation or redevelopment. In such areas, the Council shall adopt specific standards as to new construction or rehabilitation within view from public streets and provide for a design review process. City Council may establish a fee which shall not exceed the actual cost of such review process. Patron - Reynolds SB335 Chesapeake Bay Bridge and Tunnel Commission. Changes composition, turn, and method of appointment of all members of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge and Tunnel Commission appointed or reappointed on or after July 1, 1998. Patron - Schrock SB340 Capital Region Airport Commission. Allows the Commission to (i) enforce motor vehicle moving violations, rather than merely speed limits, (ii) deposit its moneys in banks having their principal offices outside Virginia and (iii) relating to the issuance of bonds, enter into swap agreements or other contracts or arrangements that the Commission determines to be necessary or appropriate. Patron - Martin SB449 Hampton Roads Sanitation District Commission. Provides that the Counties of King William, Mathews and Middlesex and the Town of Urbanna may be represented on the Commission. The bill also removes outdated language. Patron - Norment SB621 Peninsula Ports Authority. Adds additional localities to the Authority and adds representation of those localities to the Authority's Commission. Patron - Williams Failed HB213 Charter; City of Fairfax. Authorizes the city to exercise the power of eminent domain, including quick-take authority, as provided in either Title 15.2, Title 25 or Title 33.1 for revitalization of blighted commercial properties. Patron - Rust HB241 Charter; Town of Narrows. Allows the town manager to reside outside the town. Patron - Baker HB442 Northern Virginia Transportation District Commission (NVTC). Increases the number of Fairfax County representatives on the NVTC from five to eight. This bill is identical to SB 269. Patron - Watts HB692 Chesapeake Bay Bridge and Tunnel Commission. Revises composition, length of terms, and method of appointment of members of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge and Tunnel Commission appointed or reappointed on or after July 1, 1998. Patron - Wardrup HB1361 Northern Virginia Transportation Commission (NVTC). Provides that members of the General Assembly serving on the NVTC cannot vote on matters making or dealing with any allocation of moneys derived form the regional motor fuel sales tax. Patron - Scott HB1392 Richmond Metropolitan Authority (RMA). Limits the Authority to construction and operation of parking facilities and sports stadia, transfers responsibility for RMA toll roads and toll bridges to the Virginia Department of Transportation, and abolishes tolls charged for use of those facilities. Patron - Ware SB269 Northern Virginia Transportation District Commission (NVTC). Increases the number of Fairfax County representatives on the NVTC from five to eight. This bill is identical to HB 442. Patron - Barry Carried Over HB1157 Northern Virginia Transportation District. Adds Loudoun, Prince William, and Stafford Counties and the Cities of Fredericksburg, Manassas and Manassas Park to the District; adds representatives of the Commonwealth Transportation Board, the Department of Rail and Public Transportation, Capital Region Transportation Planning Board, and the Washington Metropolitan Transportation Authority; increases the voting membership by adding one additional member of the Virginia Senate and one additional member of the House of Delegates to the District's Commission; allows all Commission members to participate equally in all Commission activities, but provides that only local government representatives and members of the House of Delegates and Virginia Senate may vote; and abolishes other transportation districts created within Northern Virginia and transfers their powers and responsibilities to the Northern Virginia Transportation District. Patron - McClure < PREVIOUS | CONTENTS | NEXT >