GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA

SESSION 1995

S	2 

SENATE BILL 663
House Committee Substitute Favorable 6/22/95

Short Title:  Amend Various Local Laws.	(Local)

─────────────────────────────────────── 
Sponsors:

─────────────────────────────────────── 
Referred to:  

─────────────────────────────────────── 

April 11, 1995

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT MAKING A QUALIFIED EXCEPTION FOR THE CITY OF WILMINGTON AND NEW HANOVER COUNTY FROM THE PUBLIC RECORDS ACT FOR CERTAIN GEOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION SYSTEMS; TO PROVIDE THAT THE MERGER OF THE ALAMANCE COUNTY SCHOOLS AND THE BURLINGTON CITY SCHOOLS MAY BECOME EFFECTIVE ONLY IF APPROVED BY THE VOTERS OF ALAMANCE COUNTY; TO REDUCE FROM ELEVEN TO SEVEN THE NUMBER OF GUILFORD COUNTY COMMISSIONERS AND TO REDISTRICT THE GUILFORD COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS, SUBJECT TO A REFERENDUM; AND TO PROVIDE FOR PARTISAN ELECTIONS IN THE CITY OF HIGH POINT, IF APPROVED BY REFERENDUM.
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:
Section 1.  Section 2 of Chapter 82 of the 1993 Session Laws reads as rewritten:
"Sec. 2.  This act applies to the Cities of Greensboro, High Point, and Wilmington and the Counties of Guilford, Nash, New Hanover, Mecklenburg, and Pitt only."
Sec. 2.  Notwithstanding G.S. 115C-68.1(c), "A Plan for the Merger of the Alamance County Schools and the Burlington City Schools", dated June 14, 1994, may become effective only when approved by the qualified voters of Alamance County.  The Board of Commissioners may provide by resolution or ordinance for a referendum to take place at the time of the statewide primary election in 1996 or, if there is a statewide election at an earlier date, on that earlier date.  The county board of elections shall advertise and conduct the referendum in accordance with the procedures in Chapter 163 of the General Statutes governing the conduct of special and general elections.
Sec. 3.  (a)	Effective on the first Monday in December in 1998, the Board of Commissioners of Guilford County consists of seven members.  The members shall be elected on a partisan basis at the time of the regular county primary and general elections.  One shall be elected from each of seven single-member districts established under subsection (e) of this section.
(b)	In 1998 and every four years thereafter, members for Districts 3 and 4 shall be elected for four-year terms.  In 1998 and every four years thereafter, members for Districts 1, 6, and 7 shall be elected to four-year terms.  In 2000, the members from Districts 2 and 5 shall be elected to two-year terms, and in 2002 and every four years thereafter, successors shall be elected for four-year terms.  Steve Arnold, who was elected in 1994 for a four-year term, is designated as the member from District 1 until the first Monday in December of 1996.  Withers G. Dunovant, who was elected in 1994 for a four-year term, is designated as the member from District 2.  Charles Winfree, who was elected in 1994 for a four-year term, is designated as the member from District 5.  Joe E. Bostic, Jr., who was elected in 1994 for a four-year term, is designated as the member from District 6.  Warren Dorsett, who was elected in 1994 for a four-year term, is designated as the member from District 7.
(c)	The districts set out in subsection (e) of this section are devised and constituted to meet the requirements of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, as amended, and other applicable constitutional provisions.
(d)	The qualified voters of each district shall elect the member of the board for that district. Candidates must reside in the district for which they seek to be elected.
(e)  The districts are as follows:
(1)	District 1 consists of Greensboro Precinct 43; High Point Precincts 1, 2, 3, 4, 8, 9, 10, 15, 16, 17A, 17B, 20A, 20B, 23, 24A, 24B; and Deep River, Oak Ridge, and Stokesdale Precincts.
(2)	District 2 consists of Greensboro Precincts 6, 8A, 8B, 23, 26A, 29, 42A, and 42B; High Point Precincts 5, 6, 7, 11, 12, 19, and 22; and Friendship 2 Precinct.
(3)	District 3 consists of Greensboro Precincts 24A, 24B1, 24B2, 24C, 26B, 36A, and 36B; High Point Precincts 13, 14, 18, and 21; Jamestown Precincts 1, 2A, 2B, and 3; and North Sumner, South Sumner 1, and South Sumner 2.
(4)	District 4 consists of Greensboro Precincts 33A and 33B; Fentress Precincts 1A, 1B, 2A, and 2B; and Gibsonville, Greene, North Clay, South Clay, North Jefferson 1, North Jefferson 2, South Jefferson, North Madison, South Madison, North Washington, South Washington, South Monroe 1, South Monroe 2, and Whitsett Precincts.
(5)	District 5 consists of Greensboro Precincts 10, 11, 12, 13, 15, 16A, 16B, 17, 18, 28, 31, 35A, 35B, 35C, 40B, 41A, and 41B; and North Monroe, North Center Grove, and South Center Grove Precincts.
(6)	District 6 consists of Greensboro Precincts 20, 21A, 21B, 22A, 22B, 27A, 27B, 27C, 32, 34A, 34B, 37A, 37B, 38, 39A, 39B, 40A1, and 40A2; Friendship Precincts 1A, 1B1, and 1B2, and North Bruce and South Bruce Precincts.
(7)	District 7 consists of Greensboro Precincts 1A, 1B, 2, 3, 4, 5A, 5B, 7, 9, 14A, 14B, 19, 25, 30, 44, and 45.
(f)  Precincts as mentioned in subsection (e) of this section are the official precincts of Guilford County as of April 1, 1995.
Sec. 4. Sections 3 and 6 of this act become effective only if approved by the qualified voters of Guilford County in a referendum.  The election shall be conducted by the Guilford County Board of Elections at the time set for the 1996 general election in Guilford County.  The question on the ballot shall be:
"[ ] FOR    [ ] AGAINST
Reducing the Board of County Commissioners
from eleven to seven members,
to be elected from single-member districts".
Sec. 5.  If the majority of votes cast are cast FOR the question, then effective upon the certification of the results of the election, Section 3 of the act becomes effective for the next county primary and general election following the referendum.
Sec. 6.  If the Attorney General of the United States interposes objection to Sections 3, 4, and 5 of this act under section 5 of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, as amended, the Board of Commissioners of Guilford County shall enact an alternative plan for the election of the Board of Commissioners of Guilford County that:
(1)	Provides for no more than seven commissioners; and
(2)	Will meet the requirements of the Attorney General of the United States
and shall submit that new plan to the Attorney General under section 5 of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, as amended.
Sec. 7.  Section 3.1 of the Charter of the City of High Point, being Chapter 501 of the Session Laws of 1979, as amended under Part 4 of Article 5 of Chapter 160A of the General Statutes, is rewritten to read:
"Sec. 3.1.  Method of election.  Regular municipal elections shall be held in the City biennially in odd-numbered years, and shall be conducted in accordance with State law governing municipal elections.  The mayor and members of the council shall be elected by the partisan primary election and method provided for in G.S. 163-291."
Sec. 8.  Section 7 of this act becomes effective only if approved by the qualified voters of the City of High Point in a referendum.  The election shall be conducted by the Guilford County Board of Elections at the time set for the 1995 municipal general election in the City of High Point.  The question on the ballot shall be:
"[ ] FOR    [ ] AGAINST
Partisan election of the mayor and
members of the city council".
Sec. 9.  If the majority of votes are cast FOR the question, then effective upon the certification of the results of the election, Section 7 of this act becomes effective for the next municipal primary and general election following the referendum.
Sec. 10.  Section 2 of this act applies to Alamance County only.
Sec. 11.  This act is effective upon ratification.  In case of any conflict between Sections 7, 8, and 9 of this act and ordinances amending the High Point City Charter under Part 4 of Article 5 of Chapter 160A of the General Statutes, including those of April 14, 1986, and November 20, 1986, this act prevails to the extent of the conflict.