15.2-201 - Charter elections; subsequent procedure; procedure when bill not introduced or fails to pass in General Assembly. - Virginia Statutes

§ 15.2-201. Charter elections; subsequent procedure; procedure when bill notintroduced or fails to pass in General Assembly.

A locality may provide for holding an election to be conducted as provided in§ 24.2-681 et seq. of Title 24.2 to determine if the voters of the localitydesire that it request the General Assembly to grant to the locality a newcharter or to amend its existing charter. At least ten days prior to theholding of such election, the text or an informative summary of the newcharter or amendment desired shall be published in a newspaper of generalcirculation in the locality.

If a majority of the voters voting in such election vote in favor of suchrequest, the locality shall transmit two certified copies of the results ofsuch election together with the publisher's affidavit and the new charter orthe amendments to the existing charter, to one or more members of the GeneralAssembly representing such locality for introduction as a bill in thesucceeding session of the General Assembly.

If a bill incorporating such charter or amendments is not introduced at thesucceeding session of the General Assembly, the approval of the voters forsuch charter or amendments shall be void. If, at such session, members of theGeneral Assembly fail to enact or pass by indefinitely and do not carry oversuch a bill incorporating such charter or amendments, the charter oramendments shall again be presented to the voters for their approval orsubmitted to a public hearing pursuant to § 15.2-202 before reintroduction inthe General Assembly.

(Code 1950, § 15-65.2; 1958, c. 329; 1962, cc. 1, 623, § 15.1-834; 1979, c.297; 1985, c. 387; 1997, c. 587.)