Virginia Code 15.2-2604: Powers generally.
Subject to the provisions of Articles 3 (§ 15.2-2632 et seq.) and 4 (§ 15.2-2638 et seq.) of this chapter, any locality may:
Terms Used In Virginia Code 15.2-2604
- Contract: A legal written agreement that becomes binding when signed.
- Damages: Money paid by defendants to successful plaintiffs in civil cases to compensate the plaintiffs for their injuries.
- Gift: A voluntary transfer or conveyance of property without consideration, or for less than full and adequate consideration based on fair market value.
- governing body: includes both or all of them. See Virginia Code 15.2-2602
- Jurisdiction: (1) The legal authority of a court to hear and decide a case. Concurrent jurisdiction exists when two courts have simultaneous responsibility for the same case. (2) The geographic area over which the court has authority to decide cases.
- Locality: means a county, city, or town as the context may require. See Virginia Code 1-221
- Personal property: All property that is not real property.
- Project: means any public improvement, property or undertaking for which the locality is authorized by law to appropriate money, except for current expenses, and specific undertakings from which the locality may derive revenues (sometimes called "revenue-producing undertakings") including, without limitation, water, sewer, sewage disposal, and garbage and refuse collection and disposal systems and facilities as defined in § Virginia Code 15.2-2602
- State: when applied to a part of the United States, includes any of the 50 states, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, and the United States Virgin Islands. See Virginia Code 1-245
- state agency: means the same as that term is defined in § Virginia Code 1-206
1. Acquire, construct, reconstruct, improve, extend, enlarge, equip, maintain, repair and operate any project which is located within or outside the locality;
2. Contract debts for any project, borrow money for any project, and issue its bonds to pay all or any part of the cost of acquiring, constructing, reconstructing, improving, extending, enlarging and equipping any project;
3. Refund any bonds previously issued by the locality or for which the locality is responsible or may assume responsibility for payment;
4. Provide for the rights of the owners of bonds issued by the locality;
5. Secure bonds issued by the locality as permitted by law;
6. Issue bonds to create any self-insurance reserve fund;
7. Issue bonds to pay all or any part of the cost of satisfying a final judgment imposed against the locality (including its local school board) by a court of competent jurisdiction;
8. Acquire in the name of the locality, by purchase, gift or the exercise of the power of eminent domain, land and rights and interests in land, including land under water and riparian rights, and acquire personal property as the governing body of the locality may deem necessary in connection with any project;
9. Enter on any land, water or premises located within or outside the locality for the purpose of making surveys, borings, soundings or examinations in connection with any project; any such entry shall not be deemed a trespass or an entry under any eminent domain proceedings, but the locality shall make reimbursement for any actual damages resulting from the entry;
10. Receive and accept from any federal or state agency grants for or in aid of the construction of any project, and receive and accept aid or contributions from any source of money, property, labor or other things of value, to be held, used and applied for the purposes for which the aid or contributions may be made; and comply with any conditions not inconsistent with the Constitution of Virginia or provision of law imposed by any federal or state agency as a prerequisite to obtaining any grant, including, but not limited to, the execution of any required contracts or arrangements;
11. Employ consulting engineers, attorneys, accountants, construction and financial experts, superintendents, managers, and other employees and agents as may be necessary;
12. Acquire, hold and dispose of real and personal property in the exercise of its powers and the performance of its duties under this chapter;
13. Enter into all contracts and agreements necessary or incidental to the performance of its duties and the execution of its powers under this chapter;
14. Do all things necessary or convenient to carry out the powers expressly given in this chapter and to carry out any project;
15. Assess, levy and collect unlimited ad valorem taxes on all property subject to taxation to pay the principal of and premium, if any, and interest on any bonds issued under the provisions of this chapter, subject to and in accordance with the provisions of any ordinance, resolution, trust agreement, indenture or other instrument providing for the issuance of the bonds; and
16. Fix and collect rates, rents, fees and other charges for the services and facilities furnished by, or for the use of, or in connection with any revenue-producing undertaking or undertakings, subject to and in accordance with the provisions of any ordinance, resolution, trust agreement, indenture or other instrument providing for the issuance of the bonds.
Code 1950, § 15-666.18; 1958, c. 640; 1962, c. 623, § 15.1-175; 1986, cc. 379, 468; 1991, c. 668, § 15.1-227.7; 1994, cc. 432, 714; 1997, c. 587.