§ 115C-512.  Expansion of existing supplemental school tax area pursuant to merger of school administrative units in certain counties.

(a) This section applies to:

(1) Counties that have three school administrative units located entirely within the county, only one of which units has a supplemental school tax in effect that is levied exclusively by the elected school board of the administrative unit.

(2) Counties that have three school administrative units, two of which are entirely within the county and one of which is located in more than one county.

(b) If a school administrative unit in a county to which this section applies merges with another school administrative unit in the county, and one of the merging units has previously voted a supplemental school tax that is in effect prior to and at the time of the merger, then the geographic area subject to the supplemental school tax in effect prior to the merger shall be expanded to include the entire geographic area encompassed by the new school administrative unit resulting from the merger.  The levy and collection of and the expenditure of revenues from the tax shall be expanded as herein provided without approval of the voters of the geographic area directly affected by the merger, and shall be used for purposes provided in G.S. 115C-501(a).

(b1) If legislation is enacted providing for the merger of two school administrative units located entirely within a county described in subdivision (a)(2), and one of the merging units has previously voted a supplemental school tax that is in effect, then from July 1, 1991, and for two years following the effective date of the merger, the board of commissioners of the county in which the units are located may create a special tax district pursuant to this Article consisting of one of the merging units and may levy a supplemental school tax in that district at a rate that is different from the rate levied in the remainder of the merged unit.  The tax levied in the special district may be levied without approval of the voters of the district but may not exceed the amount of the supplemental school tax previously voted in one of the merged units.  The supplemental school tax levied pursuant to this subsection may be used for any purpose for which a board of education may budget funds under Article 31 of Chapter 115C of the General Statutes.

(c) Notwithstanding levying authority in existence prior to the merger, the board of county commissioners shall, upon merger of the administrative units, have the exclusive authority to levy the supplemental tax expanded in accordance with this section, provided that the tax shall be levied at a rate not to exceed the rate of the supplemental school tax in effect prior to the merger of the school administrative units. (1989, c. 768, s. 1; 1991, c. 325, s. 1.)