Tax Elections for Industrial Development Purposes.
§ 158‑16. Board of commissioners may call tax election; rate and purposes of tax.
The board of county commissioners in any county is authorized and empowered to call a special election to determine whether it be the will of the qualified voters of said county that they levy and cause to be collected annually, at the same time and in the same manner as the general county taxes are levied and collected, a special tax at a rate not to exceed five cents (5¢) on each one hundred dollars ($100.00) valuation of property in said county, to be known as an "industrial development tax," the funds therefrom, if the levy be authorized by the voters of said county, to be used for the purpose of attracting new and diversified industries to said county, and for the encouragement of new business and industrial ventures by local as well as foreign capital, and for the purpose of aiding and encouraging the location of manufacturing enterprises, making industrial surveys and locating industrial plants in said county, and for the purpose of encouraging agricultural development in said county. Any special election shall be conducted in accordance with G.S. 163‑287. (1959, c. 212, s. 1; 2013‑381, s. 10.25; 2017‑6, s. 3; 2018‑146, ss. 3.1(a), (b), 6.1.)
§ 158‑17. Registration of voters; election under supervision of county board of elections.
There shall be no new registration of voters for such an election. Registration shall be open for registration of new voters in said county and registration of any and all legal residents of said county, who are or could legally be enfranchised as qualified voters for regular general elections, shall be carried out in accordance with the general election laws of the State of North Carolina as provided for local elections. Notice of such registration of new voters shall be published in a newspaper circulated in said county, once, not less than 55 days before and not more than 65 days before the election, stating the hours and days for registration. The special election, if called, shall be under the control and supervision of the county board of elections. (1959, c. 212, s. 1; 1993 (Reg. Sess., 1994), c. 762, s. 11.)
§ 158‑18. Form of ballot; when ballots supplied; designation of ballot box.
The form of the question shall be substantially the words "For Industrial Development Tax," and "Against Industrial Development Tax," which alternates shall appear separated from each other on one ballot containing opposite, and to the left of each alternate, squares of appropriate size in one of which squares the voters may make a mark "X" to designate the voter's choice for or against such tax. Such ballot shall be printed on white paper and each polling place shall be supplied with a sufficient number of ballots not later than the day before the election. At such special election the election board shall cause to be placed at each voting precinct in said county a ballot box marked "Industrial Development Tax Election." (1959, c. 212, s. 1.)
§ 158‑19. Counting of ballots; canvassing, certifying and announcing results of elections.
The duly appointed judges and other election officials who are named and fixed by the county board of elections shall count the ballots so cast in such election and the results of the election shall be officially canvassed, certified and announced by the proper officials of the board of elections, according to the manner of canvassing, certifying and announcing the elections held under the general election laws of the State. Except as herein otherwise provided, the registration and election herein provided for shall be conducted in accordance with the general election laws of the State as provided for local elections. (1959, c. 212, s. 1.)
§ 158‑20. Authorized tax rate.
If a majority of those voting in such election favor the levying of such a tax, the board of commissioners of said county are authorized to levy a special tax at a rate not to exceed five cents (5¢) on each one hundred dollars ($100.00) of assessed value of real and personal property taxable in said county, and the General Assembly does hereby give its special approval for the levy of such special tax. (1959, c. 212, s. 1.)
§ 158‑21. Creation of industrial development commission; membership and terms of office; vacancies; meetings; selection of officers; bylaws and procedural rules and policies; authority of treasurer and required bond; subsidy or investment in business or industry forbidden.
If the majority of the qualified voters voting in such election favor the levying of such a tax, then and in that event, the county commissioners may create a commission to be known as the "Industrial Development Commission" for said county. Such commission shall be composed of nine members. The terms of office of the members of the commission shall be three years, with the exception of the first two years' existence of the commission, in which three shall be appointed to serve for a period of one year, three for a period of two years, and three for a period of three years; thereafter, all members shall be appointed for three years, and shall serve until their successors have been appointed and qualified. All appointments for unexpired terms resulting from resignation, death or other causes, shall be made by the county board of commissioners. The commission shall hold its first meeting within 30 days after its appointment as provided for in this Article, and the beginning date of all terms of office of the commissioners shall be the date on which the commission holds its first meeting. After the members of the commission shall have been appointed and at the time of the holding of the first meeting, they shall, by a majority vote, name and select from their membership their own chairman, vice‑chairman, secretary and treasurer, and shall draw up and ratify their own bylaws and procedural rules and policies. The commission member who shall be named treasurer shall have supervision of all funds administered by the commission in any way whatsoever; shall sign and countersign all checks, drafts, bills of exchange, or any and all other negotiable instruments which shall properly be issued under his supervision; and shall furnish such surety bond as shall be designated by the board of county commissioners. No money, property or funds of the commission herein created shall be used directly or indirectly as a subsidy or investment in capital assets in any business, industry or business venture. (1959, c. 212, s. 1.)
§ 158‑22. Bureau set up under supervision and control of industrial development commission; furnishing county commissioners with proposed budget.
Under the supervision and jurisdiction of the industrial development commission for said county there shall be set up a bureau, the purpose of which shall be as set forth in G.S. 158‑16. The commission shall have charge of the activities of this bureau, full supervision of its operations, and full responsibility for its actions. The commission shall employ personnel for the bureau, supervise its purchases and expense accounts, and administer all the tax funds which shall be turned over to the commission by county authorities from the industrial development tax and any and all other funds which may come into its hands. The commission shall be empowered to lease, rent or purchase, or otherwise obtain suitable quarters and office space for an industrial development bureau, to lease, rent, or purchase necessary furniture, fixtures, and other equipment, to purchase advertising space in periodicals which may be selected for that purpose, and to otherwise engage in any and all activities which shall, in its discretion, promote the business and industrial development and general economic welfare of said county; and it shall have full power to exercise any and all other proper authority in connection with its duties and not expressly mentioned herein. Provided, that said commission shall provide the board of county commissioners 30 days prior to July 1 a proposed budget for the fiscal year commencing on July 1 and shall provide the board of county commissioners an audit by a certified public accountant within 60 days after the expiration of the fiscal year ending on June 30. (1959, c. 212, s. 1.)
§ 158‑23. Board of county commissioners may function and carry out duties of industrial development commission.
Nothing herein shall prevent the board of county commissioners itself from functioning and carrying out the duties of the industrial development commission as provided for herein. (1959, c. 212, s. 1.)
§ 158‑24. Counties to which Article applies.
The provisions of this Article shall apply only to the following counties: Alexander, Burke, Caswell, Chowan, Edgecombe, Franklin, Harnett, Haywood, Hertford, Mitchell, Northampton, Onslow, Pasquotank, Perquimans, Person, Polk, Rockingham, Rutherford, Tyrrell, Vance and Warren. (1959, c. 212, s. 2; 1961, cc. 208, 228, 339, 560, 683, 701, 1011, 1058; 1963, c. 157, s. 2; cc. 443, 504, 506, 613, 1101; 1965, cc. 189, 523, 622.)
§§ 158‑25 through 158‑29. Reserved for future codification purposes.