GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA

 SESSION 2011

SESSION LAW 2012-47

SENATE BILL 859

AN ACT to provide that regular municipal elections in the town of PILOT MOUNTAIN and the Town of Dobson are held in even-numbered years.

The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:

SECTION 1.  Section 3.3 of the Charter of the Town of Pilot Mountain, being Chapter 28 of the Session Laws of 1971, as amended by Town Ordinance 217, adopted April 22, 2002, reads as rewritten:

"Sec. 3.3. Terms; Qualifications; Vacancies.

(a)        The Mayor shall and members of the Board of Commissioners shall serve for terms of four (4) years, beginning the day and hour of the organizational meeting following their election, as established by ordinance in accordance with this Charter; provided, they shall serve until their successors are elected and qualify.qualify, provided further that (i) the Mayor elected in 2011 shall serve a term of three years, but the Mayor's successors shall serve terms of four years; and (ii) the members of the board of commissioners elected in 2009 and 2011 shall serve terms of three years, but the members' successors shall serve terms of four years.

…."

SECTION 2.  Section 4.1 of the Charter of the Town of Pilot Mountain, being Chapter 28 of the Session Laws of 1971, is rewritten to read:

"Sec. 4.1. Regular Elections. Elections shall be held biennially on the Tuesday after the first Monday in November, beginning in 2012. In the 2014 election and quadrennially thereafter, the candidate for Mayor who receives the largest number of votes cast for Mayor shall be declared elected for a term of four years. In the 2012 election and quadrennially thereafter, the two candidates for Commissioner who receive the largest numbers of votes cast for Commissioner shall be declared elected for terms of four years. In the 2014 election and quadrennially thereafter, the two candidates for Commissioner who receive the largest numbers of votes cast for Commissioner shall be declared elected for terms of four years. Regular municipal elections shall be held biennially in even-numbered years, but shall otherwise be conducted in accordance with the general law governing municipal elections, except that absentee ballots shall be available on the same schedule as for county and State officers at that election."

SECTION 3. Section 3.3 of the Charter of the Town of Dobson, being Chapter 232 of the Session Laws of 1975, as amended by Town Ordinance dated February 18, 2010, reads as rewritten:

"Sec. 3.3. Terms; qualifications; vacancies.

(a)        The members of the Board of Commissioners shall serve for terms of four years, and the Mayor shall serve for a term of four years, beginning the day and hour of the organizational meeting following their election, as established by ordinance in accordance with this Charter; provided, they shall serve until their successors are elected and qualify.qualify, provided further that (i) the Mayor elected in 2009 shall serve a term of five years, but the Mayor's successors shall serve terms of four years; and (ii) the members of the board of commissioners elected in 2009 and 2011 shall serve terms of five years, but the members' successors shall serve terms of four years.

(b)        No person shall be eligible to be a candidate or to be elected as Mayor or as a member of the Board of Commissioners or to serve in such capacity, unless he is a resident and a qualified voter of the Town.

(c)        In the event a vacancy occurs in the office of Mayor or Commissioner, the Board shall by majority vote appoint some qualified person to fill the same for the remainder of the unexpired term."

SECTION 4.   Section 4.1 of the Charter of the Town of Dobson, being Chapter 232 of the Session Laws of 1975, reads as rewritten:

"Sec. 4.1. Regular municipal elections. Regular municipal elections shall be held biennially in odd-numberedeven-numbered years on the day set by general law for municipal elections.the Tuesday after the first Monday in November, beginning in 2014. In the 1975 2014 regular municipal election and biennially quadrennially thereafter there shall be elected a Mayor for a term of two four years. In the 1975 2016 regular municipal election and quadrennially thereafter, three Commissioners shall be elected to serve terms of four years each. In the 1977 2014 regular municipal election and quadrennially thereafter, two Commissioners shall be elected to serve terms of four years each."

SECTION 5.  This act is effective when it becomes law.

In the General Assembly read three times and ratified this the 21^st day of June, 2012.

                                                                    s/  Walter H. Dalton

                                                                         President of the Senate

                                                                    s/  Thom Tillis

                                                                         Speaker of the House of Representatives