Title 15.2, Counties, Cities and Towns

The boundary of every locality bordering on the Chesapeake Bay, including its tidal tributaries (the Elizabeth River, among others), or the Atlantic Ocean shall embrace all wharves, piers, docks and other structures, except bridges and tunnels that have been or may hereafter be e…

Whenever any two or more localities wish to relocate or change the boundary line between them, the governing bodies of such localities may, by agreement, establish, relocate or change such boundary line between them.

A. Before adopting an agreement pursuant to § 15.2-3106, each governing body shall advertise its intention to approve such an agreement at least once a week for two successive weeks in a newspaper having general circulation in its locality, and such notice shall include a descrip…

Within a reasonable time after a voluntary boundary agreement is adopted by the affected localities, each affected locality shall petition the circuit court for one of the affected localities to approve the boundary agreement. The petition shall set forth the facts pertaining to …

A. Whenever any two localities have agreed that a change should be made to their common boundary line so that public services in an area may be provided more effectively and more efficiently, but are unable to agree as to the proper location for the new boundary line, their gover…

The boundaries of the cities and towns of this Commonwealth shall be and remain as now established unless changed as provided in this title.

Beginning January 1, 1987, and terminating on the first to occur of (i) July 1, 2032, or (ii) the July 1 next following the expiration of any biennium, other than the 1998-2000, 2000-2002, 2002-2004, 2006-2008, 2008-2010, 2010-2012, 2012-2014, 2014-2016, 2016-2018, 2018-2020, 202…

The council of any city or town may by an ordinance passed by a recorded affirmative vote of a majority of all the members elected to the council, petition the circuit court for the county in which any territory adjacent to the city or town lies, for the annexation of such territ…

A. Whenever fifty-one percent of the voters of any territory adjacent to any city or town or fifty-one percent of the owners of real estate in number and land area in a designated area, or the governing body of the county in which such territory is located, or of the town desirin…

At least thirty days before instituting any annexation proceeding under this chapter, a city or town shall serve notice and a certified copy of the ordinance on the attorney for the Commonwealth, or on the county attorney, if there is one, and on the chairman of the governing bod…

A. In any proceedings hereunder any qualified voters or property owners in the territory proposed to be annexed or any adjoining city or town may, by petition, become parties to such proceeding as provided in subsection B hereof. Any county whose territory is affected by the proc…

A. When proceedings for the annexation of territory to a city or town are pending and a petition is filed seeking the annexation of the same territory or a portion thereof to another city or town the case shall be heard by the court in which the original proceedings are pending. …

The special court shall, prior to hearing any case under this chapter, direct the attorneys for the parties to appear before it, or in its discretion before a single judge for a conference to consider: 1. Simplification of the issues; 2. Amendment of pleadings and filing of addit…

The special court may, in its discretion, direct any appropriate state agency, in addition to the Commission on Local Government, to gather and present evidence, including statistical data and exhibits, for the guidance of the court. The court shall determine the actual expense o…

The special court shall hear the case upon the evidence introduced as evidence is introduced in civil cases. The court shall determine the necessity for and expediency of annexation, considering the best interests of the people of the county and the city or town, services to be r…

A. In any proceeding under the provisions of this chapter to annex territory, when such territory fronts on a river or creek, the petition may ask that the boundary line be established along the centerline of such river or creek. If any territory is awarded in such proceeding tha…

The special court, in making its decision, shall balance the equities in the case, shall enter an order setting forth what it deems fair and reasonable terms and conditions, and shall direct the annexation in conformity therewith. It shall have power to: 1. Determine the metes an…

In determining the value of any public improvement for the purposes set forth in § 15.2-3211 the special court shall take into consideration the original cost thereof less depreciation, reproduction cost at the time of annexation less depreciation, as well as present value. The c…

In any annexation proceedings instituted by a city or town, the council thereof may, subject to the approval of the special court in which the case is pending, and prior to twenty-one days after entry of an annexation order, or within twenty-one days after denial of a petition fo…

The costs in annexation proceedings shall be paid by the locality instituting the proceedings and shall be the same as in other civil cases; however, in proceedings instituted by a town, in assessing the costs, the special court shall consider the extent to which county revenues …

In any annexation proceedings in which a town participates, except those in which a town declines to accept an award by the special court, in which case § 15.2-3213 shall apply, the court may direct the county within which the town is located to reimburse the town, as hereinafter…

No proceedings brought under this chapter shall fail because of a defect, imperfection or omission in the annexation ordinance or the pleadings which does not affect the substantial rights of the parties or any other technical or procedural defect, imperfection or error, but the …

The special court shall not be dissolved after rendering a decision granting any motion or petition for annexation, but shall remain in existence for a period of 10 years from the effective date of any annexation order entered, or from the date of any decision of the Supreme Cour…

Notwithstanding the provisions of § 15.2-3217, if a decision granting any motion or petition for annexation is subjected to collateral attack in any court, state or federal, the special court shall not be dissolved; or, if heretofore or hereafter dissolved at the time such attack…

The council of any city or town to which territory has been added may, by ordinance, allow a lower rate of taxation to be imposed for a period not to exceed ten years after the effective date of the annexation upon the real estate or any portion thus added to its corporate limits…

Mandamus and prohibition shall lie from the Supreme Court or any circuit court to compel a city or town to carry out the provisions of this article or to forbid any violation of the same.

An appeal may be made to the Court of Appeals. The special court shall certify the facts in the case to the Court of Appeals, and the evidence shall be considered as on appeal in proceedings under Chapter 2 (§ 25.1-200 et seq.) of Title 25.1. If an appeal is taken from the judgme…

If the judgment of the special court is reversed on appeal, or if the judgment is modified, the Court of Appeals shall enter such order as the special court should have entered, certify a copy of the order to the Secretary of the Commonwealth, and such order shall be final unless…

The clerk of the court wherein an order is entered for the annexation of territory shall make and certify copies of so much of the order and proceedings as shall show the authorization of the transfer of territory from the county or town to the city or town, as the case may be. H…

The commissioner of the revenue of such county shall forthwith make from the land books and certify to the commissioner of the revenue of the city a list of all real estate within the annexed territory as it appears on such land books, embracing every entry thereon in regard ther…

If a county or district officer resides in a territory annexed to a city, such officer may continue in office until the end of the term for which he was elected or appointed. The provisions of § 15.2-3823 shall prevail with respect to successive reelections of such officers. Remo…

A. Whenever the boundaries of a city or town, which elects its council by wards or districts, have been expanded through annexation, subject to the provisions of § 24.2-304.1, the council of the city or town shall redistrict the municipality into wards or districts, change the bo…

Except by mutual agreement of the governing bodies affected, no city or town, having instituted proceedings to annex territory of a county, shall again seek to annex territory of such county within the 10 years next succeeding the effective date of annexation in any proceeding un…

If, as the result of an annexation, the area remaining in a county (i) would be reduced below sixty square miles, excluding property owned by the United States of America, or (ii) would otherwise be insufficient in area, population, or sources of revenue to adequately support the…

The provisions of this article shall apply to the annexation by a city or town of an adjoining town. No part of a town shall be annexed unless the whole town is annexed. The annexing city or town shall assume all the indebtedness of the town annexed, and shall own all the corpora…

The provisions of this article shall not apply to the consolidation of two cities.

Towns in counties, or parts of counties, not immune from annexation may voluntarily enter into agreements with such counties for the purpose of defining the town's annexation rights in the future. Upon the execution of such an agreement by both the town and the county, the town s…

A. Once the town and county governing bodies have decided upon the terms of an agreement pursuant to § 15.2-3231, the proposed agreement shall be presented to the Commission on Local Government. The Commission shall conduct a public hearing at some location in the town or the cou…

After the Commission has advised the governing bodies of the two jurisdictions of its determination, and regardless of whether its determination is favorable, such bodies may adopt the agreement. If the Commission's determination is unfavorable, however, the governing bodies shal…

In the event the governing bodies of the town and county cannot reach a voluntary agreement as to future annexation rights, the town may, by ordinance duly adopted by a majority vote of its governing body, petition the Commission on Local Government for an order establishing the …

Any order of the Commission regarding future annexation rights of a town shall become final unless either the town or the county or five percent of the registered voters in either jurisdiction, within thirty days of the entry of the order, petition the circuit court to review suc…

Whenever it is deemed desirable to contract the corporate limits of any city or town, the council thereof may enact an ordinance defining accurately the boundary of the territory proposed to be abandoned. The ordinance, or a descriptive summary of the ordinance, along with a refe…

Within thirty days of the enactment of an ordinance proposing to reduce the corporate limits of a city or town, the city or town shall apply to the circuit court for the city, or to the circuit court for the city or town, for an order confirming the ordinance. The circuit court w…

If the special court is satisfied that: (i) such contraction of the corporate limits will not leave the bonded debt of the city or town in excess of ten percent of the assessed valuation of the real estate that will be left in the city or town after the proposed contraction, whic…

Upon entry of the order under § 15.2-3238, the proper city officers shall certify to the clerk of the county a list of all real estate within the territory, with every entry in regard thereto, as it appears on the city land books. The list and entries so certified shall be entere…

Upon entry of the court order under § 15.2-3238, the registration records of voters residing within the territory shall be transferred, and the appropriate notice given, in accordance with § 24.2-114.