Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1912-05-16
MAY
HAVE Con Tests.
State Law Provides for Election to
Fill Vacancies in Common
Council.
TWO MEMBERS AFFECTED.
Urban S. Lambert and Robert Graham
May have to Enter General Elect
ion to Hold Positions.

The most sensational political news
that has developed in Alexandria for
long time is the result of the dis
covery this morning of an act which
was passed by the Legislature of Vir-
ginia in 1906, and approved Feb. H.,
1906, which provides that when a
vacancy shall occur in any municipal
office, which is filled by vote of the
people, city council shall fill the va
cancy until the next general election
shall be held when a person shall be
eleted by the people at that election
to fill the unexpired term.
The application of this law will
mean that city council had no auth
ority to elect member to fill the
complete unexpired term Of another
member, but should elect such a
member only until the next general
election is held. Since the last gen.
eral election, council has elected three
members of it's body to fill such posi-
tions. In the lower board, Robert N.
Graham was elected to succeed the
late Louis Brill, and Urban S. Lam
bert was elected to succeed the late
Hubert Snowden. In the upper board,
Alderman James B. Fitzgerald was
elected to fill the uneXpired ternl~of
VIM. H. Sweeney, who resigned to ac-
cept the position of Superintendent
of Schools.
Under the law of 1906, each of these
mem.be~s of council must stand for
election in the general election which
takes place on June 11th. Mr.. Fitz-
gerald is already a candidate in that
election for the full term commenc-
ing September 1st, 1912 and it may
also be necessary for him to be a
candidate in the same election to fill
the unexpired term which ends on
September 1st, 1912.
The law is as follows:
Chap. "a OF Acts, 1906.-An Act
to authorize the several cities and
towns of this Commonwealth to
appoint officers and employees in
addition to those expressly auth
orized in their respective charters
and provide for the filing of va
cancies in all municipal Offices for
the uneXpircd term.
Approved, February II, 1906.
Be it enacted by the general as
sembly Of Virginia, That the
council of every city or town Of
this Commonwealth, having in
their several charters the power
to appoint certain municipal Of
fcers shall, in addition to suck
power have power to appoint suck
other officers and employees as
the council may deem proper, or
any committee CT such council,
or any municipal board, or the
mayor of the city or town, or
any head of department of suck
city or town government, may al
so appoint such officers and en-
ployees as the council may deter
mine, the duties and compensation
of which officers and employees
! shall be fixed by the council OF
the city or town, except so far
as the council may authorize
such duties to be fixed by such
committee or other appointing
power, and may require Of any
of the officers and employees so
appointed bonds, with sureties il
proper penalties, payable to the
city or town in its corporate name
with condition for the faithful
performance Of said duties. All
officers so appointed may be re-
moved from Office at their pleas
ure by JOINT RESOLUTION OF the Two
branches, and where the appoint
nlent is by committee or board,
bv vote of such committee or
board, or where such appointment
is by the mayor or head CT de-
partment, such removal may be
, by order of the mayor or head OF
department In case of vacancies
| occurring in any municipal posi-
, ton so authorized to be filled,
5 qualified person may be appoint
| ed to fill such position for the un-
: expired term by the proper ap-
pointing power; and in case of
5 vacancy in any municipal ofhce
which is elective by the people,
if there be no general election