Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1888-02-04
FIRE DEPARTMENT.
THE BILL PROVIDING FOR THE cREA-
TI0s CT A BOARD or CON-.
MIssIoHERs.
A Measure Of Very General Public Interest
to the People Of the City of
Richmond.

morning Mr.. Buford introduced the fol-
lowing bill, and it was referred to the
Committee on Counties, Cities. and
Towns, of which Mr.. J. L. Ryan is
/ chairman:
Il BIZ to AD'end and Rc-cnGct Section
% Of the Charter Of tic city Of Rich-
Dond, Concerning the Fire Depart
/ mCW.
80. The Fire and Fire-Alarm Depart
mcnts of the city of Richmond shall be
under the direction and control Of a
board composed of six citizens, voters of
said city, OF whom one shall reside in
each ward. such board to be called the
board of fire commissioners OF the city
of Richmond. The first board of com
missiOncrs chosen under this act shall be
elected by the Board of Public Interests
OF the SAID city on the first Monday IN
April, 1888 ali other elections of said
commissioners except to fill n vacancy
during term shall be by the Council of
said city on the nominations of said
Board of Public Interests in the following
manner-viz At least ten days before
any election after the first OF a member
OF the board OF fire commissioners, an
order for such election shall be entered
on the journals of the two branches of
the City Council and copy Of the same
certified TO the Board of Public Interests
of said city. II shall then be the duty
of said Board of Public Interests to
nominate 10y Uiua-COcc vote (Which
shall be recorded on their minutes and
copy certified with their nominations to
the Joint meeting Of the CounCll) three
persons residing in each ward for which
any fire commissioner is to be elected,
which persons shall be voters in said city
and shall hold no Office, municipal, State,
or Federal, and the names of these per
sons shall be certified by the president Of
the Board of Pubic Interests with the
recorded vote nominating them as afore-
said, TO the Council in Joint session as
the persons from whom the Council
shall elect the member or members of
said board Of fire commissioners, and
the Council shall elect one fire com
missioner for n ward from the three
names certified TO II from that ward by
the president of the Board of Public In
forests as aforesaid, But no person shall
be elected who does not receive a ma
jority IN each branch of the COnncil
of all the members elected to such
branch, and in case there is no election,
or any person elected declines 10 act, or
whenever there is an election of fire
commissioner 10 fill vacancy caused
by the expiration of term Of one Of
those elected, it shall be the duty OF the
Board Ot Public Interests TO nominate
as above required three persons from a
ward, and the Council shall elect one Of
those three persons named IN the man
ner and to have the same qualifications
as above required.
TERM or OFFICE OF FIRST MEMBERS OF
TIE BOARD.
ii. The members of the first board OF
fire commissioners elected under this act
shall hold their Offices for one, two,
three, four, five, and six years respec-
lively from the 1st day OF July, 1888,
and until their successors are elected
and qualified. On the lst day of July,
1889, and on the same day i'll each sue
cccding year thereafter, one member OF
said board of fire commissioners shall be
elected in the same manner os above pro-
vided TO fill the vacancy which will then
bc caused by the expiration OF the term
Of one member. All members thus
elected to fill q vacancy caused by the
expiration OF the term Of a member shall
be elected for n term of six years from
said lst day OF July. All other vacancies
shall be filed by the board of fire com
missioners by the election OF a citizen of
the same ward. with the same qualifica
tions and for the unexpired term Of the
member whose Office is vacated
The members of the board of fire
commissioners shall not receive any com
pensatlon for their services MS such.
They may be removed from Office by
vote Of two thirds Of all the members
elected to the Council for good cause
shown and any member who shall du
ring his term of Office be nominated for
any Office elected by the people, and
shall not decline the said nomination ten
days from the time he hasnotice thereof,
shall he deemed iPSO jactO to have va
Gated bis Office.
ORGANIZATION OF THE BOARD.
III. The members OF the board OF
fire commissioners shall meet on the
"a day of July. 1883, at the headquar-
ters of the Fire Department or other
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