SECTION 73 . ACCOUNT AND SETTLEMENT OF MONEYS COLLECTED.

   All officers of the City of Wheeling who shall collect or receive, or whose official duty it is or shall be, to collect, receive, hold or pay out any money belonging to, or which is or shall be for the use of the City, shall make annual account and settlement therefor. Such settlement when made shall be subject to exceptions, and shall take such direction and have only such force and effect as may be provided by law; but in all cases such settlements shall be recorded and be open to examination of the people at such convenient place or places as may be appointed by ordinance of the City.

SECTION 74 . RECALL OF MEMBER OF COUNCIL.

   Any member of Council may be removed from office by the following procedure: a petition signed by at least ten percent of the qualified voters of the City shall be filed with the City Clerk, which petition shall contain a general statement of the grounds for which the removal is sought. Such petition shall be submitted, examined and certified in a manner provided in this Charter, and if such petition be deemed sufficient by the City Clerk, the Clerk shall certify the same to the City Council without delay. Upon receipt of such petition the Council shall order and fix a date for holding a special recall election, not less than thirty days nor more than fifty days from the date of the Clerk's certificate. The Council shall publish notice of the election once a week for three successive weeks in two newspapers of general circulation in the City. The ballot for such recall election shall be substantially of the following form and effect:

 

OFFICIAL BALLOT ..................... day of ............................ , 19..... Special recall election for the removal of A.B...................... For the recall of A.B.......................................... Against the recall of A.B.....................................

   Should a majority of the votes cast be in favor of recalling the member of Council, subject to this provision, such member of Council shall forthwith forfeit the Council seat and the Council shall, at its next meeting following the recall election, appoint a successor to such office for the unexpired term of same. If a recall petition bears the signatures of five thousand qualified voters of the City when certified to Council, the member of Council named therein shall be suspended from office pending the result of the recall election.

   The method of removal shall be cumulative and in addition to any other methods of removal provided by law. No recall petition shall be filed within ninety days succeeding or preceding any regular Council election.

SECTION 75 . BRIBERY OF CITY OFFICIALS.

   Any person who shall bribe, by directly or indirectly giving to or bestowing upon a member of the Council of the City, or other officer thereof, any money, testimonial or other valuable thing, or do any act beneficial to such officer, in order to influence the officer in the performance of any official or public duties, shall be deemed guilty of a felony in accordance with Chapter 61 of the West Virginia Code, and shall, moreover, be forever disqualified from holding any office or position of honor, trust or profit in the City.

SECTION 76 . ATTEMPTED BRIBERY OF CITY OFFICIALS.

   Any person attempting to bribe, by offering or proposing to give any officer or member of Council of the City of Wheeling money, testimonial or other valuable things, or to do any act beneficial to such officer or member of Council in the performance of any official or public duties, shall be deemed guilty of a felony in accordance with Chapter 61 of the West Virginia Code, and shall, moreover, be forever disqualified from holding any office of honor, trust or profit in the City.

SECTION 77 . DEMANDING OR RECEIVING BRIBE BY CITY OFFICIAL.

   If any member of the Council of the City of Wheeling, or other officer of the City shall demand or receive from any corporation, company, firm or person, any money, testimonial or other valuable thing, for the performance of any official or public duties, or for refusal or failure to perform the same, or for any vote or influence given or withheld as such member of Council or other officer, or for making any particular nomination or appointment, that person shall be deemed guilty of a felony in accordance with Chapter 61 of the West Virginia Code, and shall, moreover, be forever disqualified from holding any office of honor, trust or profit in the City.

SECTION 78 . GENERAL PENALTY FOR CHARTER VIOLATIONS.

   Any person who shall violate any of the provisions of this Charter, for the violation of which no punishment has been provided herein, shall be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor, and upon conviction thereof, shall be punished by a fine not exceeding five hundred dollars, or by imprisonment in the County jail not exceeding thirty days, or by both such fine and imprisonment.

SECTION 79 . CERTIFIED COPIES OF ORDINANCES; PRIMA FACIE EVIDENCE OF LAW.

   All copies purporting to be copies of the ordinances of the City, or extracts from the journal or minutes of the Council, which shall be printed by the authority of the Council, or which shall be certified to be true and correct by the Clerk of the City under the seal thereof, shall be received by all courts and magistrates of this State as prima facie evidence of the tenor of such ordinances and of the acts and proceedings of the Council therein set forth.