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1995 SESSION


CHAPTER 697
An Act to amend and reenact §§ 3.01 and 3.02:1, as severally amended, of Chapter 147 of the Acts of Assembly of 1962, which provided a charter for the City of Virginia Beach, and to amend Chapter 147 by adding a section numbered 3.01:1, relating to election of the mayor and members of council.
[H 1593]
Approved March 27, 1995

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:

1. That §§ 3.01 and 3.02:1, as severally amended, of Chapter 147 of the Acts of Assembly of 1962 are amended and reenacted and that Chapter 147 is amended by adding a section numbered 3.01:1 as follows:

§ 3.01. Division of city into districts.

A. The city shall be divided into seven boroughs. One of such boroughs shall comprise the City of Virginia Beach as existing immediately preceding the effective date of this charter and shall be known as the borough of Virginia Beach, and the remaining six boroughs shall comprise the six magisterial districts of Princess Anne County as existing immediately preceding the effective date of this charter and shall be known as the boroughs of Bayside, Blackwater, Kempsville, Lynnhaven, Princess Anne (formerly known as Seaboard) and Pungo residence districts of approximately equal population which shall be numbered one through seven. The council shall consist of eleven members, including the mayor, one member to be elected by the city at large from the residents of each of the seven boroughs districts and three members and the mayor to be elected by and from the city at large.

B. The boundaries and names of such districts shall be established by ordinance on or before March 1, 1996, and thereafter the boundaries shall be adjusted periodically as may be necessary to ensure that the populations of the districts remain approximately equal.

C. The city council shall, no later than January 1, 1996, petition the circuit court to order an advisory referendum to be held on the question of whether the council member elected from each district shall be elected by the qualified voters of that district rather than at large. The wording of the question shall be determined by majority vote of the city council and shall be included in the petition. Upon the filing of the petition, the circuit court shall order that an advisory referendum be held on the question in the city at the municipal elections to be held in May 1996.

§ 3.01:1. Implementation of districts.

A. At the May 1996 general election, three members shall be elected by the city at large from the residents of the Blackwater, Princess Anne, and Virginia Beach boroughs as such boroughs existed on January 1, 1995. The terms of the members so elected shall expire on July 1, 1998. The terms of the mayor and councilmember elected by and from the city at large in May of 1996 shall expire on July 1, 2000.

B. At the general election in May of 1998, the members elected at large from districts numbered one through three shall be elected for terms of two years and the members elected at large from districts numbered four through seven shall be elected for terms of four years. The terms of the two councilmembers elected by and from the city at large in May of 1998 shall expire on July 1, 2002. Thereafter, all members shall be elected for terms of four years.

§ 3.02:1. Election of councilmembers.

There shall be a general election on the first Tuesday in May in even-numbered years for the election of councilmen councilmembers to replace those whose terms expire at the end of June of that year. The term of office for each councilman councilmember shall commence on July 1 next following the date of election and shall continue until his successor has been duly elected and qualified. All councilmen and the mayor shall be elected for terms of four years. Each candidate shall state, at the time of filing, whether he is running at-large, from the borough district of his residence or for mayor. Candidates for council shall be nominated only by petition in the manner prescribed by general law.