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<law><site_title>Virginia Decoded</site_title><site_url>https://vacode.org</site_url><law_id>62736</law_id><section_number>15.2-2638</section_number><catch_line>Powers of counties generally; approval of voters required</catch_line><edition url="https://vacode.org/2025/" slug="2025" current="TRUE" last_updated="">2025</edition><referred_to_by><reference>15.2-2604</reference><reference>22.1-161</reference></referred_to_by><structure><unit label="title" level="1" order_by="1" identifier="15.2">Counties, Cities and Towns</unit><unit label="subtitle" level="2" order_by="1" identifier="II">Powers of Local Government</unit><unit label="chapter" level="3" order_by="1" identifier="26">Public Finance Act</unit><unit label="article" level="4" order_by="1" identifier="4">Bond Issues by Counties</unit></structure><text>
						<section id="A"><p><span class="prefix-number">A.</span> Except as provided in subsection B of this section, no <span class="dictionary">county</span> has the power to <span class="dictionary">contract</span> any debt or to <span class="dictionary">issue</span> its <span class="dictionary"><span class="dictionary">bonds</span></span> unless a majority of the <span class="dictionary">voters</span> of the <span class="dictionary">county</span> voting on the question at an election held in accordance with &#xA7;&#xA7; <a class="law" title="Request for referendum filed with court; order for election; notice" href="/15.2-2610/">15.2-2610</a> and <a class="law" title="Holding of election; order authorizing bonds; authority of governing body" href="/15.2-2611/">15.2-2611</a> approve contracting the debt, borrowing the money and issuing the <span class="dictionary"><span class="dictionary">bonds</span></span>. <a id="paragraph-228754" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/15.2-2638/#A"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="B"><p><span class="prefix-number">B.</span> <span class="dictionary">Voter</span> approval is not required for a <span class="dictionary">county</span> (i) to <span class="dictionary">contract</span> debt or to <span class="dictionary">issue</span> <span class="dictionary"><span class="dictionary">bonds</span></span> described in Article VII, Section 10(a)(1) and (3) of the Constitution of Virginia, (ii) to <span class="dictionary">issue</span> refunding <span class="dictionary"><span class="dictionary">bonds</span></span>, or (iii) to <span class="dictionary">issue</span> <span class="dictionary"><span class="dictionary">bonds</span></span>, with the consent of the school board and the <span class="dictionary">governing body</span> of the <span class="dictionary">county</span>, for capital <span class="dictionary">projects</span> for school purposes which are sold to the Literary Fund, the Virginia Retirement System, or other state agency prescribed by <span class="dictionary">law</span>. <a id="paragraph-228755" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/15.2-2638/#B"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section></text><history>Code 1950, &#xA7; 15-666.28; 1958, c. 640; 1962, c. 623, &#xA7; 15.1-185; 1971, Ex. Sess., c. 224; 1991, c. 668, &#xA7; 15.1-227.39; 1997, c. 587.</history><metadata></metadata></law>
