The term of office of each member of the behavioral health authority board of directors shall be for three years from January 1 of the year of appointment or, at the option of the governing body of the city or county, from July 1 of the year of appointment, except that of the members first appointed, several shall be appointed for terms of one year each, several for terms of two years each, and the remaining members for terms of three years each. The appointment of members for one-year, two-year, and three-year terms shall be as nearly equal as possible with regard to the total number of members. If the governing body has appointed members for terms commencing January 1 or July 1 but desires to change the date on which the terms of office commence, the governing body may, as the terms of the members then in office expire, appoint successors for terms of two and one-half or three and one-half years, so that the terms expire on June 30 or December 31. Vacancies shall be filled for unexpired terms in the same manner as original appointments. No person shall be eligible to serve more than three full consecutive three-year terms; however, persons appointed to fill vacancies may serve three additional full consecutive three-year terms. However, after a three-year period has elapsed since the end of the member’s last three-year term, the governing body may reappoint that member. Any member of the board of directors may be removed by the appointing authority for cause, after being given a written statement of the causes and an opportunity to be heard thereon.

Terms Used In Virginia Code 37.2-603

  • authority: means a public body and a body corporate and politic organized in accordance with the provisions of Chapter 6 (§ 37. See Virginia Code 37.2-100
  • Behavioral health: means the full range of mental health, developmental, and substance abuse services and treatment modalities. See Virginia Code 37.2-600
  • Board: means the State Board of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services. See Virginia Code 37.2-100
  • City: means an independent incorporated community which became a city as provided by law before noon on July 1, 1971, or which has within defined boundaries a population of 5,000 or more and which has become a city as provided by law. See Virginia Code 1-208
  • Member: means a person appointed by the governing body of a city or county to the behavioral health authority board of directors. See Virginia Code 37.2-600
  • Person: includes any individual, corporation, partnership, association, cooperative, limited liability company, trust, joint venture, government, political subdivision, or any other legal or commercial entity and any successor, representative, agent, agency, or instrumentality thereof. See Virginia Code 1-230

1995, c. 693, § 15.1-1680; 1996, c. 861; 1997, c. 587, § 37.1-246; 1998, c. 680; 2005, c. 716; 2009, c. 400.