The special court shall, prior to hearing any case under this chapter, direct the attorneys for the parties to appear before it or, in its discretion, before a single judge, for a conference to consider:
1. Simplification of the issues;
2. Amendment of pleadings and filing of additional pleadings;
3. Stipulations as to facts, documents, records, photographs, plans and like matters, which will dispense with formal proof thereof, including:
a. Assessed values and the ratio of assessed values to true values, as determined by the State Department of Taxation, in the town seeking to become a city and in the remaining portion of the county including real property, personal property, machinery and tools, merchants' capital and public service corporation assessment for each year of the five years immediately preceding;
b. School population and school enrollment in the town seeking to become a city and in the remaining portion of the county, as shown by the records in the office of the division superintendent of schools; and the cost of education per pupil in average daily membership, as shown by the most recent report of the Superintendent of Public Instruction; and
c. Population and the population density of the town seeking to become a city and of the remaining portion of the county;
4. The method of taking any population census requested by the petitioner;
5. Limitation on the number of expert witnesses; each expert witness who will testify shall file a statement of his qualifications; and
6. Such other matters as may aid in the disposition of the case.
The court, or the judge, as the case may be, shall make an appropriate order which will control the subsequent conduct of the case unless modified before or during the trial or hearing to prevent manifest injustice.
1979, c. 85, § 15.1-982.7; 1997, c. 587; 2010, cc. 386, 629.
Structure Code of Virginia
Title 15.2 - Counties, Cities and Towns
Chapter 38 - Transition of Towns to Cities
§ 15.2-3800. Ordinance petitioning court for city status; appointment of special court
§ 15.2-3802. Town and county agreement concerning proposed city
§ 15.2-3803. Notice of motion; service and publication; answer or other pleading
§ 15.2-3805. Time limit for intervenors; publication of order
§ 15.2-3806. Pretrial conference; matters considered
§ 15.2-3807. Hearing and decision by court
§ 15.2-3808. Assistance of state agencies
§ 15.2-3810. Declining of grant of city status
§ 15.2-3811. Proceeding final for three years
§ 15.2-3812. Effect when town becomes city
§ 15.2-3813. Town liabilities and assets
§ 15.2-3814. Mayor of town to continue in office
§ 15.2-3815. Council of town to continue in office; additional members
§ 15.2-3816. Town treasurer to continue in office; appointment where town had no treasurer
§ 15.2-3818. Town sergeant to continue in office
§ 15.2-3819. Election and terms of office of mayor and councilmen after town becomes city
§ 15.2-3820. Election and terms of other city officers
§ 15.2-3821. Qualification of officers; vacancies
§ 15.2-3822. Sharing of offices; transfer of jurisdiction
§ 15.2-3823. Tenure and reelection of county officer whose homesite becomes part of city
§ 15.2-3827. Transfer of assessments to city books
§ 15.2-3829. Assumption of debt; adjustment
§ 15.2-3830. Certain costs and expenses to be apportioned between city and county
§ 15.2-3831. Registrars and their duties
§ 15.2-3832. Authority to city to provide by condemnation, etc., water, light, power and fuel
§ 15.2-3833. Chapter not applicable to cities already existing
§ 15.2-3834. Congressional, etc., districts and judicial circuit not changed