Source: http://listener.homestead.com/files/createcity.htm
Timestamp: 2018-11-17 18:12:40
Document Index: 145876937

Matched Legal Cases: ['§8', '§8', '§8', '§8', '§8', '§8', '§8', '§8']

Law on creating a government for a new "town" (under 2,000 people - simpler) or "city" (over 2,000 people - besides the steps below, you elect a committee to write a charter, which the public then votes on). You can get to this & other WV Laws from http://www.listener.homestead.com)
§§8-1-3. Classification of municipal corporations.
§§8-2-1. Requirements for incorporation; size and character of territory; population.
Any part of any county or counties, not within any municipality, urban in character, and containing at least one hundred inhabitants (if such part contains less than one square mile), and an average of not less than five hundred inhabitants per square mile (if such part contains one square mile or more), provided such part does not include an amount of territory disproportionate to the number of inhabitants thereof, may be incorporated, depending upon population, as a city, either a Class I, Class II or Class III city, or as a Class IV town or village, as classified in section three, article one of this chapter, upon the conditions and in the manner hereinafter prescribed: Provided, That the exact extent of the territory or portions thereof to be included or excluded shall be within the reasonable discretion of the county court, taking into consideration the topography thereof, the benefits thereto from incorporation, the amount of uninhabited land required for parks and recreational use and normal growth and development and the present and probable future uses thereof, so as to prevent hardships and inequities.
§§8-2-2. Petition; survey and map.
§§8-2-3. Hearing on petition; notice; dismissal.
§§8-2-4. Census; bond; appointment and duties of enumerators.
If the court shall determine after hearing that the requirements of sections one and two of this article have been met, the petitioners shall provide bond in penalty prescribed by the court, with good and sufficient surety thereon, conditioned to pay all costs of taking a census, determining the qualification of electors, holding an election and ascertaining the results thereof, in the event a majority of the qualified electors vote against incorporation; and thereupon the court shall fix a day or days for taking a census of the inhabitants and for determining those who are qualified electors of said territory. For the purpose of taking said census, and determining the qualifications of the electors, said court shall appoint four enumerators for each five hundred inhabitants of said territory based upon the most reliable estimate obtainable: Provided, That if the territory contains less than one square mile and the county court believes the territory contains fewer than five hundred inhabitants, two enumerators shall be appointed. It shall be the duty of the enumerators so appointed to enumerate all of the inhabitants of said territory and to visit each house or dwelling therein, and to obtain the name of each known resident thereof. It shall also be the duty of the enumerators to examine the permanent registration records of the county or counties in which the territory is situate to determine which of such inhabitants are qualified electors therein and to compile and file with the county court a list of such qualified electors. Each enumerator shall receive for his services a sum per day, to be fixed by the county court, but not to exceed ten dollars per day, together with all reasonable and necessary expenses actually incurred in the discharge of such duties, which sum and expenses shall be paid by the county court and reimbursed to it by the city, town or village if and when the city, town or village shall become incorporated, as hereinafter provided; otherwise by the petitioners. The county court shall provide an opportunity for all qualified individuals residing in such territory, who have not been previously registered to vote, to become registered prior to the election hereinafter provided for. Upon the completion of said census and the listing of qualified electors, said enumerators shall make a report under oath to the county court that said enumeration and listing are correct, true and accurate, and do not contain the name of any individual who is not a resident of the territory, and that the list of qualified electors is true and correct, which report shall be filed with the county court within the following number of days after the appointment of said enumerators: Forty days if it is to be a Class I city, twenty days if it is to be a Class II city, ten days if it is to be a Class III city and ten days if it is to be a Class IV town or village.
PART II. ELECTION
§§8-2-5. Special election -- Voting precincts; time for election; supplies; commissioners and clerks; notice.
§§8-2-6. Same -- Qualified electors; form of ballot or ballot label; election officials; certification; canvass; declaration of results; recount.
On the date named in such notice for the taking of the vote, each qualified elector of the territory sought to be incorporated shall have the right to cast his vote for or against such incorporation at the precinct in which he resides, by depositing a ballot in a ballot box, or by use of a voting machine, to be provided by the county court for that purpose. Each ballot, or ballot label where voting machines are used, shall be without party designation and shall have written or printed thereon the following words:
Such election shall be held and conducted under the supervision of the commissioners and clerks of election appointed by the county court as aforesaid and shall be conducted as nearly as may be in accordance with the laws of this state governing general elections. The results of such election shall be certified as in general elections, and the returns shall be canvassed and the results declared by the county court. In the event any commissioner or clerk designated to serve in said election shall fail or refuse to serve, such vacancy may be filled in like manner as vacancies in such positions are filled in general elections under the laws of this state governing general elections. A recount may be had, as in general elections, upon the party or parties desiring such recount providing adequate assurance to the county court that he or they will pay all costs of such recount.
§§8-2-7. Court order declaring boundaries of city; certificate of incorporation of town or village; dismissal of proceeding.
If the proceeding be for the incorporation of a city, and it appears to the county court, upon the returns being canvassed, that a majority of the legal votes cast on the question of incorporation were in favor of such incorporation and the court is satisfied that all of the applicable provisions of this article have been complied with, the court shall by order duly made and entered of record declare that the territory in question (reciting the boundaries) shall thereby become a body corporate, and shall thenceforth be known as the city of ......................, but that until a charter shall be framed and adopted as provided in article three of this chapter, such city shall have and exercise no powers of a municipality except the power to frame and adopt a charter as therein provided.
If the proceeding be for the incorporation of a town or village, and it appears to the county court, upon the returns being canvassed, that a majority of the legal votes cast on the question of incorporation were in favor of such incorporation and the court is satisfied that all of the applicable provisions of this article have been complied with, the court shall by order duly made and entered of record, direct the clerk of said court to issue a certificate of incorporation in form or in substance as follows:
"It appearing to the court that under the provisions of article two, chapter eight of the code of West Virginia, as amended, at an election duly held on the .......... day of ..............., 19......., a majority of the legal votes cast on the question of incorporation by the qualified voters of the following territory, to wit: Beginning, etc. (here recite the boundaries), were cast in favor of the incorporation of the town or village of ......................., in the County of .................., bounded as herein set forth; and it appearing to the satisfaction of the court that all of the provisions of article two, chapter eight of the code of West Virginia, as amended, have been complied with by the petitioners for said incorporation, said town or village is hereby declared to be a body corporate, duly authorized to exercise all of the corporate powers conferred upon towns or villages by chapter eight of the code of West Virginia, as amended, from and after the date of this certificate. (Signed) ............................, Clerk County Court." Thereupon, the first election of officers shall be held as provided in sections two, three and four, article five of this chapter.