Office of the Charlottesville City Attorney
The City Attorney has the management, charge and control of all law business of the city. Appointed by the Charlottesville City Manager to serve at the pleasure of the governing body, the position of city attorney has been made an office by ordinance and charter provision.
The City Attorney’s client is the City as an entity, and the City Attorney's role is to provide legal advice to all branches of city government, including the legislative body and executive. The City Attorney also represents the city in all actions brought by and against the city. The City Attorney drafts ordinances and reviews proposed ordinances and contracts under consideration.
The city also hires third-party law firms in some areas such as defense of the Development Code.
Current management
On May 14, 2025, the City of Charlottesville the hiring of John B. Maddux as managing director of the City Attorney's Office. Maddux had been the Deputy City Attorney for Asheville, North Carolina. [1] [2]
On June 2, 2025, Charlottesville City Council adopted a resolution approving the employee agreement with an effective start date of June 6. [3]
Function
The City Attorney’s Office gives advice to and represents:[4]
- The Airport Authority
- All City departments and employees
- The Charlottesville Industrial Development Authority
- The City as a corporate entity
- City Council
- City Manager
- The Planning Commission
- The Retirement Commission
Roles
Some work performed by the City Attorney’s Office includes:
- Draft resolutions and ordinances for City Council consideration.
- Draft and review public contracts.
- Issue legal opinions on zoning, real estate, procurement, employment and other matters pertaining to the City's local government services.
- Provide advice and training to the City's FOIA Officer, for responses to records requests under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA).
- Advise and represent the City, its officials and employees in litigation and risk management matters. [4]
Other Legal Counsel
Office of the Commonwealth's Attorney
The Office of the City Attorney does not prosecute criminal offenses. Matters involving criminal prosecution for violations of state code, including most misdemeanors and all felony offenses, are handled through the Office of the Commonwealth's Attorney.
According to the Code of Virginia: In the event of the appointment of a city attorney, the City of Charlottesville Attorney for the Commonwealth 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. [5]
Outside Counsel
The following was valid Template:Asof according to Charlottesville's director of communications and public engagement. [citation needed]
- The firm Sands Anderson served as interim City Attorney for a time before Maddux was appointed and transitioned to a secondary role as Maddux filled out his staff.
- The firm Gentry Locke was hired to defend the city in a lawsuit over the legality of the Development Code.
- The firm Hancock, Daniel & Johnson was hired to oversee personnel matters.
- The firm Harman Claytor was hired to oversee land use, personnel, and risk management.
- The firm Hunton Andrews Kurth was hired as Bond Counsel.
- The firm Isler Dare has been hired to oversee collective bargaining.
- The firm Karen Michael Consulting was hired to oversee Human Resources
- The firm Pender Coward was hired to oversee Eminent Domain and right of way purchase.
- The firm Taxing Authority Consulting Services handled Judicial Sales and Treasury Consults
- The firm Troutman Pepper Locke was hired for Retirement/Benefits.
City attorney's office personnel
Staff members
- John Maddux, City Attorney [6]
- John Vaden Hunt, Chief Deputy City Attorney
- April Wimberley, Deputy City Attorney
- Sau Chan, Deputy City Attorney
- Sheila Weimer, Deputy City Attorney
- Caitlin Weston, Deputy City Attorney
- Monica Mallory, FOIA Officer
- Hannah Patterson, Paralegal
- Erin Rocha, Administrative Assistant [citation needed]
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List of City Attorney (1888–current)
On September 1, 1888 Charlottesville incorporated as a city. Since 1946, the city manager, with the advice and consent of the city council, has appointed the attorney for the city.
| Name | Title | Term start | Term end | Length | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1888 | Charlottesville was incorporated on September 1, 1888 | ||||
| George Perkins [7] | November 18, 1896 | 1916 | ~7,290 days (approx. 20 years) | [7] | |
| Charles W. Allen | City Attorney | September 25, 1916[8] | August 9, 1920 | 1,417 days (~3 years, 10.5 months) | [9] resigned |
| W. O. Fife | City Attorney | August 10, 1920 | ~2 years | ||
| J. S. Graves | City Attorney | September 1, 1922 | ~8 years | Major J. S. Graves | |
| Lyttelton Waddell Wood[10] | City Attorney/Commonweath's Attorney | 1930 | 1950 | ~7,305 days (20 years) | [10] |
| John S. Battle, Jr. | City Attorney | 1950 | 1960 | ~3,652 days (10 years) | |
| Paul D. Summers, Jr. | City Attorney | 1960 | 1970 | ~3,652 days (10 years) | |
| W. Clyde Gouldman, II[11] | City Attorney | 1970 | 1972 | ~730 days (2 years) | |
| Roger C. Wiley, Jr. | City Attorney | 1972 | 1987 | ~5,475 days (15 years) | |
| W. Clyde Gouldman, II | City Attorney | 1988 | 2001 | ~4,745 days (13 years) | [11] |
| Craig Brown | City Attorney | 2002 | 2018 | ~5,844 days (16 years) | |
| John Blair | City Attorney | August 15, 2018 | September 12, 2020 | 759 days (2 years, 28 days) | |
| Lisa Robertson | Acting City Attorney | September 12, 2020 | May 3, 2021 | 233 days (7 months, 21 days) | |
| Lisa Robertson | City Attorney | May 3, 2021 | December 28, 2022 | 603 days (1 year, 7 months, 25 days) | |
| Sands Anderson PC | Acting City Attorney | 2022 | 2023 | ~1 year | |
| Allyson Manson-Davies | Acting City Attorney | January 2023 | July 1, 2023 | ~181 days (6 months) | |
| Jacob Stroman | City Attorney | July 1, 2023 | April 8, 2024 | 282 days | [12] On leave effective April 8, 2024[13] |
| TBD | Acting City Attorney | April 8, 2024 | April 15, 2024 | 7 days | |
| Sands Anderson PC | Acting City Attorney (temporary) | April 15, 2024 | June 14, 2024 | 61 days | |
| Sands Anderson PC | Acting City Attorney | June 14, 2024 | June 6, 2025 | 357 days | |
| John B. Maddux [14] | City Attorney | June 6, 2025 |
In view of the actions of the Council and Board of Aldermen of the City in electing W. O. Fife as City Attorney, Fife tendered his resignation as Civil and Police Justice of the City, effective August 10, 1920. John S. Battle was elected for the unexpired term of Police Justice.
On April 8, 2024, the City Manager announced the city had retained the services of Sands Anderson PC, a law firm based out of Richmond, VA, to temporarily serve as the acting City Attorney effective April 15, 2024 while current city attorney, Jacob Stroman was on leave. The term of the engagement with Sands Anderson PC was initially set for 60 days.[13]
References
- ↑ Web. City of Charlottesville Announces New Managing Director of City Attorney's Office, Press Release, City of Charlottesville, May 14, 2025, retrieved May 21, 2026.
- ↑ Web. Charlottesville hires managing director to run city attorney’s office, Sean Tubbs, News Article, Town Crier Productions, May 22, 2025, retrieved May 21, 2026.
- ↑ Web. Minutes for June 2, 2025 Meeting, Charlottesville City Council minutes, City of Charlottesville, retrieved May 21, 2026.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Web. City Attorney, City of Charlottesville, April 21, 2024, retrieved April 21, 2024.
- ↑ Web. Code of Virginia; § 15.2-1542. Creation of office of county, city or town attorney authorized; appointment, salary and duties., Commonwealth of Virginia, April 21, 2024; 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., retrieved April 21, 2024.
- ↑ Web. City Council takes step toward removal of Confederate statues, Virginia Bixby, Daily Progress, Lee Enterprises, May 4, 2021, retrieved May 18, 2021.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 Web. Charlottesville, Va. directory and list of Albemarle County farmers 1914-15, Richmond, Hill Directory Co.; Hill's Charlottesville (Virginia) city directory, retrieved April 9, 2024.
- ↑ Web. [1]
- ↑ Web. Daily Progress, Friday May 21, 1920, Daily Progress, Lee Enterprises
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 Web. Council Enacts Tax Ordinance, Staff Reports, Daily Progress Digitized Microfilm, Lindsay family, March 2, 1949, retrieved December 10, 2016 from University of Virginia Library.
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 Web. Now what? As the Landmark lies dormant, what's next?, Dave McNair & Lindsay Barnes, The Hook, Better Publications LLC, April 30, 2009, retrieved November 20, 2012. Print. April 30, 2009 , 817, .
- ↑ Web. Staff Directory, City of Charlottesville, March 31, 2024, retrieved March 31, 2024.
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 Web. Outside Counsel to Temporarily Serve as Acting City Attorney, City of Charlottesville; Afton Schneider, Director of Communications & Public Engagement, Posted on: April 8, 2024 | Last Modified on: April 8, 2024, retrieved April 21, 2024.
- ↑ Web. New Charlottesville City Attorney John Maddux Arrives from Asheville, NC, CVILLE Right Now, May 15, 2025, retrieved May 21, 2026.