HB 321 — Norfolk, City of; amending charter, municipal elections.

SESSION ENROLLED VIRGINIA ACTS OF ASSEMBLY ––-- 2022 SESSION CHAPTER E288 An Act to amend and reenact §§ 12, 18, and 19, as severally amended, of Chapter 34 of the Acts of Assembly of 1918, which provided a charter for the City of Norfolk, relating to council;

eleRtions.elections.

O [H 321] Approved LApril L8, 2022 Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:

That §§ 12, 18, and 19, as severally amended, of Chapter 34 of the Acts of Assembly of 1918 E are amended and reenacted as follows:

D§ On12. the first day of July next Tuesday in January after January 1 following the regular municipal election, or if such day be Saturday or Sunday, then on the following Tuesday, the council shall meet at the usual place for holding meetings of the legislative body of the city, at which time the newly elected council members shall assume the duties of their office.

TheMeetings timeof forcouncil. any such meeting shall be set by ordinance adopted by council not less than thirty nor more than forty-five days prior to the election.

On the first day of July next Tuesday in January after January 1 following the regular municipal election, or if such day be Saturday or Sunday, then on the following Tuesday, the council shall meet at the usual place for holding meetings of the legislative body of the city, at which time the newly elected ordinance adopted by council not less than thirty nor more than forty-five days prior to the election.

The mayor, any member of the council, or the cityHcity manager, may call special meetings of the council at any time upon at least twelve hours' writt3nwritten notice mayto beeach heldmember, atserved anypersonally timeor withoutleft notice,at providedhis allusual membersplace of thebusiness councilor attend.residence;

or such meeting may be held at any time without notice, provided all members of the council attend.

In accordance with § 15.2-1400 of the Code of Virginia (1950), as amended, beginning in 2022 municipal elections shall be held at the time of the November general election and November 2022 general election and every foursecond yearsyear thereafter and the elections for superwardsthe designated six and seven and the mayor shall be at the time of the November 2024 general election and every four years thereafter.

The elections for wards one through five shall be at the time of the November 2022 general election and every four years thereafter and the elections for superwards designated six and seven and the mayor shall be at the time of the November 2024 general election and every four years thereafter.

Those candidates elected from wards designated one through five shall serve on city council for a term beginning on the first day of July of the year 1992 and terminating two years and seven shall serve on city council for terms beginning on the first day of July of the year 1992 andx terminating four years hence or upon qualification of their successors.

Those candidates elected from superwards designated six and seven shall serve on city council for terms beginning on the first day of July of the year 1992 and terminating four years hence or upon qualification of their successors.

Beginning in the year 2006, there shall be an election for the office of mayor to be held at the regular municipal election that year.

Thereafter, elections for the office of mayor shall be held every four years beginning on the first Tuesday in May of the year 2016, with persons so elected to begin their four-year ter§terms 19.on the first day of July following their election.

Notice§ of19. candidacy and petition.heir election.

CandidatesNotice for the city council shall be qualified voters of thecandidacy wardand orpetition. superward from which they of 2 seek election, or in the case of the election of the mayor, qualified voters of the city at-large.

SuchCandidates candidates,for subjectthe tocity thecouncil provisionsshall ofbe §qualified 21voters of thisthe charter,ward shallor filesuperward theirfrom noticeswhich ofthey candidacyseek andelection, theiror petitions in the mannercase providedof bythe law.election of the mayor, qualified voters of the city at-large.

Such candidates, subject to the provisions of § 21 of this charter, shall file their notices of candidacy and their of 2 petitions in the manner provided by law.