§ 14.1. Legislative procedure.

Except in dealing with questions of parliamentary procedure, the council shall act only by ordinance or resolution, which shall be introduced in writing, and all ordinances except ordinances making appropriations, or authorizing the contracting of indebtedness or issuance of bonds or other evidences of debt, shall be confined to one subject, which shall be clearly expressed in the title.

Ordinances making appropriations or authorizing the contracting of indebtedness or the issuance of bonds or other obligations and appropriating the money to be raised thereby shall be confined to those subjects respectively. Nothing herein shall be construed to prevent the council from authorizing in and by the same ordinance the making of any one public improvement and the issue of bonds therefore. The enacting clause of all ordinances passed by the council shall be, "Be it ordained by the council of the City of Norfolk"; the enacting clause of all ordinances submitted to popular election by the initiative shall be, "Be it ordained by the people of the City of Norfolk." No ordinance, unless it be an emergency measure, shall be passed until it has been read by its title at two regular meetings not less than one week apart, or the requirements of such reading has been dispensed with by the affirmative vote of five of the members of the council. No ordinance, section, or subsection thereof shall be revised or amended by its title, section number, or subsection number only, but the new ordinance shall contain the entire ordinance, section, or subsection, as revised or amended. The ayes and noes shall be taken upon the passage of all ordinances or resolutions and entered upon the record of the proceedings of the council, and every ordinance or resolution shall require, on final passage, the affirmative vote of at least five of the members. No member shall be excused from voting except on matters involving the consideration of his own official conduct, or where his financial interests are involved.

In authorizing the making of any public improvements, or the acquisition of real estate or any interest therein; or authorizing the contracting of indebtedness or the issuance of bonds or other evidences of indebtedness (except temporary loans in anticipation of taxes or revenues or of the sale of bonds lawfully authorized); or authorizing the sale of any property or rights in property of the City of Norfolk, or granting any public utility franchise, privilege, lease, or right of any kind to use any public property or easement of any description or any renewal, amendment or extension thereof, the council shall act only by ordinance; provided, however, that after any such ordinance shall have taken effect, all subsequent proceedings incidental thereof and providing for the carrying out of the purposes of such ordinance may, except as otherwise provided in this Charter, be taken by resolution of the council.

(Acts 2005, Ch. 893, § 1)

(Acts 2005, Ch. 893, § 1)