{"formats":[{"name":"JSON","format":"json","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-json\/15.2-3915.json"},{"name":"Plain Text","format":"text","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-text\/15.2-3915.txt"},{"name":"XML","format":"xml","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-xml\/15.2-3915.xml"},{"name":"HTML","format":"html","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-html\/15.2-3915.html"}],"law_id":84387,"edition_id":1,"section_id":84387,"structure_id":13977,"section_number":"15.2-3915","catch_line":"Transition of county to independent city requires no action of town council","history":"1979, c. 85, \u00a7 15.1-977.16; 1997, c. 587.","full_text":"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 of the transition of the county to a city.","order_by":null,"text":{"0":{"id":302427,"text":"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 of the transition of the county to a city.","type":"section","prefixes":[""],"prefix":"","entire_prefix":"","prefix_anchor":"","level":1}},"ancestry":[{"id":13977,"edition_id":1,"name":"Transition of Counties to Cities","identifier":"39","label":"chapter","depth":3,"order_by":1,"parent_id":13062,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:46:29","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:46:29","permalink":{"id":157699,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":13977,"identifier":"39","token":"15.2\/III\/39","url":"\/15.2\/III\/39\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":13062,"edition_id":1,"name":"Boundary Adjustments and Changes of Status of Counties, Cities and Towns","identifier":"III","label":"subtitle","depth":2,"order_by":1,"parent_id":12720,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:44:12","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:44:12","permalink":{"id":156919,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":13062,"identifier":"III","token":"15.2\/III","url":"\/15.2\/III\/","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":78407,"structure_id":13977,"section_number":"15.2-3900","catch_line":"Transition authorized","url":"\/15.2-3900\/","token":"15.2\/III\/39\/15.2-3900","metadata":false},{"id":76616,"structure_id":13977,"section_number":"15.2-3901","catch_line":"Ordinance petitioning court to declare eligibility","url":"\/15.2-3901\/","token":"15.2\/III\/39\/15.2-3901","metadata":false},{"id":61945,"structure_id":13977,"section_number":"15.2-3902","catch_line":"Moratorium on annexation suits pending transition to city","url":"\/15.2-3902\/","token":"15.2\/III\/39\/15.2-3902","metadata":false},{"id":80983,"structure_id":13977,"section_number":"15.2-3903","catch_line":"Notice of motion; service and publication; answer","url":"\/15.2-3903\/","token":"15.2\/III\/39\/15.2-3903","metadata":false},{"id":70128,"structure_id":13977,"section_number":"15.2-3904","catch_line":"Parties","url":"\/15.2-3904\/","token":"15.2\/III\/39\/15.2-3904","metadata":false},{"id":78965,"structure_id":13977,"section_number":"15.2-3905","catch_line":"Time limit for intervenors; publication of order","url":"\/15.2-3905\/","token":"15.2\/III\/39\/15.2-3905","metadata":false},{"id":55673,"structure_id":13977,"section_number":"15.2-3906","catch_line":"Pretrial conference; matters considered","url":"\/15.2-3906\/","token":"15.2\/III\/39\/15.2-3906","metadata":false},{"id":61723,"structure_id":13977,"section_number":"15.2-3907","catch_line":"Hearing and decision by court","url":"\/15.2-3907\/","token":"15.2\/III\/39\/15.2-3907","metadata":false},{"id":72364,"structure_id":13977,"section_number":"15.2-3908","catch_line":"Assistance of state agencies","url":"\/15.2-3908\/","token":"15.2\/III\/39\/15.2-3908","metadata":false},{"id":55978,"structure_id":13977,"section_number":"15.2-3909","catch_line":"Appeals","url":"\/15.2-3909\/","token":"15.2\/III\/39\/15.2-3909","metadata":false},{"id":62362,"structure_id":13977,"section_number":"15.2-3910","catch_line":"Charter commission; appointment; compensation","url":"\/15.2-3910\/","token":"15.2\/III\/39\/15.2-3910","metadata":false},{"id":76353,"structure_id":13977,"section_number":"15.2-3911","catch_line":"Charter provisions generally","url":"\/15.2-3911\/","token":"15.2\/III\/39\/15.2-3911","metadata":false},{"id":67433,"structure_id":13977,"section_number":"15.2-3912","catch_line":"Optional charter provisions","url":"\/15.2-3912\/","token":"15.2\/III\/39\/15.2-3912","metadata":false},{"id":79171,"structure_id":13977,"section_number":"15.2-3913","catch_line":"Public hearing on charter; notice and publication; adoption of charter by governing body","url":"\/15.2-3913\/","token":"15.2\/III\/39\/15.2-3913","metadata":false},{"id":61609,"structure_id":13977,"section_number":"15.2-3914","catch_line":"Rejection or adoption of charter at election","url":"\/15.2-3914\/","token":"15.2\/III\/39\/15.2-3914","metadata":false},{"id":84387,"structure_id":13977,"section_number":"15.2-3915","catch_line":"Transition of county to independent city requires no action of town council","url":"\/15.2-3915\/","token":"15.2\/III\/39\/15.2-3915","metadata":false},{"id":63924,"structure_id":13977,"section_number":"15.2-3916","catch_line":"Creation of townships; effect on town charters; right of certain townships to obtain city status","url":"\/15.2-3916\/","token":"15.2\/III\/39\/15.2-3916","metadata":false},{"id":55047,"structure_id":13977,"section_number":"15.2-3917","catch_line":"Certain cities not affected by chapter","url":"\/15.2-3917\/","token":"15.2\/III\/39\/15.2-3917","metadata":false},{"id":79729,"structure_id":13977,"section_number":"15.2-3918","catch_line":"Optional status of streets","url":"\/15.2-3918\/","token":"15.2\/III\/39\/15.2-3918","metadata":false},{"id":78203,"structure_id":13977,"section_number":"15.2-3919","catch_line":"Legislative, etc., district and judicial circuit not affected","url":"\/15.2-3919\/","token":"15.2\/III\/39\/15.2-3919","metadata":false}],"previous_section":{"id":61609,"structure_id":13977,"section_number":"15.2-3914","catch_line":"Rejection or adoption of charter at election","url":"\/15.2-3914\/","token":"15.2\/III\/39\/15.2-3914","metadata":false},"next_section":{"id":63924,"structure_id":13977,"section_number":"15.2-3916","catch_line":"Creation of townships; effect on town charters; right of certain townships to obtain city status","url":"\/15.2-3916\/","token":"15.2\/III\/39\/15.2-3916","metadata":false},"metadata":false,"official_url":"https:\/\/law.lis.virginia.gov\/vacode\/15.2-3915\/","history_text":"<p>This law was first created in 1979. The record of its establishment is cataloged in chapter 85 of that year\u2019s edition of \u201cActs of Assembly,\u201d the annual state publication listing all changes made to the Code of Virginia in that year. Unfortunately, the 1979 \u201cActs\u201d aren\u2019t available online. It has been modified 1 time. 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. That modification is as follows: in 1997, chapter <a href=\"https:\/\/legacylis.virginia.gov\/cgi-bin\/legp604.exe?971+ful+CHAP0587\">587<\/a>.<\/p>","references":false,"refers_to":false,"permalink":{"id":157761,"object_type":"law","relational_id":84387,"identifier":"15.2-3915","token":"15.2\/III\/39\/15.2-3915","url":"\/15.2-3915\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1},"url":"\/15.2-3915\/","token":"15.2\/III\/39\/15.2-3915","dublin_core":{"Title":"Transition of county to independent city requires no action of town council","Type":"Text","Format":"text\/html","Identifier":"\u00a7 15.2-3915","Relation":"Code of Virginia"},"html":"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<section><p>A <span class=\"dictionary\">county<\/span> may become an independent <span class=\"dictionary\">city<\/span> in accordance with the foregoing provisions of this chapter without the necessity of any action being taken by the <span class=\"dictionary\">council<\/span> of any <span class=\"dictionary\">town<\/span> situated in such <span class=\"dictionary\">county<\/span> and without the necessity of separate referenda in any such <span class=\"dictionary\">town<\/span> on the question of the transition of the <span class=\"dictionary\">county<\/span> to a <span class=\"dictionary\">city<\/span>.<\/p><\/section>","plain_text":"                                 CODE OF VIRGINIA\n\nTRANSITION OF COUNTY TO INDEPENDENT CITY REQUIRES NO ACTION OF TOWN COUNCIL (\u00a7\n15.2-3915)\n\nA county may become an independent city in accordance with the foregoing\nprovisions of this chapter without the necessity of any action being taken by\nthe council of any town situated in such county and without the necessity of\nseparate referenda in any such town on the question of the transition of the\ncounty to a city.\n\nHISTORY: 1979, c. 85, \u00a7 15.1-977.16; 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}}