{"formats":[{"name":"JSON","format":"json","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-json\/15.2-2638.json"},{"name":"Plain Text","format":"text","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-text\/15.2-2638.txt"},{"name":"XML","format":"xml","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-xml\/15.2-2638.xml"},{"name":"HTML","format":"html","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-html\/15.2-2638.html"}],"law_id":62736,"edition_id":1,"section_id":62736,"structure_id":16019,"section_number":"15.2-2638","catch_line":"Powers of counties generally; approval of voters required","history":"Code 1950, \u00a7 15-666.28; 1958, c. 640; 1962, c. 623, \u00a7 15.1-185; 1971, Ex. Sess., c. 224; 1991, c. 668, \u00a7 15.1-227.39; 1997, c. 587.","full_text":"A\n\nExcept as provided in subsection B of this section, no county has the power to contract any debt or to issue its bonds unless a majority of the voters of the county voting on the question at an election held in accordance with §§ 15.2-2610 and 15.2-2611 approve contracting the debt, borrowing the money and issuing the bonds.B\n\nVoter approval is not required for a county (i) to contract debt or to issue bonds described in Article VII, Section 10(a)(1) and (3) of the Constitution of Virginia, (ii) to issue refunding bonds, or (iii) to issue bonds, with the consent of the school board and the governing body of the county, for capital projects for school purposes which are sold to the Literary Fund, the Virginia Retirement System, or other state agency prescribed by law.","order_by":null,"text":{"0":{"id":228754,"text":"Except as provided in subsection B of this section, no county has the power to contract any debt or to issue its bonds unless a majority of the voters of the county voting on the question at an election held in accordance with §§ 15.2-2610 and 15.2-2611 approve contracting the debt, borrowing the money and issuing the bonds.","type":"section","prefixes":["A"],"prefix":"A","entire_prefix":"A","prefix_anchor":"A","level":1,"next_prefix":"B"},"1":{"id":228755,"text":"Voter approval is not required for a county (i) to contract debt or to issue bonds described in Article VII, Section 10(a)(1) and (3) of the Constitution of Virginia, (ii) to issue refunding bonds, or (iii) to issue bonds, with the consent of the school board and the governing body of the county, for capital projects for school purposes which are sold to the Literary Fund, the Virginia Retirement System, or other state agency prescribed by law.","type":"section","prefixes":["B"],"prefix":"B","entire_prefix":"B","prefix_anchor":"B","level":1,"prior_prefix":"A"}},"ancestry":[{"id":16019,"edition_id":1,"name":"Bond Issues by Counties","identifier":"4","label":"article","depth":4,"order_by":1,"parent_id":13707,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 04:04:05","date_modified":"2026-06-26 04:04:05","permalink":{"id":156103,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":16019,"identifier":"4","token":"15.2\/II\/26\/4","url":"\/15.2\/II\/26\/4\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":13707,"edition_id":1,"name":"Public Finance Act","identifier":"26","label":"chapter","depth":3,"order_by":1,"parent_id":12733,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:45:37","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:45:37","permalink":{"id":155943,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":13707,"identifier":"26","token":"15.2\/II\/26","url":"\/15.2\/II\/26\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":12733,"edition_id":1,"name":"Powers of Local Government","identifier":"II","label":"subtitle","depth":2,"order_by":1,"parent_id":12720,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:43:50","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:43:50","permalink":{"id":152369,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":12733,"identifier":"II","token":"15.2\/II","url":"\/15.2\/II\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":12720,"edition_id":1,"name":"Counties, Cities and Towns","identifier":"15.2","label":"title","depth":1,"order_by":1,"parent_id":null,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:43:49","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:43:49","permalink":{"id":151279,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":12720,"identifier":"15.2","token":"15.2","url":"\/15.2\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}}],"structure_contents":[{"id":62736,"structure_id":16019,"section_number":"15.2-2638","catch_line":"Powers of counties generally; approval of voters required","url":"\/15.2-2638\/","token":"15.2\/II\/26\/4\/15.2-2638","metadata":false},{"id":86368,"structure_id":16019,"section_number":"15.2-2639","catch_line":"County may elect to be treated as city for issuing bonds","url":"\/15.2-2639\/","token":"15.2\/II\/26\/4\/15.2-2639","metadata":false},{"id":68383,"structure_id":16019,"section_number":"15.2-2640","catch_line":"Resolution for bond issue; contents; request for bonds for school purposes","url":"\/15.2-2640\/","token":"15.2\/II\/26\/4\/15.2-2640","metadata":false},{"id":69899,"structure_id":16019,"section_number":"15.2-2641","catch_line":"Subsequent resolutions","url":"\/15.2-2641\/","token":"15.2\/II\/26\/4\/15.2-2641","metadata":false},{"id":69641,"structure_id":16019,"section_number":"15.2-2642","catch_line":"School district bonds","url":"\/15.2-2642\/","token":"15.2\/II\/26\/4\/15.2-2642","metadata":false}],"next_section":{"id":86368,"structure_id":16019,"section_number":"15.2-2639","catch_line":"County may elect to be treated as city for issuing bonds","url":"\/15.2-2639\/","token":"15.2\/II\/26\/4\/15.2-2639","metadata":false},"metadata":false,"official_url":"https:\/\/law.lis.virginia.gov\/vacode\/15.2-2638\/","history_text":"

The record of this law\u2019s original creation isn\u2019t available online. It has been modified 4 times. Those modifications are cataloged by \u201cThe Acts of Assembly,\u201d a state publication, by year and chapter. Those modifications that can be read on the General Assembly\u2019s website will be linked accordingly. Those modifications are as follows: in 1958, chapter 640; in 1962, chapter 623; in 1991, chapter 668; in 1997, chapter 587<\/a>.<\/p>","references":[{"id":83529,"section_number":"15.2-2604","catch_line":"Powers generally","order_by":null,"url":"\/15.2-2604\/"},{"id":57015,"section_number":"22.1-161","catch_line":"Loan declared indebtedness of the county, city or town; lien on locality's funds created","order_by":null,"url":"\/22.1-161\/"}],"refers_to":[{"id":59146,"section_number":"15.2-2610","catch_line":"Request for referendum filed with court; order for election; notice","order_by":null,"url":"\/15.2-2610\/"},{"id":73440,"section_number":"15.2-2611","catch_line":"Holding of election; order authorizing bonds; authority of governing body","order_by":null,"url":"\/15.2-2611\/"}],"permalink":{"id":156105,"object_type":"law","relational_id":62736,"identifier":"15.2-2638","token":"15.2\/II\/26\/4\/15.2-2638","url":"\/15.2-2638\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1},"url":"\/15.2-2638\/","token":"15.2\/II\/26\/4\/15.2-2638","dublin_core":{"Title":"Powers of counties generally; approval of voters required","Type":"Text","Format":"text\/html","Identifier":"\u00a7 15.2-2638","Relation":"Code of Virginia"},"html":"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

A.<\/span> Except as provided in subsection B of this section, no county<\/span> has the power to contract<\/span> any debt or to issue<\/span> its bonds<\/span><\/span> unless a majority of the voters<\/span> of the county<\/span> voting on the question at an election held in accordance with §§ 15.2-2610<\/a> and 15.2-2611<\/a> approve contracting the debt, borrowing the money and issuing the bonds<\/span><\/span>. <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

B.<\/span> Voter<\/span> approval is not required for a county<\/span> (i) to contract<\/span> debt or to issue<\/span> bonds<\/span><\/span> described in Article VII, Section 10(a)(1) and (3) of the Constitution of Virginia, (ii) to issue<\/span> refunding bonds<\/span><\/span>, or (iii) to issue<\/span> bonds<\/span><\/span>, with the consent of the school board and the governing body<\/span> of the county<\/span>, for capital projects<\/span> for school purposes which are sold to the Literary Fund, the Virginia Retirement System, or other state agency prescribed by law<\/span>. <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>","plain_text":" CODE OF VIRGINIA\n\nPOWERS OF COUNTIES GENERALLY; APPROVAL OF VOTERS REQUIRED (\u00a7 15.2-2638)\n\nA. Except as provided in subsection B of this section, no county has the power\nto contract any debt or to issue its bonds unless a majority of the voters of\nthe county voting on the question at an election held in accordance with\n§§ 15.2-2610 and 15.2-2611 approve contracting the debt, borrowing the\nmoney and issuing the bonds.\n\nB. Voter approval is not required for a county (i) to contract debt or to issue\nbonds described in Article VII, Section 10(a)(1) and (3) of the Constitution of\nVirginia, (ii) to issue refunding bonds, or (iii) to issue bonds, with the\nconsent of the school board and the governing body of the county, for capital\nprojects for school purposes which are sold to the Literary Fund, the Virginia\nRetirement System, or other state agency prescribed by law.\n\nHISTORY: Code 1950, \u00a7 15-666.28; 1958, c. 640; 1962, c. 623, \u00a7 15.1-185; 1971,\nEx. Sess., c. 224; 1991, c. 668, \u00a7 15.1-227.39; 1997, c. 587.","edition":{"id":1,"name":"2025","slug":"2025","date_created":"2026-06-21 22:39:22","date_modified":"2026-06-21 22:39:22","current":1,"order_by":1,"last_import":null}}