GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA

SESSION 2025

H                                                                                                                                                    1

HOUSE BILL 1217

 

 

Short Title:      Norlina/Even-Yr Elect./4-Yr Staggered Terms.

(Local)

Sponsors:

Representative R. Pierce.

For a complete list of sponsors, refer to the North Carolina General Assembly web site.

Referred to:

Rules, Calendar, and Operations of the House

May 5, 2026

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT to require that municipal elections in the town of norlina BE CONDUCTED in even‑numbered years and that municipal officers in the town of norlina SERVE four‑year staggered terms.

The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:

SECTION 1.  Section 4 of the Charter of the Town of Norlina, being Chapter 1020 of the 1947 Session Laws, as amended by Chapter 95 of the 1969 Session Laws, reads as rewritten:

"Sec. 4. Creation, Salary and Compensation of Mayor and Board of Commissioners. Except as otherwise provided in this charter all powers of the town shall be vested in a board of commissioners of five members and a mayor nominated and elected from the town at large in the manner herinafter provided. provided in Chapter 163 of the General Statutes. The term of office of the mayor and the shall be four years and until a successor is elected and qualified. The term of office of the board of commissioners shall be for two four years on a staggered basis and until their successors are elected and qualified. If a vacancy occurs in the office of mayor or commissioners, it shall be filled for the remainder of the unexpired term by a majority vote of the remaining members of the board of commissioners. Each member of the board of commissioners shall receive a salary the amount of which shall be prescribed by ordinance. Members of the board of commissioners shall be qualified electors of the town. A member of the board of commissioners ceasing to possess any of the qualifications specified in this Section, or convicted of crime while in office, shall immediately forfeit his office."

SECTION 2.  Section 12 of the Charter of the Town of Norlina, being Chapter 1020 of the 1947 Session Laws, reads as rewritten:

"Sec. 12. Municipal Elections. The regular election for the choice of mayor and members of the board of commissioners Regular municipal elections shall be held on Tuesday following the first Monday in May November in odd numbered even‑numbered years. The board of commissioners may, by resolution, order a special election, fix the time for holding the same, and provide all means for holding such special election."

SECTION 3.  No regular municipal elections shall be conducted in the Town of Norlina in 2027. The terms of office for the mayor and five commissioners serving on the effective date of this act whose terms are set to expire in 2027 shall be extended by one year. Regular municipal elections in the Town of Norlina shall resume in even‑numbered years beginning in 2028. Following the 2028 municipal election, the mayor and the two board of commissioner candidates receiving the highest number of votes shall be elected to serve four‑year terms. The three board of commissioner candidates receiving the next highest number of votes shall be elected to serve two‑year terms. In 2030 and every four years thereafter, three members of the board of commissioners shall be elected to serve four‑year terms. In 2032 and every four years thereafter, a mayor and two commissioners shall be elected to serve four‑year terms.

SECTION 4.  This act is effective when it becomes law and applies to elections held on or after that date.