GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA

SESSION 1995

H	1 

HOUSE BILL 572

Short Title:  Laurinburg Elections.	(Local)

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Sponsors: Representatives Yongue and Cummings.

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Referred to:  Local & Regional Government I.

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March 28, 1995

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT CHANGING THE METHOD OF ELECTION OF THE LAURINBURG CITY COUNCIL.
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:
Section 1.  Section 3-2 of the Charter of the City of Laurinburg, being Chapter 586 of the Session Laws of 1989, reads as rewritten:
"Sec. 3-2.  Manner of Election of Council.  Two of the five City Council members shall be elected from District 1, two from District 2, and one from the City at large.  To be eligible to be a candidate for and to hold one of the Council seats representing a district, a person must reside in that district.  Only voters who reside in a district shall be eligible to vote for the Council members representing that district.  All voters in the City may vote for the at-large member."
Sec. 2.  Section 3-3 of the Charter of the City of Laurinburg, being Chapter 586 of the Session Laws of 1989, reads as rewritten:
"Sec. 3-3.  Term of Office of Members of the City Council.  (a)	In the regular City election in 1995 three council members shall be elected, two from District 1 and one from District 2.  All candidates for the two seats from District 1 shall be listed together on the ballot and each voter shall be allowed to cast up to two votes.  The candidate for District 1 receiving the most votes shall be elected for a term to expire in 1999, and the candidate receiving the next highest number of votes shall be elected for a term to expire in 1997.  The council member elected in 1995 from District 2 shall be elected for a term to expire in 1999.
(b)	In 1997 and every two years thereafter, three council members shall be elected:  One from District 1, one from District 2, and one at-large.  The council members elected from Districts 1 and 2 shall be elected for four-year terms, and the member elected at large shall be elected for a two-year term."
Sec. 3.  The Charter of the City of Laurinburg, being Chapter 586 of the Session Laws of 1989, is amended by adding the following new section:
"Sec. 3-5.  Council Election Districts.  The two districts for the election of members of the City Council shall be:
District 1 – All of annexation areas #1, 2 and 3 as described in City Ordinance No. O-1994-01, plus that portion of the City as it existed before the 1994 annexation east of the following line running north to south from the point where the pre-1994 City boundary crossed Aberdeen Road (U.S. Highways 15 and 501 Business) on the north side of the City:  South on Aberdeen Road to Gill Street, west along Gill to the township line separating Laurel Hill Township and Stewartsville Township, west along the township line to Leiths Creek, southeast along the creek to Gill Street (so as to encompass within District 1 census blocks 127B and 152 of Tract 102) south on Gill to the Seaboard Air Line Railroad tracks, east along the tracks one block to Main Street (U.S. 15 and 501 and 401 Business), south on Main to Tucker Street, east on Tucker two blocks to Pine Street, south on Pine to Hammond Drive, south on Hammond to Pine Street, west on Pine to Johns Road, north on Johns to Biggs Street, south on Biggs to Ivy Street, west on Ivy one block to Main Street, south on Main to U.S. Highway 74 Bypass, and east on the bypass to the city limits.
District 2 – All of annexation area #4 as described in Laurinburg City Ordinance No. O-1994-01 plus that portion of the City as it existed before the 1994 annexation west and south of the line described above as the boundary for District 1."
Sec. 4.  Following the 1995 election, the two incumbent council members elected in 1993 for terms that do not expire until 1997 shall be designated as holding the following seats until their terms expire:  Clarence McPhatter, II, shall be designated as the at-large council member, and Harvey H. Butler, Jr., shall be designated as a member for District 2.  If Harvey H. Butler, Jr., shall die, resign, or otherwise vacate his office before the end of his term, the person appointed to fill the vacancy must reside in District 2.
Sec. 5.  This act is effective upon ratification.