CHAPTER 471
An Act to provide for a special election following the effective date of annexation for any town that was established by a transition from a city to town status.
Approved March 16, 2013
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:
1. § 1. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, there shall be a special election for members of council for any town that was created by the transition of a city to town status, effective July 1, 2013, and that incorporated territory into the town, effective July 1, 2013, as part of a voluntary settlement pursuant to § 15.2-3400 of the Code of Virginia. Such election shall be held on the Tuesday after the first Monday in November 2014. The election shall be held for the unexpired portion of the term of each council member whose term extends beyond December 31, 2014. However, no such special election shall be held as a result of such an annexation unless the town increases its population by more than five percent due to the annexation. By July 31, 2013, any such town shall complete a census of the inhabitants of the territory incorporated into the town as of July 1, 2013. Whether the town has increased its population by more than five percent shall be determined by dividing the total number of inhabitants residing within the annexed territory at the time of such census by the total inhabitants residing within the former city as shown by the 2010 United States decennial census.
§ 2. The special election required by § 15.2-3226 of the Code of Virginia and subsection 8 of § 15.2-3400 of the Code of Virginia shall not be applicable to any town that is subject to the requirements of this act.