Columbia, Town of
County of Fluvanna
History of incorporation
Established as a town in 1788 by c. 25 of the Acts of Assembly.
Incorporation and charter, 1879, c. 238.
Amendments
1887, c. 70 (§§ 2, 3)
1893-94, c. 41 (§ 1)
1976, c. 635 (§§ 3, 3a [added])
Repealed
2016, c. 310.
§ 1. Be it enacted by the general assembly of Virginia, That the town of Columbia, in the county of Fluvanna, as the same has heretofore been or may hereafter be laid off into lots, streets and alleys, shall be, and the same is hereby, made a town corporate, by the name of the town of Columbia; and by that name shall have and exercise the powers conferred upon towns by the fifty-fourth chapter of the code of Virginia (edition of 1873), and be subject to all the provisions of said code, and all laws now in force, or which may hereafter be enacted, in reference to the government of towns of less than five thousand inhabitants, so far as the same are not inconsistent with the provisions of this act; but no citizen of said corporation shall be required to work on the public roads nor be required to pay any road tax to the county, nor shall there be any-county road tax imposed upon any property within the corporate limits thereof as now fixed by law, provided said corporation shall keep its streets and alleys in repair. (1879, c. 238; 1893-94, c. 41, 2016, c. 310)
§ 2. The boundaries of the town shall be the same as those adopted by an act of the general assembly, passed the twenty-fifth day of November, 1788, establishing the metes and bounds of said town, and designating the streets thereof, except that on the east the corporate limits shall extend to the line of the county of Goochland, and on the south to the line of the county of Cumberland; and said town shall be subject to all the provisions of said act, except that no person by reason of anything contained in said act shall be required to pull down or remove any permanent improvement or building which may occupy a portion of the street or streets of said town, so long as unobstructed passage can be given to foot passengers and vehicles without encroachment upon private property. But hereafter no person shall be allowed to erect any building or improvement within the limits of said town, unless the same be erected in conformity with the streets as laid down in the aforementioned act. And the limits of said town, as herein extended, when laid out in streets and alleys, shall conform to the present streets and alleys of said town. (1879, c. 238; 1887, c. 70; 2016, c. 310)
§ 3. There shall be a mayor and six councilmen for said town, who shall compose its board of council, who shall be elected every four years, in manner as now prescribed by law; provided that neither the mayor nor members of the board of council shall be entitled to a salary or other compensation for services. (1879, c. 238; 1887, c. 70; 1976, c. 635; 2016, c. 310)
§ 3a. The minutes of council and financial records of the town shall be open to public inspection during regular council meetings and at such other times as the council may establish by ordinance. (1976, c. 635; 2016, c. 310)
§ 4. The following persons, electors of said town, shall compose its first board of council until the annual election on the fourth Thursday in May, 1978, or until their successors are elected and qualified according to law, viz: A. J. Richardson, George P. Hodgson, George P. Cowherd, G. T. Zachary, P. Snoddy, and O. P. Cram; and the said board, as soon as organized and qualified according to law, shall have power to select from their body a presiding officer, who shall be mayor of the town, and may appoint a town collector and police force for the proper government of the town, and may likewise fill any vacancies in said board occasioned by the refusal or failure of any person appointed to qualify. (1879, c. 238; 2016, c. 310)
§ 5. The authorities of the town shall, with the consent of the county, entered of record, have the right to use the jail of said county of Fluvanna for any purpose for which the use of a jail may be needed by them under the ordinances of the town or laws of the state; and in addition to the powers conferred by chapter 196 of the Code, edition of 1973, for the organization of chain-gangs, the judge of the county court of Fluvanna may arrange with the said council of Columbia to take charge of and keep and work in the corporation chain-gang such persons as the judge of said county court would have authority to require to work in chain-gangs by the laws now in force or that may hereafter be adopted. (1879, c. 238; 2016, c. 310)
§ 6. This act shall be in force from its passage. (1879, c. 238; 2016, c. 310)