Virginia law

Municipal Laws in Virginia.

Virginia is the paradigmatic Dillon Rule state — local governments possess only those powers expressly granted by the General Assembly or necessarily implied therefrom. The Dillon Rule is rigorously applied in Virginia, making legislative authority for municipal action a central issue in local-government practice. Virginia's local governments are organized as counties, independent cities, and towns under Title 15.2 of the Code of Virginia. Virginia has 38 independent cities — the most of any state — that are politically separate from any surrounding county.