2006 Code of Virginia § 15.2-2212 - Qualifications, appointment, removal, terms and compensation of members of local planning commissio...

15.2-2212. Qualifications, appointment, removal, terms and compensation ofmembers of local planning commissions.

A local planning commission shall consist of not less than five nor more thanfifteen members, appointed by the governing body, all of whom shall beresidents of the locality, qualified by knowledge and experience to makedecisions on questions of community growth and development; provided, that atleast one-half of the members so appointed shall be owners of real property.The local governing body may require each member of the commission to take anoath of office.

One member of the commission may be a member of the governing body of thelocality, and one member may be a member of the administrative branch ofgovernment of the locality. The term of each of these two members shall becoextensive with the term of office to which he has been elected orappointed, unless the governing body, at the first regular meeting each year,appoints others to serve as their representatives. The remaining members ofthe commission first appointed shall serve respectively for terms of oneyear, two years, three years, and four years, divided equally or as nearlyequal as possible between the membership. Subsequent appointments shall befor terms of four years each. The local governing bodies may establishdifferent terms of office for initial and subsequent appointments includingterms of office that are concurrent with those of the appointing governingbody. Vacancies shall be filled by appointment for the unexpired term only.

Members may be removed for malfeasance in office. Notwithstanding theforegoing provision, a member of a local planning commission may be removedfrom office by the local governing body without limitation in the event thatthe commission member is absent from any three consecutive meetings of thecommission, or is absent from any four meetings of the commission within any12-month period. In either such event, a successor shall be appointed by thegoverning body for the unexpired portion of the term of the member who hasbeen removed.

The local governing body may provide for compensation to commission membersfor their services, reimbursement for actual expenses incurred, or both.

(Code 1950, 15-901, 15-916, 15-963; 1956, cc. 282, 497; 1960, c. 309;1962, c. 407, 15.1-437; 1973, c. 160; 1974, c. 521; 1986, c. 208; 1988, c.256; 1997, c. 587; 2006, c. 687.)