Chap. 310.—An ACT to authorize any county to assume and ‘pay any outstanding
indebtedness of any magisterial district or districts thereof, incurred for the pur-
pose of constructing public roads which were subsequently taken over by the
State, provided such assumption be approved by the qualified voters of the
county; to provide for a referendum thereon; and to provide for the levying of
taxes for the payment of such obligations. [fH B 381]

1 Approved March 26, 1946

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:

1. Section 1. Any county may assume the payment of and pay
any outstanding indebtedness of any magisterial district or districts there-
of, incurred for the purpose of constructing public roads which were sub-
sequently taken over by the State, provided the assumption thereof be
approved by a majority of the qualified voters of the county voting on
the question at an election to be held as hereinafter provided.

Section 2. The governing body of the county may, by a resolution
entered of record in its minute book, require the judges of election to open
a poll at the next regular election and take the sense of the qualified voters
of the county upon the question whether or not the county shall assume
the road indebtedness of ....................02000005 district, OF .......20...0ccccceeeeeceeees
districts; provided the governing body shall cause notice of such election
to be given by the posting of written notice thereof at the front door of the
county courthouse at least thirty days prior to the date the same is to be
held, and by publication thereof once a week for two successive weeks in
some newspaper published in the county, and if none such, then in some
newspaper having general circulation therein, which notice shall set
forth the date of such election and the question to be voted on.

Section 3. The ballots for use in voting upon the question so sub-
mitted shall be prepared, printed, distributed, voted and counted, and
the returns made and canvassed, in accordance with the provisions of
section one hundred ninety-seven-a of the Code of Virginia; and the re-
sults shall be certified by the commissioners of election to the county
clerk, who shall certify the same to the governing body of the county,
and such returns shall be entered of record in the minute book of the
governing body.

Section 4. If a majority of the voters voting on the question vote
in favor of the assumption by the county of the road indebtedness of any
district or districts, of the county, such indebtedness shall become and be
an obligation, or obligations, of the county, and as binding thereon as if
the same had been originally contracted by the county; in which event
the governing body of the county is authorized to levy and collect taxes
throughout the county, for the payment of the district indebtedness so as-
sumed, both as to principal and interest.

Section 5. Nothing herein contained shall in any way affect the
validity of such district road obligations, in event of the result of such
election being against the assumption thereof by the county, but they
shall continue to be as valid and binding in all respects, as they were in
their inception.