15.2-202 - Public hearing in lieu of election; procedure when bill not introduced or fails to pass in General Assembly.
§ 15.2-202. Public hearing in lieu of election; procedure when bill notintroduced or fails to pass in General Assembly.
In lieu of the election provided for in § 15.2-201, a locality requesting theGeneral Assembly to grant to it a new charter or to amend its existingcharter may hold a public hearing with respect thereto, at which citizensshall have an opportunity to be heard to determine if the citizens of thelocality desire that the locality request the General Assembly to grant to ita new charter, or to amend its existing charter. At least ten days' notice ofthe time and place of such hearing and the text or an informative summary ofthe new charter or amendment desired shall be published in a newspaper ofgeneral circulation in the locality. Such public hearing may be adjournedfrom time to time, and upon the completion thereof, the locality may request,in the manner provided in § 15.2-201, the General Assembly to grant the newcharter or amend the existing charter and the provisions of § 15.2-201 shallbe applicable thereto.
If a bill incorporating such charter or amendments is not introduced at thesucceeding session of the General Assembly, the authority of the locality torequest such charter or amendments by reason of such public hearing shallthereafter be void. If at such session members of the General Assembly failto enact and do not carry over or pass by indefinitely a bill incorporatingsuch charter or amendments, the charter or amendments may again be submittedto a public hearing in lieu of an election as provided hereinabove beforereintroduction in the General Assembly.
The locality requesting a new or amended charter shall provide with suchrequest a publisher's affidavit showing that the public hearing wasadvertised and a certified copy of the governing body's minutes showing theaction taken at the advertised public hearing.
(Code 1950, § 15-65.3; 1958, c. 329; 1962, c. 623, § 15.1-835; 1979, c. 297;1985, c. 387; 1997, c. 587.)