Title 15.2, Title 15.2. Counties, Cities and Towns

The board shall appoint an urban county executive and fix his compensation. He shall devote his full time to the work of the county. He shall be appointed with regard to merit only, and need not be a resident of the county at the time of his appointment. No member of the board sh…

The urban county executive shall not be appointed for a definite tenure, but may be removed at the pleasure of the board. If the board determines to remove the urban county executive, he shall be given, if he so demands, a written statement of the reasons alleged for the proposed…

In case of the absence or disability of the urban county executive, the board may designate some responsible person to perform the duties of the office.

The board shall appoint, upon the recommendation of the urban county executive, all officers and employees in the administration service of the county, except as the board authorizes the urban county executive to appoint heads of a department or office and except as the board aut…

All such appointments shall be without definite term, unless for limited term appointments for temporary services not to exceed one year in duration, except as otherwise specifically provided for herein. Any county officer or employee appointed pursuant to § 15.2-807 may be suspe…

The board shall, subject to the limitations of general law, fix the compensation of all county officers and employees, except as it may authorize the head of some department or office to fix the compensation of subordinates and employees in such department or office.

The board, by ordinance, may prohibit former officers and employees, for one year after their terms of office have ended or employment ceased, from assisting for remuneration a party, other than a governmental agency, in connection with any proceeding, application, case, contract…

The urban county executive shall be the administrative head of the county. He shall attend all meetings of the board and recommend such action as he may deem expedient. He shall be responsible to the board for the proper administration of all county affairs which the board has au…

The urban county executive may, if the board requires, act as the director or head of any department, the director or head of which is appointed by the board, provided he is otherwise eligible to head such department.

The following officers shall not, except as herein otherwise provided, be affected by the adoption of the urban county executive form: 1. Jury commissioners, 2. County electoral boards, 3. Registrars, 4. Judges and clerks of elections, and 5. Magistrates.

The board may inquire into the official conduct of any office or officer under its control, and investigate the accounts, receipts, disbursements and expenses of any county or district officer. For these purposes it may subpoena witnesses, administer oaths and require the product…

The board may adopt an ordinance requiring the delivery of all or any portion of the garbage, trash and refuse generated or disposed of within such county to waste disposal facilities located therein or to waste disposal facilities located outside of such county if the county has…

Upon petition of a majority of the affected property owners or members of an affected owners' association, (i) the county may take over the maintenance of undersized sewer lines installed as a result of the county's waiver of its adopted requirements developed under this title or…

A. The governing body of any locality operating under the urban county executive form of government may request an electric utility, telecommunications provider, cable provider, or other utility to enter into an agreement with the locality to place underground electric distributi…

After the date of adoption of the urban county executive form of government, no unincorporated area within the limits of such county shall be incorporated as a separate town or city within the limits of such county, whether by judicial proceedings or otherwise.

After the date of adoption of the urban county executive form of government, a city contiguous to or within the limits of such a county may petition, by action of its governing body, to become a part of the county on terms set forth in a resolution adopted by the board. Passage o…

A county may adopt an ordinance which establishes a civil penalty for the demolition, razing or moving of a building or structure which is located in an historic district or which has been designated by the governing body as an historic structure or landmark without the prior app…

A county is authorized to make annual appropriations of public funds to any nonprofit legal entity that is not controlled in whole or in part by any church or religious body that has exclusionary membership practices or rules that owns recreational facilities in the county such a…

The board shall, as soon as its members are elected and take office, provide for the performance of all the governmental functions of the county and to that end shall provide for and set up all necessary departments of government consistent with the provisions of this chapter. An…

Whenever it is not designated herein what officer or employee of the county shall exercise any power or perform any duty conferred upon or required of the county, or any officer thereof, by general law, then any such power shall be exercised or duty performed by that officer or e…

The activities or functions of the county shall, with the exceptions herein provided, be distributed among the following general divisions or departments: 1. Department of finance. 2. Department of public works. 3. Department of social services. 4. Department of law enforcement. …

A. Notwithstanding the provisions of §§ 15.2-837, 15.2-855, 15.2-2212, 15.2-5113, 15.2-5703 and 36-11, the board may establish different terms of office for initial and subsequent appointments of (i) the commissioners of any county redevelopment and housing authority created purs…

The board may establish a committee for the audit and review of county agencies and county-funded functions. The committee shall be composed of not more than eleven members who shall be appointed by the board for a term of two years. The committee shall have the power to make per…

A. The director of finance shall be the head of the department of finance and as such have charge of (i) the administration of the county's financial affairs, including the budget; (ii) the assessment of property for taxation; (iii) the collection of taxes, license fees and other…

No money shall be drawn from the county treasury, nor shall any obligation for the expenditure of money be incurred, except in pursuance of a legally enacted appropriation resolution, or legally enacted supplement thereto passed by the board. Accounts shall be kept for each item …

A. The director of finance shall exercise all the powers conferred and perform all the duties imposed by general law upon commissioners of the revenue, not inconsistent herewith, and shall be subject to the obligations and penalties imposed by general law. B. Every general reasse…

A. The director of finance shall also exercise the powers conferred and perform all the duties imposed by general law upon county treasurers, and shall be subject to the obligations and penalties imposed by general law. All moneys received by any county officer or employee for or…

The director of finance shall audit all claims against the county for goods or services. He shall also (i) ascertain that such claims are in accordance with the purchase orders or contracts of employment from which the claims arise; (ii) present such claims to the board for appro…

The director of finance shall act as purchasing agent for the county, unless the board designates some other officer or employee for such purpose. The director of finance or the person designated as purchasing agent shall make all purchases, subject to such exceptions as the boar…

The director may have such deputies or assistants in the performance of his duties as the board allows.

The chief assessing officer shall be subject to the obligations and penalties imposed by general law upon commissioners of the revenue.

The director of public works shall be head of the department of public works. He shall have charge of the construction and maintenance of county drains and all other public works and construction and care of public buildings, storerooms and warehouses. He shall have the custody o…

The superintendent of social services, who shall be head of the department of social services, shall be chosen from a list of eligibles furnished by the State Department of Social Services. Such person shall exercise the powers conferred and perform the duties imposed by general …

The department of law enforcement shall consist of the attorney for the Commonwealth, chief of police, and sheriff, together with their assistants, police officers, deputies and employees. If a department of public safety is created, the chief of police, his police officers and e…

The department of police, if established in accordance with Chapter 17 (§ 15.2-1700 et seq.), may include an animal protection police officer who shall have all of the powers of an animal control officer, as defined in § 3.2-6500, conferred by general law and one or more deputy a…

The department of education shall consist of the county school board, the division superintendent of schools and the officers and employees thereof. Except as herein otherwise provided, the county school board and the division superintendent of schools shall exercise the powers c…

The department of records shall be under the supervision and control of the county clerk. He shall be clerk of the circuit court of the county and, if designated by the board, clerk for the county court. The county clerk shall also be clerk of the board unless the board designate…

The department of health shall consist of the county health officer, who shall be chosen from a list of eligibles furnished by the State Board of Health and the other officers and employees of such department. The county health officer shall be head of such department and shall e…

A. The department of assessments, if and when established, shall be headed by a commissioner of the revenue or supervisor of assessments, who shall exercise the power conferred and perform the duties imposed by § 15.2-826 upon the director of finance. B. In addition to the powers…

The department of farm and home demonstration shall consist of the county agricultural agent, who shall be head of the department, a home demonstration agent and such assistants and employees as may be appointed or employed. The county agricultural agent and the home demonstratio…

The department of public safety, if and when established, shall be under the supervision of a director of public safety. Such department may consist of the following divisions: 1. Division of police, in the charge of a chief of police and consisting of such other police officers …

The department of public utilities, if and when established, shall be under the supervision of a director of public utilities. Such department shall be in charge of construction, operation, maintenance and administration of all public works coming under the general category of pu…

The board shall require an annual audit of the books of every county officer who handles public funds to be made by a certified public accountant who is not a regular officer or employee of the county and who is thoroughly qualified by training and experience. An audit made by th…

The board shall establish a schedule of compensation for officers and employees which shall provide equitable compensation for officers and employees and which shall provide for recognition of length of service and of merit. The compensation prescribed shall be subject to such li…

The board shall establish the salaries and allowances of board members in accordance with the provisions of general law provided: 1. A public hearing shall be held on the salaries to be established; 2. No increase in such salaries shall be effective until the expiration of the cu…

Each year at least two weeks before the board must prepare its proposed annual budget, the urban county executive shall prepare and submit to the board a budget presenting a financial plan for conducting the county's affairs for the ensuing year. The budget shall be set up in the…