A. Whenever fifty-one percent of the voters of any territory adjacent to any city or town or fifty-one percent of the owners of real estate in number and land area in a designated area, or the governing body of the county in which such territory is located, or of the town desiring to annex such territory petition the circuit court for the county, stating that it is desirable that such territory be annexed to the city or town and setting forth the metes and bounds thereof, a copy of such petition shall be served on the city or town council, and published in the manner prescribed in § 15.2-3204. The case shall, except as otherwise provided in this chapter, proceed in all respects as though instituted in the manner prescribed in § 15.2-3202; however, the special court shall not increase the area of the territory described in the petition.

B. Any city or town to which the annexation is proposed may reject such annexation by ordinance, duly adopted by a majority of the elected members of the governing body of the city or town, if such ordinance is adopted either prior to the pretrial conference provided for in § 15.2-3207 or within the time limits set forth in § 15.2-3213.

C. Any county, city or town may enter into a voluntary agreement with any other county, city or town or combination thereof, whereby such city or town agrees to reject any annexations initiated under subsection A. Such agreement may be for such period of time as specified by the parties to such agreement with respect to all or a portion of the county.

Code 1950, § 15-152.4; 1952, c. 328; 1962, c. 623, § 15.1-1034; 1979, c. 85; 1983, c. 594; 1985, c. 478; 1997, c. 587.