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2004 SESSION


CHAPTER 617
An Act to amend and reenact § 3.5 of Chapter 12 of the Acts of Assembly of 1987, which provided a charter for the County of Chesterfield, relating to assessment districts.
[H 559]
Approved April 12, 2004

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:

1. That § 3.5 of Chapter 12 of the Acts of Assembly of 1987 is amended and reenacted as follows:

§ 3.5. Powers.

The board of supervisors shall be the policy determining body of the county and shall be vested with all rights and powers conferred on governing bodies by general law not inconsistent with this chapter. All powers vested in the county by this charter, and to counties generally by the Code of Virginia, shall be exercised by the board collectively except as otherwise provided in this charter, or in the Constitution of Virginia. In addition to the foregoing, the board shall have the following powers:

a. To control and manage the fiscal affairs of the county and all property, real and personal, belonging to the county.

b. To provide revenue for the county and appropriate the revenue for expenses, also to provide the annual assessments of taxable persons and property in the county, and it may adopt such ordinances, orders and bylaws relating to the powers of this charter as it shall deem proper and necessary.

c. To adopt such ordinances, bylaws, orders and regulations as it may deem desirable to carry out the following powers which are hereby vested in them:

(1) To provide for the preservation of the general health of the inhabitants of the county.

(2) To provide and regulate county-owned or county-operated hospitals or nursing homes within the county limits.

(3) To require and compel the abatement and removal of all nuisances within the county, at the expense of the person or persons causing the nuisance, or the occupant or owner of the ground where the nuisance may be.

(4) To preserve public peace and good order; to prevent and quell riots, disturbances, disorderly assemblages, environmental hazards and shortages; and the board shall also have the power to adopt such additional ordinances as it may deem necessary for the general welfare of the county.

d. To create, alter or abolish departments, bureaus, divisions, offices or agencies except where such bureaus, divisions, offices or agencies are specifically defined by this charter or general law.

e. To create, alter and abolish commissions and advisory boards to assist the county in accomplishing its statutory responsibilities except where such commissions and advisory boards are specifically defined by this charter or general law.

f. To provide for the number, title, qualifications, powers, duties, classification and compensation for all officers and employees of the county.

g. To provide for the form of oaths who shall administer oaths and the amount and condition of surety bonds to be required of certain officers and employees of the county.

h. To make such investigation relating to the financial affairs and internal operations of the county government as they may deem necessary.

i. As a collective body, to make appointments to boards, commissions and other bodies as provided by law or board action provided that all such appointments shall serve as county-wide appointments and make decisions reflective of general county needs rather than magisterial district needs.

j. To create or modify assessment districts for local improvements in accordance with Article 2 (§ 15.2-2404 et seq.) of Chapter 24 of Title 15.2 of the Code of Virginia. For any such assessment district created after January 1, 2003, the Board may provide for the payment of an assessment of costs for improvements, or of any installment due pursuant to § 15.2-2413 of the Code of Virginia, to be suspended when any owner who owned property on the day the ordinance creating the assessment district was adopted and who occupies a residential building located on the property is 65 years of age or older. However, when the property is no longer occupied by a person who is 65 years of age or older or is conveyed to another person or persons, irrespective of the age of the person or persons to whom the property is conveyed, the suspension of payments shall cease and the entire assessment, including accrued interest, shall be immediately due and payable.

Nothing contained herein shall be construed to deprive the board of supervisors or county of any of the powers conferred upon them, either by general or special laws of the Commonwealth of Virginia, except insofar as the same may be inconsistent with the provisions of this charter.