S.L. 1969-164

1969 SESSION

CHAPTER 164

SENATE BILL 256

AN ACT TO AMEND THE CHARTER OF THE CITY OF ROANOKE RAPIDS FOR THE PURPOSE OF PROVIDING FOR THE ELECTION OF THE MAYOR BY THE ELIGIBLE VOTERS OF THE CITY, AND INCREASING THE TIME FOR THE REGISTRATION OF VOTERS IN SAID CITY ELECTIONS.

The General Assembly of North Carolina do enact:

Section 1. Section 3.2 of Article III of Section 1 of Chapter 1054 of the Session Laws of 1967 is hereby rewritten to read as follows:

Sec. 3.2. Mayor and mayor pro tempore. The mayor shall be elected by the qualified voters of the City of Roanoke Rapids voting at large in the municipal election and in the manner provided by Article IV of Section 1 of Chapter 1054 of the Session Laws of 1967. The mayor shall be the official head of the city government and shall preside at all meetings of the city council. The mayor shall have the power to vote on all questions coming before the council, as a member thereof, and he shall not have power to vote again in instances wherein there is an equal division among the members on a question. The mayor shall be one of the five (5) members of the council but he may be excused from voting upon any subject or matter before the council for consideration upon the mayor's request, if approved by the city council. The mayor shall be excused from voting on any subject before the city council for consideration if he is directly interested in such subject or matter. The mayor shall exercise such powers and perform such duties as are or may be conferred upon him by the general laws of North Carolina, by this Charter, and by the ordinances of the city. The city council shall choose one of its number to act as mayor pro tempore, and he shall perform the duties of the mayor in the mayor's absence or disability. The mayor pro tempore as such shall have no fixed term of office, but shall serve in such capacity at the pleasure of the remaining members of the council."

Amend Section 3.3 of Article III of Section 1 of Chapter 1054 of the Session Laws of 1967 by striking out in the third line of said Section 3.3 the following: "as such for the term for which he was elected to the Council" and by substituting in lieu thereof the following: "for a term of two years."

Amend Section 3.5 of Article III of Section 1 of Chapter 1054 of the Session Laws of 1967 by inserting after the word "Councilman" and before the word "of", in the next to last line, the following: "(or mayor)".

Sec. 2. Amend Section 4.1 of Article IV of Section 1 of Chapter 1054 of the Session laws of 1967 by inserting in the fourth line of said Section 4.1, after the word "Councilmen" and before the word "to" in said fourth line, the following: "and a mayor."

Further amend Section 4.2 of Article IV of Section 1 of Chapter 1054 of the Session Laws of 1967 by striking out the period after the word "Councilman" in said second line of Section 4.2 and by inserting in lieu of the period a comma and the following: "and the candidates for mayor."

Further amend said Section 4.2 of Article IV of Section 1 of Chapter 1054 of the Session Laws of 1967 by striking out the period appearing after the word "elected" in the third line of said section, and by inserting in lieu of said period a comma and the following: "and the candidate receiving the largest number of votes for mayor shall be declared elected."

Amend Section 4.3 of Article IV of Section 1 of Chapter 1054 of the Session Laws of 1967 by inserting, after the word "Councilman" and before the word "shall" in said second line, the following: "or mayor"; further amend said Section 4.3, as above designated, by inserting after the word "Councilman" and before the word "to", in the ninth line of said Section 4.3, the following: "or mayor."

Sec. 3. Amend Section 4.4 of Article IV of Section 1 of Chapter 1054 of the Session Laws of 1967 by adding at the end of said Section 4.4 the following:

"The registration books shall be open for the registration of voters at nine o'clock A.M. on the 5th Saturday before the municipal election and the registration books shall be closed at sunset on the 3rd Saturday before each election. The 2nd Saturday before each election shall be challenge day."

Sec. 4. All laws and clauses of laws in conflict with the provisions of this Act are hereby repealed.

Sec. 5. This Act shall be in full force and effect from and after its ratification.

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