The Town of Abingdon shall be governed by a town council composed of five councilmen, all of whom shall be qualified voters of the town, to be elected from the town at large. Any person qualified to vote in the town shall be eligible for the office of councilman. The councilmen in office at the time of the adoption of this Charter shall continue in office until the expiration of the terms for which they were elected or until their successors are duly elected and qualified. An election for councilmen shall be held on the first Tuesday in May, 1978, and on the first Tuesday in May of every second year thereafter. The councilmen elected the first Tuesday in May, 1978, and thereafter shall enter upon their duties on the first day of July next succeeding their election, and shall each serve for a term of four years or until their successors have qualified.[1]
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Editor's Note: Ordinance No. 2021.07.06B, adopted 7-6-2021, provided as follows: "Any Town Council election to be conducted after January 1, 2022, shall be held on the November general election date. Members of council who were elected at a May general election and whose terms are to expire as of June 30, 2021, shall continue in office until their successors have been elected at the November general election and have been qualified to serve."
Vacancies on the council shall be filled promptly from among the qualified voters of the town, by a majority vote of the remaining members of the council.
The council shall be a continuing body, and no measures pending before such body, or contract or obligation incurred, shall abate or be discontinued because of the expiration of the term of office or removal of any council members.
At its first meeting, the council shall choose by a majority vote of all the members thereof one of their number to be mayor and one to be vice-mayor for the ensuing two years. The mayor shall preside over the meetings of the council, have the same right to speak therein as other members and shall have a vote but no veto. He shall be recognized as the head of the town government for all ceremonial purposes, the purposes of military law, and the service of civil process, and shall authenticate by his signature, such documents or instruments as the council, this Charter, or the laws of the Commonwealth shall require. The vice-mayor shall in the absence or disability of the mayor perform the duties of the mayor. In the absence or disability of both mayor and vice-mayor the council shall, by majority vote of those present choose one of their number as acting mayor.
A vacancy in the office of mayor shall be filled promptly for the unexpired portion of the term from among the members of council, by a majority vote of the council.
The council shall fix the time of its stated meetings and it shall meet at least once a month and, except as herein provided, the council shall establish its own rules of procedure and such rules as are necessary for the orderly conduct of its business not inconsistent with the laws of the Commonwealth of Virginia. A journal shall be kept of its official proceedings, and its meetings shall be open to the public. Three members of the council shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business at any meeting. Special meetings may be called at any time by the mayor, by any three members of the council or by the town manager; provided that the members of the council are given reasonable notice of such meetings, and no business shall be transacted at a special meeting thereof except that for which it shall be called. If all members are present, this provision may be waived by a majority vote of the council. No ordinance, resolution, motion or vote shall be adopted by the council unless it shall have received the affirmative votes of a majority of the members present.
The salaries of all councilmen shall be fixed by a commission of five resident taxpayers according to the procedure in Code of Virginia, § 15.1-939 et seq. The council is hereby authorized to fix the salaries of all appointed officers and employees of the town.