                                 CODE OF VIRGINIA

ORDINANCE PETITIONING COURT FOR TOWN STATUS; NOTICE OF MOTION (§ 15.2-4101)

A. Any city in this Commonwealth with a population at the time of the latest
United States decennial census of less than 50,000 people, after fulfilling the
requirements of Chapter 29 (&#xA7; 15.2-2900 et seq.), may by ordinance passed
by a recorded majority vote of all the members thereof, petition the circuit
court for the city, alleging that the city meets the criteria set out in &#xA7;
15.2-4106 for an order granting town status to the city. The circuit court with
which the petition is filed shall notify the Supreme Court, which shall appoint
a special court to hear the case as prescribed by Chapter 30 (&#xA7; 15.2-3000
et seq.) of this title.

B. Before instituting a proceeding under this chapter for a grant of town
status, a city shall serve notice on the county attorney, or if there is none,
on the attorney for the Commonwealth, and on the chairman of the board of
supervisors of the adjoining county that it will, on a given day, petition the
circuit court for a grant of town status. The notice served on each official
shall include a certified copy of the ordinance. A copy of the notice and
ordinance, or a descriptive summary of the notice and ordinance and a reference
to the place within the city or adjoining county where copies of the notice and
ordinance may be examined, shall be published at least once a week for four
successive weeks in some newspaper having general circulation in the city and
adjoining county. The notice and ordinance shall be returned after service to
the clerk of the circuit court. Certification by the owner, editor or manager of
the newspaper publishing the notice and ordinance shall be proof of publication.

HISTORY: 1988, c. 881, §§ 15.1-965.10, 15.1-965.11; 1997, c. 587.