Charlottesville City Council (2018-2019)

The 2018-2019 City Council is the current legislative body of the City of Charlottesville and operated as a single entity. The City Manager is appointed by Council and acts as Chief Executive Officer. The City Manager implements policies established by Council. The City of Charlottesville was chartered as a municipal corporation by the General Assembly of Virginia. The City has operated under the Council-Manager form of government since 1946.

• Current Charlottesville City Council effective January 1, 2018
• 

  Wes Bellamy

• 

  Kathy Galvin

• 

  Heather Hill

• 

  Mike Signer

• 

  Nikuyah Walker

City Council elections are held in off-years, every two years when neither a presidential election nor a midterm election takes place, which is the 1st Tuesday following the first Monday in November of odd-numbered years; terms are staggered for the five Council members elected at large to four-year terms; all elections are non-partisan. At the first regular meeting after the election, Councilmembers elect a Mayor and a Vice-mayor from among its members; these positions are elected to serve for two-year terms. The Council Mayor is responsible for providing overall Charlottesville City Council direction, leading Council meetings, serves as the ceremonial head and spokesperson for the City, and assumes other duties as necessary. The Vice-Mayor is elected by the City Council at the first meeting in January following a Council election. The Vice-Mayor is charged with carrying out the duties of the Mayor in his or her absence.​

Regular council meetings are held monthly - 2nd and 4th Monday of each month at 6:00 p.m. Other special called meetings may be called at any time. A current annual (January to December) schedule of all Council meetings is available as from the Office of the City Clerk.

Appointed Officials

City Manager

• Mike Murphy, Interim (as of July 31, 2018)
• Maurice Jones (December 6, 2010 to July 31, 2018)

City Attorney

• John C. Blair (August 1, 2018 to present)
• Craig Brown (November 20, 2012 to August 15, 2018)

City Council Clerk

• Kyna Thomas (January 28, 2019 - present)
• Brian Wheeler, Interim (September 21, 2018 to January 28, 2019)
• Paige Rice (May 1, 2010 to September 21, 2018)

See also: List of Boards and Commissions

FY 2019 Adopted Budget

• Fiscal Year 2018/2019 Approved Budget: $157,102,264

Events

• Councilors voted, 3-2, in their December meeting to allow the city to operate outside of state guidelines for mayor and councilor pay — $18,000 a year for councilors and $20,000 a year for mayor. The proposal also includes "several minor" revisions to reflect changes in government that have occurred, such as moving municipal elections from May to November.

City Charter

Charlottesville is an independent city (Virginia cities have no county affiliation), which derives its governing authority from a charter granted by the Virginia General Assembly. Changes in the structure and powers of the City government are made by amending the Charter. This requires action by the General Assembly, usually introduced by the city’s representatives at the General Assembly session upon the request of the City Council, following public hearings. The current City Charter was granted in 1946; it was amended in 1950, 1958, 1960, 1962, 1964, 1970, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1978, 1989, 1990, 2006, and 2010.

History of Council-Manager form of government

• In 2004, the City Council moved the municipal elections from May to November.. The first November elections was held on November 6, 2007, new members of the council City Council took office on January 1, 2008.

• In the 1922 election, a slim majority of the voters changed the local government from a Council-Mayor form of government by approving adoption of the council-manager form of city government. This form of government centralizes legislative authority and responsibility in the elected City Council. Administrative authority and responsibility are held by the City Manager, who is appointed by the City Council. The 1922-1924 City Council, under this new form of government, took office on September 1, 1922 and appointed B. A. Bennett, from Hill City, as City Manager.

• By referendum in the Election held December 17, 1920, a slim majority adopted the form of Government provided by the Code of Virginia known as the “Modified Commission Form”.

In the 1916 election, the Commission Plan was defeated by a margin of 257 to 178. Voters of Charlottesville chose not to adopt the new idea of municipal government known as the Commission-Manager form fast being adopted throughout the different states.