{"formats":[{"name":"JSON","format":"json","url":"\/downloads\/2026\/code-json\/15.2-3913.json"},{"name":"Plain Text","format":"text","url":"\/downloads\/2026\/code-text\/15.2-3913.txt"},{"name":"XML","format":"xml","url":"\/downloads\/2026\/code-xml\/15.2-3913.xml"},{"name":"HTML","format":"html","url":"\/downloads\/2026\/code-html\/15.2-3913.html"}],"law_id":348358,"edition_id":2,"section_id":348358,"structure_id":49960,"section_number":"15.2-3913","catch_line":"Public hearing on charter; notice and publication; adoption of charter by governing body","history":"1979, c. 85, \u00a7 15.1-977.14; 1997, c. 587; 2024, cc. 225, 242.","full_text":"Upon the completion of the proposed charter the governing body shall hold a public hearing at which the citizens shall have an opportunity to be heard with respect thereto. Notice of the time and place of such hearing and the text of the charter, or an informative summary thereof, shall be published twice in a newspaper of general circulation in the county, with the first notice appearing no more than 28 days before and the second notice appearing no less than seven days before the hearing. Such hearing may be adjourned from time to time, but shall be completed not less than thirty days before the election. Upon completion of the hearing the governing body shall adopt the charter with such revisions as it may accept.\n\n","order_by":null,"text":{"0":{"id":1298937,"text":"Upon the completion of the proposed charter the governing body shall hold a public hearing at which the citizens shall have an opportunity to be heard with respect thereto. Notice of the time and place of such hearing and the text of the charter, or an informative summary thereof, shall be published twice in a newspaper of general circulation in the county, with the first notice appearing no more than 28 days before and the second notice appearing no less than seven days before the hearing. Such hearing may be adjourned from time to time, but shall be completed not less than thirty days before the election. Upon completion of the hearing the governing body shall adopt the charter with such revisions as it may accept.","type":"section","prefixes":[""],"prefix":"","entire_prefix":"","prefix_anchor":"","level":1}},"ancestry":[{"id":49960,"edition_id":2,"name":"Transition of Counties to Cities","identifier":"39","label":"chapter","depth":3,"order_by":10,"parent_id":49941,"metadata":{"child_laws":20,"child_structures":0},"date_created":"2026-08-02 02:19:03","date_modified":"2026-08-02 12:29:48","permalink":{"id":1384701,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":49960,"identifier":"39","token":"15.2\/III\/39","url":"\/15.2\/III\/39\/","edition_id":2,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":49941,"edition_id":2,"name":"Boundary Adjustments and Changes of Status of Counties, Cities and Towns","identifier":"III","label":"subtitle","depth":2,"order_by":3,"parent_id":49831,"metadata":{"child_laws":234,"child_structures":20},"date_created":"2026-08-02 02:18:37","date_modified":"2026-08-02 12:29:43","permalink":{"id":1383921,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":49941,"identifier":"III","token":"15.2\/III","url":"\/15.2\/III\/","edition_id":2,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":49831,"edition_id":2,"name":"Counties, Cities and Towns","identifier":"15.2","label":"title","depth":1,"order_by":46,"parent_id":null,"metadata":{"child_laws":2297,"child_structures":225},"date_created":"2026-08-02 02:16:22","date_modified":"2026-08-02 12:29:22","permalink":{"id":1378281,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":49831,"identifier":"15.2","token":"15.2","url":"\/15.2\/","edition_id":2,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}}],"structure_contents":[{"id":348345,"structure_id":49960,"section_number":"15.2-3900","catch_line":"Transition authorized","url":"\/15.2-3900\/","token":"15.2\/III\/39\/15.2-3900","metadata":false},{"id":348346,"structure_id":49960,"section_number":"15.2-3901","catch_line":"Ordinance petitioning court to declare eligibility","url":"\/15.2-3901\/","token":"15.2\/III\/39\/15.2-3901","metadata":false},{"id":348347,"structure_id":49960,"section_number":"15.2-3902","catch_line":"Moratorium on annexation suits pending transition to city","url":"\/15.2-3902\/","token":"15.2\/III\/39\/15.2-3902","metadata":false},{"id":348348,"structure_id":49960,"section_number":"15.2-3903","catch_line":"Notice of motion; service and publication; answer","url":"\/15.2-3903\/","token":"15.2\/III\/39\/15.2-3903","metadata":false},{"id":348349,"structure_id":49960,"section_number":"15.2-3904","catch_line":"Parties","url":"\/15.2-3904\/","token":"15.2\/III\/39\/15.2-3904","metadata":false},{"id":348350,"structure_id":49960,"section_number":"15.2-3905","catch_line":"Time limit for intervenors; publication of order","url":"\/15.2-3905\/","token":"15.2\/III\/39\/15.2-3905","metadata":false},{"id":348351,"structure_id":49960,"section_number":"15.2-3906","catch_line":"Pretrial conference; matters considered","url":"\/15.2-3906\/","token":"15.2\/III\/39\/15.2-3906","metadata":false},{"id":348352,"structure_id":49960,"section_number":"15.2-3907","catch_line":"Hearing and decision by court","url":"\/15.2-3907\/","token":"15.2\/III\/39\/15.2-3907","metadata":false},{"id":348353,"structure_id":49960,"section_number":"15.2-3908","catch_line":"Assistance of state agencies","url":"\/15.2-3908\/","token":"15.2\/III\/39\/15.2-3908","metadata":false},{"id":348354,"structure_id":49960,"section_number":"15.2-3909","catch_line":"Appeals","url":"\/15.2-3909\/","token":"15.2\/III\/39\/15.2-3909","metadata":false},{"id":348355,"structure_id":49960,"section_number":"15.2-3910","catch_line":"Charter commission; appointment; compensation","url":"\/15.2-3910\/","token":"15.2\/III\/39\/15.2-3910","metadata":false},{"id":348356,"structure_id":49960,"section_number":"15.2-3911","catch_line":"Charter provisions generally","url":"\/15.2-3911\/","token":"15.2\/III\/39\/15.2-3911","metadata":false},{"id":348357,"structure_id":49960,"section_number":"15.2-3912","catch_line":"Optional charter provisions","url":"\/15.2-3912\/","token":"15.2\/III\/39\/15.2-3912","metadata":false},{"id":348358,"structure_id":49960,"section_number":"15.2-3913","catch_line":"Public hearing on charter; notice and publication; adoption of charter by governing body","url":"\/15.2-3913\/","token":"15.2\/III\/39\/15.2-3913","metadata":false},{"id":348359,"structure_id":49960,"section_number":"15.2-3914","catch_line":"Rejection or adoption of charter at election","url":"\/15.2-3914\/","token":"15.2\/III\/39\/15.2-3914","metadata":false},{"id":348360,"structure_id":49960,"section_number":"15.2-3915","catch_line":"Transition of county to independent city requires no action of town council","url":"\/15.2-3915\/","token":"15.2\/III\/39\/15.2-3915","metadata":false},{"id":348361,"structure_id":49960,"section_number":"15.2-3916","catch_line":"Creation of townships; effect on town charters; right of certain townships to obtain city status","url":"\/15.2-3916\/","token":"15.2\/III\/39\/15.2-3916","metadata":false},{"id":348362,"structure_id":49960,"section_number":"15.2-3917","catch_line":"Certain cities not affected by chapter","url":"\/15.2-3917\/","token":"15.2\/III\/39\/15.2-3917","metadata":false},{"id":348363,"structure_id":49960,"section_number":"15.2-3918","catch_line":"Optional status of streets","url":"\/15.2-3918\/","token":"15.2\/III\/39\/15.2-3918","metadata":false},{"id":348364,"structure_id":49960,"section_number":"15.2-3919","catch_line":"Legislative, etc., district and judicial circuit not affected","url":"\/15.2-3919\/","token":"15.2\/III\/39\/15.2-3919","metadata":false}],"previous_section":{"id":348357,"structure_id":49960,"section_number":"15.2-3912","catch_line":"Optional charter provisions","url":"\/15.2-3912\/","token":"15.2\/III\/39\/15.2-3912","metadata":false},"next_section":{"id":348359,"structure_id":49960,"section_number":"15.2-3914","catch_line":"Rejection or adoption of charter at election","url":"\/15.2-3914\/","token":"15.2\/III\/39\/15.2-3914","metadata":false},"metadata":false,"official_url":"https:\/\/law.lis.virginia.gov\/vacode\/15.2-3913\/","history_text":"

This law was first created in 1979. The record of its establishment is cataloged in chapter 85 of that year\u2019s edition of \u201cActs of Assembly,\u201d the annual state publication listing all changes made to the Code of Virginia in that year. Unfortunately, the 1979 \u201cActs\u201d aren\u2019t available online. It has been modified 2 times. Those modifications are cataloged by \u201cThe Acts of Assembly,\u201d a state publication, by year and chapter. Those modifications that can be read on the General Assembly\u2019s website will be linked accordingly. Those modifications are as follows: in 1997, chapter 587<\/a>; in 2024, chapters 225<\/a> and 242<\/a>.<\/p>","references":false,"refers_to":false,"permalink":{"id":1384755,"object_type":"law","relational_id":348358,"identifier":"15.2-3913","token":"15.2\/III\/39\/15.2-3913","url":"\/15.2-3913\/","edition_id":2,"permalink":0,"preferred":1},"url":"\/15.2-3913\/","token":"15.2\/III\/39\/15.2-3913","dublin_core":{"Title":"Public hearing on charter; notice and publication; adoption of charter by governing body","Type":"Text","Format":"text\/html","Identifier":"\u00a7 15.2-3913","Relation":"Code of Virginia"},"html":"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

Upon the completion of the proposed charter the governing body<\/span> shall hold a public hearing<\/span> at which the citizens shall have an opportunity to be heard with respect thereto. Notice of the time and place of such hearing<\/span> and the text of the charter, or an informative summary thereof, shall be published twice in a newspaper of general circulation in the county<\/span>, with the first notice appearing no more than 28 days before and the second notice appearing no less than seven days before the hearing<\/span>. Such hearing<\/span> may be adjourned from time to time, but shall be completed not less than thirty days before the election. Upon completion of the hearing<\/span> the governing body<\/span> shall adopt the charter with such revisions as it may accept.<\/p><\/section>","plain_text":" CODE OF VIRGINIA\n\nPUBLIC HEARING ON CHARTER; NOTICE AND PUBLICATION; ADOPTION OF CHARTER BY\nGOVERNING BODY (\u00a7 15.2-3913)\n\nUpon the completion of the proposed charter the governing body shall hold a\npublic hearing at which the citizens shall have an opportunity to be heard with\nrespect thereto. Notice of the time and place of such hearing and the text of\nthe charter, or an informative summary thereof, shall be published twice in a\nnewspaper of general circulation in the county, with the first notice appearing\nno more than 28 days before and the second notice appearing no less than seven\ndays before the hearing. Such hearing may be adjourned from time to time, but\nshall be completed not less than thirty days before the election. Upon\ncompletion of the hearing the governing body shall adopt the charter with such\nrevisions as it may accept.\n\nHISTORY: 1979, c. 85, \u00a7 15.1-977.14; 1997, c. 587; 2024, cc. 225, 242.","edition":{"id":2,"name":"2026","slug":"2026","date_created":"2026-07-16 18:40:23","date_modified":"2026-08-02 15:14:36","current":1,"order_by":2,"last_import":"2026-08-02 12:37:30"}}