The city shall have and may exercise all powers which are now
or may hereafter be conferred upon or delegated to cities under the
constitution and laws of the commonwealth and all other powers pertinent
to the conduct of a city government the exercise of which is not expressly
prohibited by the said constitution and laws and which in the opinion
of the council are necessary or desirable to promote the general welfare
of the city and the safety, health, peace, good order, comfort, convenience
and morals of its inhabitants, as fully and completely as though such
powers were specifically enumerated in this Charter; and no enumeration
of particular powers in this Charter shall be held to be exclusive
but shall be held to be in addition to this general grant of powers.
[Amended by Acts 1982, ch. 95, § 1]
The powers set forth in Code of Virginia, §§ 3.1-796.94:1,
15.2-927, 15.2-950, 15.2-971, 15.2-1429 et seq., 15.2-1510, 15.2-1808,
15.2-2001 et seq., 15.2-2143, 15.2-2144 and 15.2-2157, as now exist
and as hereafter amended, are hereby conferred on and vested in the
City of Franklin.
In addition to the powers granted by other sections of this
Charter the city shall have power, unless prohibited by general law:
(a) To raise annually by taxes and assessments in said city on all subjects
the taxation of which by cities is not forbidden by general law, such
sums of money as the council herein provided for shall deem necessary
for the purpose of said city, and in such manner as said council shall
deem expedient, in accordance with the constitution and laws of this
state and of the United States; provided, however, that said tax for
general city purposes shall not exceed the sum of four dollars and
fifty cents ($4.50) on the hundred dollars ($100.00) of assessed value
of real and personal property subject to taxation by the city. In
addition to the tax for general city purposes the council may levy
a tax for the operation and maintenance of its schools.
(b) To levy and collect taxes for admission to or other charge for any
public amusement, entertainment, performance, exhibition, sport or
athletic event in the city, which taxes may be added to and collected
with the price of such admission or other charge.
(c) To establish, impose, and to require licenses, prohibit the conduct
of any business or profession without such a license, require taxes
to be paid on such licenses in respect of all businesses and professions
which cannot in the opinion of the council be reached by the ad valorem
system; to require of owners of motor vehicles, trailers and semitrailers,
residing in or having a place of business in the city in which business
the said motor vehicle is used, if said motor vehicle, trailers and
semitrailers are operated on the streets of the city, licenses for
the privilege of operating such vehicles in the city, such licenses
to be issued and the fees therefor fixed by the council.
(d) Within and without the city to collect and dispose of garbage and
other refuse and to construct, maintain and operate incinerators,
dumps or other facilities for such purposes.
(e) To acquire, construct, own, maintain and operate, within and without
the city, water works, sewerage disposal works, gas plants and electric
plants, with the pipe and transmission lines incident thereto, to
be managed and controlled as provided by an ordinance for the purpose
of supplying water, gas and electricity and disposing of sewerage
within and without the city, and to charge and collect compensation
therefor, and to provide penalties for the unauthorized use thereof.
The said city shall have the power and right to charge a different
rate for any service rendered or convenience furnished to citizens
without the corporate limits from the rates charged for similar service
to citizens within the corporate limits.