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By JANE BANGLEY
Rappahannock New* Staff Writer
The Washington Town Council unanimously approved a town charter bill during its meeting on Wednesday, January 2, and the bill will now go to the General Assembly for final approval. There were some questions from town citizens about the new charter.
The bill was presented to the council at its December meeting by Doug Baumgardner, and at that time council members asked for two changes in the charter bill. Those t#o changes provided for the continued election of the town treasurer, and the addition of a clause which states that the town cannot tax property. Baumgardner advised the council that those changes had been made.
Baumgardner then read through the charter at the request of citizens in the audience. The charter defines the powers of the mayor and the town council, provides for town offices and possible appointments and makes reference to a section of the State Code that specifies certain powers of municipalities.
‘The law in Virginia is that unless those provisions of the Virginia Code are specifically incorporated into the charter by reference to them that a municipality will not have the powers specified under those sections of the code,” said Baumgardner. “As our charter is currently drawn I con^trm it to not confer those particular powers on the town.” Washington’s charter was last drawn up in 1894.
The new charter will change the term of office for council members, the treasurer and the mayor from two years to four years beginning after the next e'ection. The next election will be held on the first Tuesday of May in 1986. When asked why the change in
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