2023 West Virginia Code › Chapter 8. Municipal Corporations › Article 7. Decrease of Corporate Limits › §8-7-2. Procedure to Decrease Corporate Limits

8-7-2. Procedure to decrease corporate limits.
A petition to decrease the corporate limits of a municipality may be filed with the governing body thereof by five percent or more of the freeholders in the territory proposed for elimination, setting forth the change proposed in the metes and bounds of the municipality, and asking that a vote be taken upon the proposed change. The petition shall be verified and shall be accompanied by an accurate survey map showing the territory which would be eliminated from the corporate limits by the proposed change:
Provided
, That within 90 days after notice of the petition shall have been given by publication of a Class II-0 legal advertisement pursuant to 59-3-1
et seq.
of this code, cost to be paid by the petitioners each business and freeholder within the territory proposed for elimination may file a sworn statement objecting to the change to the metes and bounds of the municipality. If a business or freeholder files a timely objection, that property shall remain within the territory or the municipality and shall be removed from the metes and bounds description and survey map submitted to the qualified voters as provided in this section. The governing body, upon bond in penalty prescribed by the governing body with good and sufficient surety being given by petitioners, and conditioned to pay the costs of such election if a majority of the legal votes cast are against the proposed change in boundary, shall thereupon order a vote of the qualified voters of such municipality to be taken upon the proposed change on a date and at a time and place therein to be named in the order, not less than 20 nor more than 30 days from the date thereof. The governing body shall cause the order to be published, at the cost of the municipality, as a Class II-0 legal advertisement in compliance with 59-3-1
et seq.
of this code, and the publication area for such publication shall be the municipality. The first publication shall be at least 14 days prior to the date upon which the vote is to be taken. The order so published shall contain an accurate description by metes and bounds of the territory which would be eliminated from the corporate limits by the proposed change, and, if practicable, shall also contain a popular description of the territory.
The election shall be held, superintended, and conducted, and the results thereof ascertained, certified, returned, and canvassed in the same manner and by the same individuals as elections for municipal officers. The ballots, or ballot labels where voting machines are used, shall have written, or printed on them the words:
[ ] For Decrease of Corporate Limits
[ ] Against Decrease of Corporate Limits
When an election is held in any municipality in accordance with the provisions of this section, another such election relating to the same proposed change or any part thereof shall not be held for a period of one year.
If a majority of all of the legal votes cast within such municipality are in favor of the proposed change, then the governing body shall proceed as specified in the immediately succeeding section of this article.