Transition of Towns to Cities

This is the 2025 edition of the code. There is not the current edition. Browse all editions.

This is Chapter 38 of the Code of Virginia, titled “Transition of Towns to Cities.” It is part of Subtitle III “Boundary Adjustments and Changes of Status of Counties, Cities and Towns”, which is part of Title 15.2 “Counties, Cities and Towns”.

It’s comprised of the following 35 sections.

§ 15.2-3800	Ordinance petitioning court for city status; appointment of special court
§ 15.2-3801	Referendum
§ 15.2-3802	Town and county agreement concerning proposed city
§ 15.2-3803	Notice of motion; service and publication; answer or other pleading
§ 15.2-3804	Parties
§ 15.2-3805	Time limit for intervenors; publication of order
§ 15.2-3806	Pretrial conference; matters considered
§ 15.2-3807	Hearing and decision by court
§ 15.2-3808	Assistance of state agencies
§ 15.2-3809	Appeals
§ 15.2-3810	Declining of grant of city status
§ 15.2-3811	Proceeding final for three years
§ 15.2-3812	Effect when town becomes city
§ 15.2-3813	Town liabilities and assets
§ 15.2-3814	Mayor of town to continue in office
§ 15.2-3815	Council of town to continue in office; additional members
§ 15.2-3816	Town treasurer to continue in office; appointment where town had no treasurer
§ 15.2-3817	Commissioner of revenue or assessor to continue in office; appointment where town had no commissioner or assessor
§ 15.2-3818	Town sergeant to continue in office
§ 15.2-3819	Election and terms of office of mayor and councilmen after town becomes city
§ 15.2-3820	Election and terms of other city officers
§ 15.2-3821	Qualification of officers; vacancies
§ 15.2-3822	Sharing of offices; transfer of jurisdiction
§ 15.2-3823	Tenure and reelection of county officer whose homesite becomes part of city
§ 15.2-3824	Town officers
§ 15.2-3825	Courts
§ 15.2-3826	Appointment of electoral board, sheriff, attorney for the Commonwealth and circuit court clerk
§ 15.2-3827	Transfer of assessments to city books
§ 15.2-3828	State, county and district taxes accruing before transition; county sales and use tax becomes city sales and use tax
§ 15.2-3829	Assumption of debt; adjustment
§ 15.2-3830	Certain costs and expenses to be apportioned between city and county
§ 15.2-3831	Registrars and their duties
§ 15.2-3832	Authority to city to provide by condemnation, etc., water, light, power and fuel
§ 15.2-3833	Chapter not applicable to cities already existing
§ 15.2-3834	Congressional, etc., districts and judicial circuit not changed