CHAPTER VII.
City Attorney.
Sec. 57. City attorney—election—qualification.
The Council shall elect an attorney for the City, who shall
have been admitted to practice in the Courts of the Commonwealth.
He shall hold office for a term of two years and be removable
at the discretion of the Council.
Sec. 58. City attorney—duties.
The City Attorney shall have the management, charge and control
of all law business of the City, and be the legal adviser of
the Council, or any committee thereof, City officers, and of the
several departments of the City government, and when required
shall furnish written or verbal opinions upon any subject involving
questions of law submitted to him by them, or any of them.
Sec. 59. City attorney—duties.
It shall be the duty of the City Attorney to draft all bonds,
deeds, obligations, contracts, leases, conveyances, agreements or
other legal instruments of whatever nature which may be required
of him by any ordinance or order of the Council or any
committee thereof, or which may be required by any person or
persons contracting with the City in its corporate capacity, and
which, by law, usage or agreement the City is to be at the expense
of drawing. It shall also be his duty to commence and
prosecute all actions and suits to be brought by the City before
any tribunal in the City or State of Virginia, whether in law or
in equity; and also to appear and defend and advocate the rights
and interests of the City, or any of the officers thereof, in any
suit or prosecution, for any act in the discharge of their official
duties, wherein any estate, right, privilege, ordinance, or act of
the City government may be brought in question, and when the
Mayor shall direct the prosecution for a nuisance, he shall appear
for the prosecution when the case shall come into the Corporation
Court and shall perform such other duties as are or
may be required of him by any ordinance or resolution of the
Council.
It shall be the duty of the City Attorney to assist in the prosecution
of all cases arising under the Zoning Ordinance, Building
Code and License Ordinances when directed by the Council or
requested so to do by the City Manager.
The City Attorney shall promptly account for and pay over to
the City Collector any and all funds belonging to the City, collected
or received by him and shall at the same time of turning
over such money to the City Collector, or immediately thereafter,
furnish the City Auditor with an itemized statement showing
from whom and for what account said money was received.
At the close of each fiscal year, the City Attorney shall submit
to the Council a written report showing the state and condition
of all the civil cases pending in which the City is interested.
It shall be the duty of the City Attorney to attend all meetings
of the Council, unless excused by the presiding officer.
He shall prepare a draft of all resolutions and ordinances to
be submitted to the Council, and shall inspect all matter spread
upon the Journal and Ordinance book before the same is signed.
The City Attorney shall attend all meetings of the committees
of the Council when notified so to do by any member of such
committee or by the Clerk of the Council.
Sec. 60. City attorney—salary.
The salary of the City Attorney shall be fixed by the Council
and shall be in full compensation of his services. When the
duties of his office require his attendance out of the City his reasonable
traveling expenses shall be allowed him.
