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<law><site_title>Virginia Decoded</site_title><site_url>https://vacode.org</site_url><law_id>83592</law_id><section_number>15.2-4002</section_number><catch_line>Report from Commission to be certified to circuit court; appointment of special court</catch_line><edition url="https://vacode.org/2025/" slug="2025" current="TRUE" last_updated="">2025</edition><referred_to_by><reference>15.2-4003</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="III">Boundary Adjustments and Changes of Status of Counties, Cities and Towns</unit><unit label="chapter" level="3" order_by="1" identifier="40">Judicial Determination of City Status</unit></structure><text>
						<section><p>When the <span class="dictionary">governing body</span> of any <span class="dictionary">city</span> receives a report compiled pursuant to &#xA7;&#xA0;<a class="law" title="Investigation by Commission on Local Government; certification of findings to governing body" href="/15.2-4001/">15.2-4001</a> from the Commission on <span class="dictionary">Local Government</span> concluding that the <span class="dictionary">city</span> does not meet the requirements for <span class="dictionary">city</span> status under Article VII, Section 1 of the Constitution of Virginia, it shall <span class="dictionary">petition</span> the <span class="dictionary">circuit</span> <span class="dictionary">court</span> for the <span class="dictionary">city</span> for a determination of <span class="dictionary">city</span> status. All adjoining counties shall be given notice of the <span class="dictionary">petition</span>.
		The <span class="dictionary">circuit</span> <span class="dictionary">court</span> with which the <span class="dictionary">petition</span> is filed shall notify the Supreme <span class="dictionary">Court</span>, which shall appoint a special <span class="dictionary">court</span> to hear the case as prescribed by Chapter 30 (&#xA7;&#xA0;<a class="law" title="Special court to hear certain cases" href="/15.2-3000/">15.2-3000</a> et seq.) of this title.</p></section></text><history>1971, Ex. Sess., c. 140, &#xA7; 15.1-965.3; 1997, c. 587.</history><metadata></metadata></law>
