GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA

SESSION 1997

H	1 

HOUSE BILL 653*

Short Title:  Wentworth Charter Amendments.	(Local)

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Sponsors: Representatives Sexton; and Allred.

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Referred to:  Local and Regional Government II.

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March 27, 1997

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT TO AMEND THE CHARTER OF THE TOWN OF WENTWORTH, SUBJECT TO A REFERENDUM.
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:
Section 1. Chapter 76 of the Private Laws of 1798 is amended by adding a new section to read:
"VII. The Charter of the Town of Wentworth is revised and consolidated to read:
"CHARTER OF THE TOWN OF WENTWORTH.
"CHAPTER I.
"INCORPORATION AND CORPORATE POWERS.
"Sec. 1.1.  The inhabitants of the Town of Wentworth are a body corporate and politic under the name ‘Town of Wentworth'.  Under that name they have all the powers, duties, rights, privileges, and immunities conferred and imposed upon cities by the general law of North Carolina.
"CHAPTER II.
"CORPORATE BOUNDARIES.
"Sec. 2.1.  Until changed in accordance with law, the boundaries of the Town of Wentworth are as follows:
BEGINNING at a point in the centerline of the intersection of Sandy Cross Road and Irvin Farm Road; thence with the centerline of Sandy Cross Road in a northerly direction to its intersection with the centerline of Dairy Road; thence with the course of the centerline of Dairy Road (if projected in an easterly direction) to a point 400 feet east of the centerline of Sandy Cross Road; thence a line 400 feet from and parallel to the centerline of Sandy Cross Road in a northeasterly direction to a point in the centerline of NC Highways 65 and 87; thence the centerline of Highways 65 and 87 in a northwesterly direction to a point 400 feet south of the intersection of the centerlines of Highways 65 and 87 and the first reached intersection of Wentworth Street and Highways 65 and 87; thence a line 400 feet south of and parallel to the centerline of Wentworth Street in a northeasterly direction to a point 820 feet past its intersection with the centerline of Parkland Road; thence north 800 feet to a point 400 feet north of the centerline of Wentworth Street; thence a line 400 feet north of and parallel to the centerline of Wentworth Street in a southwesterly direction to a point 400 feet from its intersection with NC State Road 2009; thence a line 400 feet east of and parallel to the centerline of NC State Road 2009 in a northerly direction to a point 400 feet from its intersection with Talley Road; thence a line 400 feet south of and parallel to the centerline of Talley Road in a northeasterly direction to the end of Talley Road; thence north 800 feet to a point 400 feet north of the centerline of Talley Road; thence a line 400 feet north of and parallel to the centerline of Talley Road in a southwesterly direction to a point 400 feet from its intersection with NC State Road 2009; thence a line 400 feet east of and parallel to the centerline of State Road 2009 in a northerly direction to the centerline of Carroll Creek; thence with the centerline of Carroll Creek in an easterly direction to its intersection with the centerline of Cedar Lane; thence with the centerline of Cedar Lane in a southerly direction to a point in the centerline of Salem Church Road; thence with the centerline of Salem Church Road in a northeasterly direction 200 feet; thence a line in a northwesterly direction parallel to and 200 feet from the centerline of Cedar Lane to a point 200 feet south of College Lane; thence a line in a northeasterly direction 200 feet south of and parallel to the centerline of College Lane to the end of College Lane; thence a straight line in a northerly direction to a point 400 feet north of the intersection of the centerlines of Berrymore Road and Hudspeth Park Road; thence a line 400 feet north of and parallel to the centerline of Berrymore road in a westerly direction to a point 400 feet due east of the intersection of the centerlines of Berrymore Road and Ashley Loop Road; thence a line 400 feet east of and parallel to the centerline of Ashley Loop Road to a point 400 feet east of the intersection of Ashley Loop Road and Richardson Road; thence a straight line in a westerly direction to the intersection of Roach Creek and the Gas Transmission Pipeline; thence with Roach Creek to Dan River; thence with Dan River in a southwesterly direction to Rockhouse Creek; thence with Rockhouse Creek to its intersection with the centerline of Baker Crossroad Road; thence with the centerline of Baker Crossroad Road southeasterly to a point 400 feet past the intersection of the centerlines of Baker Crossroad Road and Vernon Road; thence a line 400 feet south of and parallel to the centerline of Vernon Road to its intersection with the centerline of Sandy Cross Road; thence with the centerline of Sandy Cross Road in an easterly direction to the POINT OF BEGINNING.
"CHAPTER III.
"GOVERNING BODY.
"Sec. 3.1.  The governing body of the Town of Wentworth is the Town Council, which has five members.
"Sec. 3.2.  The qualified voters of the entire Town elect the members of the Town Council.
"Sec. 3.3.  From the effective date of this Charter until the organizational meeting of the Town Council after the 1999 municipal election, the members of the Town Council shall be Cassandra Broadnax, Evelyn Conner, George Murphy, Larry Terrell, and Dennis Paschal.
"Sec. 3.4.  At the regular town election in 1999, five Town Council members shall be elected.  The persons receiving the three highest numbers of votes shall be elected for four-year terms, and the two persons receiving the next highest numbers of votes shall be elected for two-year terms.  In 2001 and quadrennially thereafter, two Town Council members shall be elected for four-year terms.  In 2003 and quadrennially thereafter, three Town Council members shall be elected for four-year terms.
"Sec. 3.5.  At the organizational meeting of the initial Town Council and at the organizational meeting after each election, the council shall elect one of its members to serve at its pleasure as Mayor.
"CHAPTER IV.
"ELECTIONS.
"Sec. 4.1.  The Town Council shall be elected on the nonpartisan basis and the results determined by plurality in accordance with G.S. 163-292.
"Sec. 4.2.  Elections shall be conducted in accordance with Chapter 163 of the General Statutes.
"CHAPTER V.
"ADMINISTRATION.
"Sec. 5.1.  The Town of Wentworth shall operate under the mayor-council plan as provided in Part 3 of Article 7 of Chapter 160A of the General Statutes."
Section 2.  From and after the effective date of the revival of the Charter, the citizens and property in the Town of Wentworth shall be subject to municipal taxes levied for the year beginning July 1, 1997, and for that purpose the Town shall obtain from Rockingham County a record of property in the area herein incorporated which was listed for taxes as of January 1, 1997, and the businesses in the Town shall be liable for privilege license tax from the effective date of the privilege license tax ordinance.  The Town may adopt a budget ordinance for fiscal year 1997-98 without following the timetable in the Local Government Budget and Fiscal Control Act, but shall follow the sequence of actions in the spirit of the act insofar as is practical.  For fiscal year 1997-98, ad valorem taxes may be paid at par or face amount within 90 days of adoption of the budget ordinance, and thereafter in accordance with the schedule in G.S. 105-360 as if the taxes had been due and payable on September 1, 1997.
Section 3.  (a)	The Rockingham County Board of Elections shall conduct an election on November 4, 1997, for the purpose of submission to the qualified voters of the area described in Section 2.1 of the Charter of Wentworth, the question of whether or not the Charter of the Town of Wentworth should be revived and new boundaries established.  Registration for the election shall be conducted in accordance with G.S. 163-288.2.
(b)	In the election, the question on the ballot shall be:
"[ ] FOR  [ ] AGAINST

Amendment of the Charter of the Town of Wentworth and establishment of new boundaries for the town."
Section 4.  In such election, if a majority of the votes cast shall be cast "FOR Amendment of the Charter of the Town of Wentworth and establishment of new boundaries for the Town", then Sections 1 and 2 of this act become effective on the date that the Rockingham County Board of Elections determines the result of the election. Otherwise, those sections have no effect.
Section 5.  This act is effective when it becomes law.