{"formats":[{"name":"JSON","format":"json","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-json\/15.2-4005.json"},{"name":"Plain Text","format":"text","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-text\/15.2-4005.txt"},{"name":"XML","format":"xml","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-xml\/15.2-4005.xml"},{"name":"HTML","format":"html","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-html\/15.2-4005.html"}],"law_id":66880,"edition_id":1,"section_id":66880,"structure_id":15383,"section_number":"15.2-4005","catch_line":"Effect when city becomes town; officers","history":"1997, c. 587.","full_text":"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shall become the ordinances of the town, insofar as they are applicable and consistent with law, until they are repealed, and the existence of such city as an independent city of the Commonwealth shall terminate, as shall the terms of office and the rights, powers, duties and compensation of its constitutional officers and their deputies and employees. All officers, agents and employees of the city, including the mayor and the members of city council, shall continue to serve as the officers, agents and employees of the town, until they are terminated as provided by law, or in the case of the mayor and members of council, until their successors are elected or appointed. The court shall order an election to be held pursuant to \u00a7 24.2-682 not less than thirty nor more than 180 days after the date of the court order granting town status, but at least thirty days before the effective date of the transition from city to town status, at which election the town council and other elected officers of the town shall be selected. The terms of such officers shall commence on the day the transition from city to town status becomes effective and shall continue, unless otherwise removed, until their successors have been elected and assume office. The successors or all such officers whose first election is herein provided for shall thereafter be elected at the time, in the manner and for the terms provided by general law.","order_by":null,"text":{"0":{"id":242518,"text":"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shall become the ordinances of the town, insofar as they are applicable and consistent with law, until they are repealed, and the existence of such city as an independent city of the Commonwealth shall terminate, as shall the terms of office and the rights, powers, duties and compensation of its constitutional officers and their deputies and employees. All officers, agents and employees of the city, including the mayor and the members of city council, shall continue to serve as the officers, agents and employees of the town, until they are terminated as provided by law, or in the case of the mayor and members of council, until their successors are elected or appointed. The court shall order an election to be held pursuant to \u00a7 24.2-682 not less than thirty nor more than 180 days after the date of the court order granting town status, but at least thirty days before the effective date of the transition from city to town status, at which election the town council and other elected officers of the town shall be selected. The terms of such officers shall commence on the day the transition from city to town status becomes effective and shall continue, unless otherwise removed, until their successors have been elected and assume office. The successors or all such officers whose first election is herein provided for shall thereafter be elected at the time, in the manner and for the terms provided by general law.","type":"section","prefixes":[""],"prefix":"","entire_prefix":"","prefix_anchor":"","level":1}},"ancestry":[{"id":15383,"edition_id":1,"name":"Judicial Determination of City Status","identifier":"40","label":"chapter","depth":3,"order_by":1,"parent_id":13062,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:54:28","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:54:28","permalink":{"id":157781,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":15383,"identifier":"40","token":"15.2\/III\/40","url":"\/15.2\/III\/40\/","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":75370,"structure_id":15383,"section_number":"15.2-4000","catch_line":"Enjoyment of city status until requirements of chapter fulfilled","url":"\/15.2-4000\/","token":"15.2\/III\/40\/15.2-4000","metadata":false},{"id":64203,"structure_id":15383,"section_number":"15.2-4001","catch_line":"Investigation by Commission on Local Government; certification of findings to governing body","url":"\/15.2-4001\/","token":"15.2\/III\/40\/15.2-4001","metadata":false},{"id":83592,"structure_id":15383,"section_number":"15.2-4002","catch_line":"Report from Commission to be certified to circuit court; appointment of special court","url":"\/15.2-4002\/","token":"15.2\/III\/40\/15.2-4002","metadata":false},{"id":58569,"structure_id":15383,"section_number":"15.2-4003","catch_line":"Investigation by special court; public hearing","url":"\/15.2-4003\/","token":"15.2\/III\/40\/15.2-4003","metadata":false},{"id":78572,"structure_id":15383,"section_number":"15.2-4004","catch_line":"Determination of city status","url":"\/15.2-4004\/","token":"15.2\/III\/40\/15.2-4004","metadata":false},{"id":66880,"structure_id":15383,"section_number":"15.2-4005","catch_line":"Effect when city becomes town; officers","url":"\/15.2-4005\/","token":"15.2\/III\/40\/15.2-4005","metadata":false}],"previous_section":{"id":78572,"structure_id":15383,"section_number":"15.2-4004","catch_line":"Determination of city status","url":"\/15.2-4004\/","token":"15.2\/III\/40\/15.2-4004","metadata":false},"metadata":false,"official_url":"https:\/\/law.lis.virginia.gov\/vacode\/15.2-4005\/","history_text":"

This law was first created in 1997. The record of its establishment is cataloged in chapter 587<\/a> 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.<\/p>","references":false,"refers_to":[{"id":77612,"section_number":"24.2-682","catch_line":"Times for special elections","order_by":null,"url":"\/24.2-682\/"}],"permalink":{"id":157803,"object_type":"law","relational_id":66880,"identifier":"15.2-4005","token":"15.2\/III\/40\/15.2-4005","url":"\/15.2-4005\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1},"url":"\/15.2-4005\/","token":"15.2\/III\/40\/15.2-4005","dublin_core":{"Title":"Effect when city becomes town; officers","Type":"Text","Format":"text\/html","Identifier":"\u00a7 15.2-4005","Relation":"Code of Virginia"},"html":"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

When a city<\/span> becomes a town<\/span> under the provisions of this chapter, its ordinances<\/span> shall become the ordinances<\/span> of the town<\/span>, insofar as they are applicable and consistent with law<\/span>, until they are repealed, and the existence of such city<\/span> as an independent city<\/span> of the Commonwealth shall terminate, as shall the terms of office and the rights, powers, duties and compensation of its constitutional officers<\/span> and their deputies and employees. All officers, agents and employees of the city<\/span>, including the mayor and the members of city<\/span> council<\/span>, shall continue to serve as the officers, agents and employees of the town<\/span>, until they are terminated as provided by law<\/span>, or in the case of the mayor and members of council<\/span>, until their successors are elected or appointed. The court shall order an election to be held pursuant to \u00a7 24.2-682<\/a> not less than thirty nor more than 180 days after the date of the court order<\/span> granting town<\/span> status, but at least thirty days before the effective date of the transition from city<\/span> to town<\/span> status, at which election the town<\/span> council<\/span> and other elected officers of the town<\/span> shall be selected. The terms of such officers shall commence on the day the transition from city<\/span> to town<\/span> status becomes effective and shall continue, unless otherwise removed, until their successors have been elected and assume office. The successors or all such officers whose first election is herein provided for shall thereafter be elected at the time, in the manner and for the terms provided by general law<\/span>.<\/p><\/section>","plain_text":" CODE OF VIRGINIA\n\nEFFECT WHEN CITY BECOMES TOWN; OFFICERS (\u00a7 15.2-4005)\n\nWhen a city becomes a town under the provisions of this chapter, its ordinances\nshall become the ordinances of the town, insofar as they are applicable and\nconsistent with law, until they are repealed, and the existence of such city as\nan independent city of the Commonwealth shall terminate, as shall the terms of\noffice and the rights, powers, duties and compensation of its constitutional\nofficers and their deputies and employees. All officers, agents and employees of\nthe city, including the mayor and the members of city council, shall continue to\nserve as the officers, agents and employees of the town, until they are\nterminated as provided by law, or in the case of the mayor and members of\ncouncil, until their successors are elected or appointed. The court shall order\nan election to be held pursuant to \u00a7 24.2-682 not less than thirty nor more\nthan 180 days after the date of the court order granting town status, but at\nleast thirty days before the effective date of the transition from city to town\nstatus, at which election the town council and other elected officers of the\ntown shall be selected. The terms of such officers shall commence on the day the\ntransition from city to town status becomes effective and shall continue, unless\notherwise removed, until their successors have been elected and assume office.\nThe successors or all such officers whose first election is herein provided for\nshall thereafter be elected at the time, in the manner and for the terms\nprovided by general law.\n\nHISTORY: 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}}