CHAPTER 645

An Act to amend the Code of Virginia by adding a section numbered
15-854.2, relating to periodic reassessment of real estate in certain
counties, to provide for a referendum thereon, and to repeal § 15-854.3
of the Code, relating to the same subject matter. rH 119]

Approved April 1, 1964

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:

1. That the Code of Virginia be amended by adding a section numbered
15-354.2, as follows:

§ 15-354.2. (a) Notwithstanding any other provision of law provid-
ing for a periodic reassessment of property, if, in any county operating
under the county manager plan provided for in this chapter, a majority
of the qualified voters voting on the question submitted in the election held
as provided in paragraph (b) of this section shall approve the adoption
of the plan provided in this section, real estate shall thereafter be peri-
odically reassessed only in the manner prescribed by this section.

(b) A referendum may be initiated by a petition signed by two
hundred or more qualified voters in the county, filed with the circuit court,
or judge thereof in vacation, asking that a referendum be held on the
question of whether the real estate in the county shall be reassessed as
provided in this section. Such court or judge shall, on or before the first
day of August following the date of the filing of the petition, enter of
record an order requiring the election officials of the county to open the
polls and take the sense of the voters at the regular election to be held in
November of such year on the question herein provided. The clerk of the
county shall cause a notice of such election to be published in some news-
paper, published or having a general circulation in the county, once a
week for three consecutive weeks, and shall post a copy of such notice
in the courthouse of such county. The regular election officials of the
county, at the time designated therein, shall open the polls at the various
voting places in the county and conduct the election in such manner as
is provided for by law for other elections, insofar as the same is applicable.
The election shall be by separate ballot, which shall be prepared by the
electoral board and distributed to the various election precincts as in other
elections. The ballots to be used shall be printed as follows:

Shall real estate in the county of (insert the name of the county) be
reassessed in the manner prescribed by § 15-354.2 of the Code of Virginia?

[] Yes

No

The election shall in all respects be held as provided in § 24-141 of the
Code of Virginia.

(c) If the court or judge directs a referendum upon the question set
forth in paragraph (b) hereof he shall set forth in his order the existing
and proposed methods of reassessments of real estate which order may be
posted at each polling place in the county and at the courthouse by the
electoral board.

(d) If the result of the election held as provided in paragraph (b)
hereof be in the affirmative, then the provisions of this section shall
supersede all other provisions of law in conflict herewith.

(e) In January of the year following the referendum provided for in
paragraph (b), if the provisions of this section become applicable in such
county, and every fourth year thereafter, the circuit court of such county
shall appoint not less than three but not more than five independent
qualified persons as it may deem proper as appraisers who shall make a
review of the procedures of the Department of Real Estate Assessment and
who shall make a random sample appraisal in the nature of the reassess-
ment of ten per centum of the total number of parcels of real estate
in the county. Such appraisers shall, upon completion of their findings,
make a report of such findings to the governing body of the county and
to the circuit court, or to the judge thereof in vacation. The court, or
judge thereof in vacation, shall determine from such report whether there
is a material variation between the valuations found under this section and
those found under § 15-354.1; if there be such variation, such court or
judge shall order a general reassessment of real estate to be made in the
manner provided by law. The court shall prescribe a time within which
such reassessment shall be completed.

(f) If this section becomes effective in the county, so long as the
county has an efficient system of annual assessment established under
§ 15-354.1, which has been approved by the State Tax Commissioner, no
periodic reassessment shall be required except as ordered by the court as
provided by paragraph (e) of this section, or unless:

The governing body of such county, by a recorded “yea” and
“nay” vote, requests the circuit court of such county, or the judge thereof
in vacation, to order a general reassessment at such time or times as it
deems proper and such court, or judge thereof in vacation, enters an order
directing a reassessment of real estate in the manner provided by law; or

(2) If no general reassessment has been completed within a period of
four years, and the owners of ten per centum of the number of parcels
of property in the county, which owners shall also be qualified voters in
the county, petition the court for a general reassessment of real estate,
the court shall order such reassessment of real estate in the manner
provided by law. The petitioners shall be property owners in the county
as of January one of the year in which such petition is filed.

(g) Notwithstanding the foregoing provisions of this section, if the
system of annual assessment established under § 15-354.1 is not certified
to be efficient by the State Tax Commissioner, or if, after such system has
been approved, the State Tax Commissioner should withdraw his approval,
the county shall continue making periodic reassessments of real estate in
the manner provided by law, as if this section had not been enacted.

2. That § 15-354.3 of the Code is repealed.