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1997 SESSION


VIRGINIA ACTS OF ASSEMBLY -- CHAPTER
SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 26
Proposing an amendment to Section 2 of Article VII of the Constitution of Virginia, relating to the organization and government of localities.

Agreed to by the Senate, February 22, 1997
Agreed to by the House of Delegates, February 21, 1997

RESOLVED by the Senate, the House of Delegates concurring, a majority of the members elected to each house agreeing, That the following amendment to the Constitution of Virginia be, and the same hereby is, proposed and referred to the General Assembly at its first regular session held after the next general election of members of the House of Delegates for its concurrence in conformity with the provisions of Section 1 of Article XII of the Constitution of Virginia, namely:

Amend Section 2 of Article VII of the Constitution of Virginia as follows:

ARTICLE VII
LOCAL GOVERNMENT
Section 2. Organization and government.

The General Assembly shall provide by general law for the organization, government, powers, change of boundaries, consolidation, and dissolution of counties, cities, towns, and regional governments. The General Assembly may also provide by general law optional plans of government for counties, cities, or towns to be effective if approved by a majority vote of the qualified voters voting on any such plan in any such county, city, or town.

The General Assembly may also provide by special act for the organization, government, and powers of any county, city, town, or regional government, including such powers of legislation, taxation, and assessment as the General Assembly may determine, but no such special act shall be adopted which provides for the extension or contraction of boundaries of any county, city, or town.

Every law providing for the organization of a regional government shall, in addition to any other requirements imposed by the General Assembly, require the approval of the organization of the regional government by a majority vote of the qualified voters voting thereon in each county and city which is to participate in the regional government and of the voters voting thereon in a part of a county or city where only the part is to participate.

The General Assembly may provide by general law or special act for agreements between or among two or more counties, cities, or towns, or any combination thereof, to share the revenues and costs associated with the development and management of a particular land area to be designated in the agreement. The law shall provide for the establishment of a special governing body for the area to be comprised of members selected by the governing bodies of the participating localities. The law shall provide for the number of members of the special governing body and their terms and compensation and for the powers of the special governing body which may include one or more of the powers of county or city governing bodies and which shall pertain to the land area designated in the agreement. The powers provided to the special governing body may include any power granted to any of the participating localities pursuant to general law or special act. The law may provide for the adoption of the agreement upon the approval of the governing bodies of the participating localities. Fiscal commitments to finance the development and maintenance of areas under the jurisdiction of a special governing body and to share revenues derived from such areas shall not be considered debt, as defined in Section 10 of this article, of any participating locality.