S.L. 1969-160

1969 SESSION

CHAPTER 160

HOUSE BILL 368

AN ACT TO AMEND CHAPTER 362 OF THE PRIVATE LAWS OF 1905 RELATING TO THE ELECTION OF THE MAYOR AND COMMISSIONERS OF THE TOWN OF COATS IN HARNETT COUNTY.

The General Assembly of North Carolina do enact:

Section 1. Chapter 362, Private Laws of North Carolina of 1905, is hereby amended by rewriting all of Sections 5, 6, and 7 thereof, to read as follows:

"Sec. 5. The regular municipal election for the Mayor and members of the Board of Commissioners of the Town of Coats shall be held on Tuesday after the first Monday in May, 1969, and biennially thereafter. The Mayor shall be elected at this nonpartisan election by all the qualified voters of the Town to serve for a term of two (2) years or until his successor is elected and qualified. Members of the Board of Commissioners shall be elected at this nonpartisan election by all the qualified voters of the Town, to serve for a term of four (4) years or until their successors are elected and qualified: Provided, that at the regular municipal election to be held in May, 1969, the two (2) candidates receiving the highest number of votes shall be elected for a term of four (4) years and the two (2) candidates receiving the next highest number of votes shall be elected as Commissioners and shall serve for a term of two (2) years and until their successors are elected and qualified. Thereafter, all Commissioners shall be elected to serve for terms of four (4) years.

"Sec. 6. (a) At the regular municipal election to be held in May, 1969, and biennially thereafter, any qualified elector of the Town of Coats may file as a candidate for Mayor or Commissioner by filing written notice of such candidacy with the Town Clerk in substantially the following form:

"I, _____________________, hereby give notice that I am a candidate for election to the office of __________________, to be voted on at the election to be held on the ______ day of May, 19_____, and I hereby request that my name be printed on the official ballot for such office. I also certify that I am a resident and qualified elector of the Town of Coats residing at __________________________ in said Town.

Candidate

Date

Witness:

"(b) The notice of candidacy required in subsection (a) of this section shall be filed with the Town Clerk not earlier than sixty (60) days nor later than ten (10) days prior to the date of the election. At the time of filing notice of candidacy, each candidate for the office of Mayor shall pay to the Town Clerk a filing fee of Five Dollars ($5.00), and each candidate for the office of Commissioner shall pay to the Town Clerk a filing fee of Three Dollars ($3.00). The proceeds from filing fees shall be deposited in the General Fund of the Town and used to defray election costs.

"(c) The Town Clerk shall preserve all notices of candidacy until the expiration of the term of office for which the candidate filed. Any candidate may withdraw his notice of candidacy not later than the last day for filing by submitting written notice of withdrawal to the Town Clerk. Should any candidate withdraw as provided herein, the filing fee paid shall be forfeited.

"(d) Only the names of the candidates who have filed for Mayor or Commissioner as required in this section shall have their names printed on the official ballots for the regular municipal election.

"Sec. 7. The regular municipal election required by this Act, special elections, the registration of voters, and all other matters pertaining to the conduct of municipal elections of the Town of Coats shall be governed by the laws of North Carolina applicable to municipal elections except as otherwise provided by this Act."

Sec. 2. All laws and clauses of laws in conflict with this Act are hereby repealed.

Sec. 3. This Act shall be effective upon its ratification.

In the General Assembly read three times and ratified, this the 31st day of March, 1969.