2026 SESSION

INTRODUCED

26103652D

SENATE BILL NO. 385

Offered January 14, 2026

Prefiled January 13, 2026

A BILL to amend and reenact § 14 of Chapter 44 of the Acts of Assembly of 1937, which provided a charter for the Town of Front Royal in Warren County, relating to town manager.

—————

Patron—French

—————

Referred to Committee on Local Government

—————

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:

1. That § 14 of Chapter 44 of the Acts of Assembly of 1937 is amended and reenacted as follows:

§ 14. The council shall appoint a town manager who shall be the chief administrative officer of the town. The town manager shall be chosen by the council solely on the basis of his executive and administrative qualifications and need not, when appointed, be a resident of the town or the State, but during his term of office he shall reside within the town. No member of the council shall, during the time for which elected, be chosen as town manager. The town manager shall be appointed for a term acceptable to the town council and the town manager. He shall be removable by the town council for cause. Before the town manager may be removed, he shall, if he so demand, be given a written statement of the reasons alleged for his removal and the right to be heard publicly thereon at a meeting of the council prior to the final vote on the question of his removal, but pending and during such hearing the council may suspend him from office. The action of the council in suspending or removing the town manager shall be final, it being the intention of this charter to vest all authority and fix all responsibility for such suspension or removal in the council. In case of the absence or disability of the town manager the council may designate some qualified person to perform the duties of the office during such absence or disability.