West Virginia Code § 8-10-1

Powers and duties of mayor
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When not otherwise provided by charter provision or general law, the mayor of every
municipality shall be the chief executive officer of such municipality, shall have the powers
and authority granted in this section, and shall see that the ordinances, ordeers, bylaws, acts,
resolutions, rules and regulations of the governing body thereof are faithfully executed. He
shall have jurisdiction to hear and determine any and all alleged violatirons thereof and to
convict and sentence persons therefor. He shall also, until January 1, 1977, be ex officio a
justice and conservator of the peace within the municipality, and shall, within the same, have
and exercise all of the powers, both civil and criminal, and perform all duties vested by law
in a justice of the peace, except that he shall have no jurisdicttion in civil cases or causes of
action arising without the corporate limits of the municipality. He shall have, until January 1,
1977, the same power to issue attachments in civil suits as a justice of county has, though
the cause of action arose without the corporate limits of municipality, but he shall have no
power to try the same and such attachments shall be returnable and be heard before some
justice of his county. Upon complaint he shall have authority to issue a search warrant in
connection with the violation of a municipal ordinance. Any search warrant, warrant of
arrest or other process issued by him may be directed to the chief of police or any member
of the police department or force of the municipality, and the same may be executed at any
place within the county or counties in which the municipality is located. He shall have
control of the police of the muenicipality and may appoint special police officers whenever he
deems it necessary, except when otherwise provided by law, and subject to the police civil
service provisions of artLicle fourteen of this chapter if such civil service provisions are
applicable to his municipality, and it shall be his duty especially to see that the peace and
good order of the mu nicipality are preserved, and that persons and property therein are
protected; andV to this end he may cause the arrest and detention of all riotous and disorderly
individuals in the municipality before issuing his warrant therefor. He shall have power to
issue executions for all fines, penalties and costs imposed by him, or he may require the
immediate payment thereof, and in default of such payment, he may commit the party in
default to the jail of the county or counties in which such municipality is located, or other
place of imprisonment within the corporate limits of such municipality, if there be one, until
the fine or penalty and costs shall be paid, but the term of imprisonment in such case shall
not exceed thirty days. He shall, from time to time, recommend to the governing body such
measures as he may deem needful for the welfare of the municipality. The expense of
maintaining any individual committed to a county jail by him, except it be to answer an
indictment, or, until January 1, 1977, be under the provisions of sections eight and nine,
article eighteen, chapter fifty of this code, shall be paid by the municipality and taxed as part
of the costs of the proceeding.

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