GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA
1995 SESSION

CHAPTER 215
SENATE BILL 717

AN ACT TO REQUIRE THE MOORE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS TO REDISTRICT THEIR RESIDENCY DISTRICTS.

The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:

Section 1.  Article 3 of Chapter 153A of the General Statutes is amended by adding a new section to read:
"§ 153A-22.1.  Redefining residency district boundaries.
(a)	'Residency district' means a district in which the candidates reside and represent the district, but the candidates are voted on in the primaries and general elections by the qualified voters of the entire county.  It includes districts established either by local act or under G.S. 153A-58(3)d.
(b)	If a county is divided into residency districts, the board of commissioners may find as a fact whether there is substantial inequality of population among the districts.  If the board finds that there is substantial inequality of population among the districts, it may by resolution redefine the residency districts to make them more nearly equal.  The test for compliance with this section is a reduction in the relative overall range of deviation.
(c)	No change in the boundaries of a residency district may affect the unexpired term of office of a commissioner residing in the district and serving on the board on the effective date of the resolution. If the terms of office of members of the board do not all expire at the same time, the resolution shall state which seats are to be filled at the initial election held under the resolution.
(d)	A resolution adopted pursuant to this section shall be the basis of electing persons to the board of commissioners at the first general election for members of the board of commissioners occurring after the resolution's effective date, and thereafter. A resolution becomes effective upon its adoption, unless it is adopted during the period beginning 150 days before the day of a primary and ending on the day of the next succeeding general election for membership on the board of commissioners, in which case it becomes effective on the first day after the end of the period.
(e)	Not later than 10 days after the day on which a resolution becomes effective, the clerk shall file in the Secretary of State's office, in the office of the register of deeds of the county, and with the chairman of the county board of elections, a certified copy of the resolution.
(f)	This section applies to Moore County only."
Sec. 2.  Notwithstanding G.S. 153A-22.1(b) as it applies to Moore County, the board of county commissioners of that county shall, no later than August 15, 1995, by resolution adopted under G.S. 153A-22.1, redefine the residency districts to make them more nearly equal by reducing the relative overall range by at least one-half.
Sec. 3.  This act is effective upon ratification.
In the General Assembly read three times and ratified this the 12th day of June, 1995.

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Dennis A. Wicker
President of the Senate

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Harold J. Brubaker
Speaker of the House of Representatives