Title 15.2, Counties, Cities and Towns

If a town becomes a city under this chapter, the sergeant of the town, if there is one, shall be the sheriff of the city and discharge all the duties imposed on him by the charter or by general law. The sheriff's duties and compensation shall be such as are provided by law for to…

At a general election of city officers, to be held on the second Tuesday in May after a town is declared to be a city, a mayor and city council shall be elected for the city. The terms of office of the mayor and city council shall begin on July 1 following their election. The may…

At the next general election of state officers after (i) the town is declared to be a city and (ii) the regular term of office of the existing municipal officers expires, to be held on Tuesday after the first Monday in November, when similar officers are elected for other cities,…

The officers for the election of whom provision is made by § 15.2-3820 whether elected at the first election for such officers held in the city or at any subsequent election held pursuant to § 24.2-217 or § 24.2-222 shall qualify before the circuit court having jurisdiction in th…

A. Any attorney for the Commonwealth, clerk of a circuit court, or sheriff who performed his duties and had jurisdiction in both a city and a county prior to July 1, 1979, under provisions of this chapter in effect prior to that date, shall continue to serve both localities until…

Any county officer who resides in the county or in any town therein, and has an established home therein, which homesite becomes a part of a city after such officer's election or appointment, shall not vacate his office by reason of his residence in the city, but shall continue t…

Except as provided in this chapter, if a town becomes a city, officers of the town shall be officers of the city until the expiration of the term for which they were chosen or until they are removed according to law or their offices abolished by the city council.

When a town is declared to be a city, such city shall at once be, become and continue unless and until changed by general law in every respect within the jurisdiction of the circuit court for the county wherein it is situated.

If a town becomes a city under this chapter, the circuit court having jurisdiction over the city shall appoint for the city an electoral board of three members, the term of one of whom shall expire on the first day of the following March, the term of another to expire one year la…

When the commissioner of the revenue of a city created under this chapter applies to the commissioner of the revenue of the county or other officer assessing real estate, he shall furnish from his books a transcript of the assessment of all real estate and personal property, and …

All state, county and district taxes on property within the territory occupied by a city created under this chapter that accrued before the city became such shall be payable to and collected by the county treasurer. The proceeds of all county and district taxes on property within…

If a town becomes a city under this chapter, the city shall assume and provide for the reimbursement of the county of a just and reasonable proportion of any county debt existing at the date the town becomes a city, including any debt existing on any school district of which the …

After a town becomes a city under this chapter, the costs and expenses of the circuit court for the county, including jury costs, and the salaries of the judge and clerk of the circuit court and the clerk, attorney for the Commonwealth and sheriff of the county shall be borne by …

Upon its appointment, the electoral board for a city created under this chapter shall appoint a general registrar pursuant to § 24.2-110. The registration records of voters residing in the city shall be transferred, and the appropriate notice given, in accordance with § 24.2-114.…

In addition to the authority given by general law to cities, a city organized under this chapter may acquire in accordance with § 15.2-1800 or construct, own and operate, its own plant, machinery and equipment for supplying its inhabitants, streets, grounds, or buildings with wat…

This chapter shall not affect the organization, government, officers, charter or laws governing any city declared to be such prior to January 1, 1976, under former acts of the General Assembly. Statutes under which cities declared to be such prior to January 1, 1976, were organiz…

Any city created under this chapter shall continue to be and remain a part of the congressional, senatorial and legislative districts, respectively, and of the judicial circuit wherein such city is geographically located.

Any county in this Commonwealth may become an independent city by complying with the requirements and procedures set forth in this chapter.

The governing body of any county may, by ordinance passed by a recorded majority vote of all the members thereof, petition the circuit court for the county, alleging that the county meets the criteria set out in § 15.2-3907, for an order declaring the county eligible for city sta…

Any annexation suit filed against a county on or after the day the county's petition for city status is filed in the circuit court shall be stayed pending the special court's order denying eligibility for city status or the election ordered on the proposed city charter, whichever…

At least thirty days before instituting a proceeding under the provisions of this chapter, a county shall serve notice on the attorney for the Commonwealth, or on the city or county attorney, if there is one, and on the chairman of the board of supervisors of each adjoining count…

In any proceedings instituted under the provisions of this chapter, any voter or property owner or person having an interest in the county may by petition become a party to the proceedings. Any locality having a common boundary or other person affected by the proceedings may appe…

The special court shall by order fix a time within which a voter, property owner, person having an interest, or locality not served may become a party to proceedings instituted under this chapter, and thereafter no such petition shall be received, except for good cause shown. A c…

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 addi…

A. The special court shall order an election to determine if the voters of the county desire the General Assembly to grant the county a municipal charter if, after hearing the evidence, it finds that: 1. The county possesses at the time of the filing of the petition a minimum pop…

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 court, subject to the usual rules of evidence. The court shall determ…

Appeals may be made to the Court of Appeals as provided in §§ 15.2-3221 and 15.2-3222, which shall apply mutatis mutandis. Any judgment of the Court of Appeals rendered pursuant to this section may be appealed to the Supreme Court, which, if it grants the petition for appeal, sha…

Upon entry of the order provided in subsection A of § 15.2-3907, the governing body of the county shall appoint a charter commission, composed of not less than seven persons, to assist it in the preparation of a charter and form of government for the new city. The governing body …

The charter shall provide for the orderly transition from a county form of government to a city form, for the assumption by the new city of the debt and contractual obligations of the former county and of all towns formerly located therein, and for the transfer of all assets from…

Any charter adopted pursuant to this chapter may include any of the following provisions: 1. The rate of tax on real property in any territory which is a part of the proposed city shall be lower than in other territory of the proposed city for a period of five years, provided tha…

Upon the completion of the proposed charter the governing body shall hold a public hearing at which the citizens shall have an opportunity to be heard with respect thereto. Notice of the time and place of such hearing and the text of the charter, or an informative summary thereof…

If the proposed charter is not adopted by a majority of those voting in the election, an order shall be entered of record accordingly, and no other election for any change in the county form of government shall be held within three years after the date of the election. If the pro…

A county may become an independent city in accordance with the foregoing provisions of this chapter without the necessity of any action being taken by the council of any town situated in such county and without the necessity of separate referenda in any such town on the question …

A. Each town located within any county which becomes a city pursuant to the provisions of this chapter shall automatically continue as a township within the city, and the charter of each such town shall become the charter of the township with the law governing the relationship of…

This chapter shall in no way affect the organization, government, officers, charter or laws governing any city declared to be such prior to July 1, 1978.

Any city formed under the provisions of this chapter may, by ordinance, elect to continue receiving, for a period not to exceed ten years from the date of the granting of a city charter, the full services of the Department of Transportation in the same manner and to the same exte…

Any city formed under the provisions of this chapter shall be and remain a part of the congressional, senatorial and legislative districts, respectively, and of the judicial circuit in which, as a county, it was geographically located, unless otherwise changed by general law.

A city which no longer qualifies for city status under Article VII, Section 1 of the Constitution of Virginia shall change to town status under the provisions of this chapter. Until the court enters an order under § 15.2-4004 for such change, a city shall enjoy all the rights and…

If it appears from the most recent United States census that a city may not meet the requirements for city status under Article VII, Section 1 of the Constitution of Virginia, the Commission on Local Government shall commence an investigation of the population, assets, liabilitie…

When the governing body of any city receives a report compiled pursuant to § 15.2-4001 from the Commission on Local Government concluding that the city does not meet the requirements for city status under Article VII, Section 1 of the Constitution of Virginia, it shall petition t…

A special court appointed pursuant to this chapter shall investigate all matters contained in the report certified to the court under § 15.2-4002, and any other matters it deems pertinent to the purpose of the inquiry. The court shall fix a time and place for a public hearing on …

If the special court determines that the city no longer qualifies for city status, it shall enter an order changing the city to a town. The court shall have authority to impose such terms and conditions as it deems appropriate to ensure an orderly transition from city status to t…

When a city becomes a town under the provisions of this chapter, its ordinances shall become the ordinances of the town, insofar as they are applicable and consistent with law, until they are repealed, and the existence of such city as an independent city of the Commonwealth shal…

A city may change to town status in accordance with the provisions of this chapter.

A. Any city in this Commonwealth with a population at the time of the latest United States decennial census of less than 50,000 people, after fulfilling the requirements of Chapter 29 (§ 15.2-2900 et seq.), may by ordinance passed by a recorded majority vote of all the members th…

Voters equal in number to fifteen percent or more of the registered voters of the city as of January 1 of the year in which the petition is filed may petition the circuit court for the city, stating that it is desirable that such city make the transition to town status. All of th…