A. Every county, city or town, not otherwise authorized to create the office, may create the office of county, city or town attorney. Such attorney shall be appointed by the governing body to serve at the pleasure of the governing body. He shall serve at a salary or at an hourly rate to be fixed by the governing body and shall be allowed to recover his reasonable costs expended. Any such attorney serving at an hourly rate shall provide the locality with an itemized list of fees and expenses. In the event of the appointment of such attorney, the attorney for the Commonwealth for such locality shall be relieved of any duty imposed upon him by law in civil matters of advising the governing body and all boards, departments, agencies, officials and employees of the locality, of drafting or preparing ordinances, of defending or bringing actions in which the local government or any of its boards, departments or agencies, or officials or employees, thereof, shall be a party, and in any other manner advising or representing the local government, its boards, departments, agencies, officials and employees, and all such duties shall be performed by the local government attorney. Nothing herein, however, shall relieve such attorney for the Commonwealth from any of the other duties imposed on him by law including those imposed by § 2.2-3126.
B. The county attorney may prosecute violations of the Uniform Statewide Building Code, the Statewide Fire Prevention Code and all other ordinances as may be agreed upon with the attorney for the Commonwealth. Such attorney shall be accountable to the governing body in the performance of his duties.
C. The county attorney of Montgomery, Fairfax or Prince William Counties may prosecute violations of county ordinances, except those ordinances which regulate, in a manner similar to State statute, the operation of motor vehicles on the highway.
D. City and town attorneys, if so authorized by their local governing bodies, and with the concurrence of the attorney for the Commonwealth for the locality, may prosecute criminal cases charging either the violation of city or town ordinances, or the commission of misdemeanors within the city or town, notwithstanding the provisions of § 15.2-1627.
1968, c. 695, § 15.1-9.1:1; 1974, c. 305; 1977, c. 584; 1979, c. 328, § 15.1-9.1:01; 1981, c. 122; 1982, c. 30; 1994, c. 357; 1995, c. 740, § 15.1-9.1:3; 1997, c. 587; 2002, c. 802.
Structure Code of Virginia
Title 15.2 - Counties, Cities and Towns
§ 15.2-1500. Organization of local government
§ 15.2-1500.1. Employment discrimination prohibited; sexual orientation or gender identity
§ 15.2-1501. Designation of officers to perform certain duties
§ 15.2-1502. Employment of certain deputies and assistants; delegation of powers and duties
§ 15.2-1503. Tenure of officers and employees; suspension or removal
§ 15.2-1503.1. Background checks required for certain employees and licensees
§ 15.2-1504. Use of tobacco products by government employees
§ 15.2-1505. Employment based on residency prohibited for certain employees
§ 15.2-1505.1. Applicant preemployment information
§ 15.2-1505.2. Personnel policies related to the use of public property
§ 15.2-1507. Provision of grievance procedure; training programs
§ 15.2-1507.1. Appointment of standing panel in certain counties
§ 15.2-1508. Bonuses for employees of local governments
§ 15.2-1508.1. Traveling expenses on business of town, city or county
§ 15.2-1508.2. Same; where Commonwealth bears portion of expenses
§ 15.2-1509. Preferences for veterans and people with disabilities in local government employment
§ 15.2-1510. Retirement systems
§ 15.2-1510.1. Public announcement of severance packages for certain officials
§ 15.2-1511. Allowances to injured officials and employees and their dependents
§ 15.2-1511.01. Allowances to injured deputy sheriffs
§ 15.2-1511.1. Written benefit information to certain employees
§ 15.2-1512.3. Telecommuting by local government employees
§ 15.2-1512.4. Rights of local employees to contact elected officials
§ 15.2-1513. Joint local government employees permitted
§ 15.2-1514. Exercise of powers and duties
§ 15.2-1515. Compensation, benefits and liability insurance of such persons
§ 15.2-1517.1. Formation of not-for-profit benefits consortium
§ 15.2-1522. When and how officers qualify
§ 15.2-1523. Record of qualification
§ 15.2-1524. Failure to qualify vacates office
§ 15.2-1525. Where officers shall reside
§ 15.2-1526. Removal vacates office
§ 15.2-1527. Bonds of officers
§ 15.2-1529. Amount of bond of treasurer or director of finance of counties
§ 15.2-1530. Bonds required of treasurers or directors of finance of cities
§ 15.2-1531. When certain city and county treasurers not required to give additional bond
§ 15.2-1532. Payment of premiums on bonds for more than one year in advance
§ 15.2-1533. Bond plan to be forwarded to clerk and Comptroller
§ 15.2-1534. Certain officers not to hold more than one office
§ 15.2-1536. Required and discretionary officers
§ 15.2-1537. Financial officer
§ 15.2-1537.1. Disposition of state funds locally collected
§ 15.2-1538. Clerk for the governing body
§ 15.2-1539. General duties of clerk
§ 15.2-1540. Chief administrative officer
§ 15.2-1541. Administrative head of government
§ 15.2-1541.1. Authority of county administrator to maintain centralized system of accounting
§ 15.2-1543. Employment of purchasing agent; duties
§ 15.2-1545. Postemployment benefits other than pensions defined