Norlina/Even-Yr Elect./4-Yr Staggered Terms.

GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA
SESSION 2025
H 2
HOUSE BILL 1217
Committee Substitute Favorable 6/23/26

Short Title: Norlina/Even-Yr Elect./4-Yr Staggered Terms. (Local)
Sponsors:
Referred to:
May 5, 2026
*H1217-v-2*
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1
AN ACT TO REQUIRE THAT MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS IN THE TOWN OF NORLINA BE 2
CONDUCTED IN EVEN -NUMBERED YEARS AND TO EXTEND THE TERMS OF 3
OFFICE FOR MUNICIPAL OFFICERS IN THE TOW N OF NORLINA FROM TW O 4
YEARS TO STAGGERED FOUR-YEAR TERMS. 5
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts: 6
SECTION 1. Section 4 of the Charter of the Town of Norlina, being Chapter 1020 7
of the 1947 Session Laws, reads as rewritten: 8
"Sec. 4. Creation, Salary and Compensation of Mayor and Board of Commissioners. Except 9
as otherwise provided in this charter charter, all powers of the town shall be vested in a board of 10
commissioners of three five members and a mayor nominated and elected from the town at large 11
in the manner herinafter provided. large. The term of office of the mayor and shall be elected to 12
serve a four-year term. The members of the board of commissioners shall be for two years and 13
until their successors are elected and qualified. elected to serve staggered four -year terms. If a 14
vacancy occurs in the office of mayor or commissioners, it shall be filled for the remainder of 15
the unexpired term by a majority vote of the remaining members of the board of commissioners. 16
Each member of the board of commissioners shall receive a salary the amount of which shall be 17
prescribed by ordinance. Members of the board of commissioners shall be qualified electors of 18
the town. A member of the board of commissioners ceasing to possess any of the qualif ications 19
specified in this Section, or convicted of crime while in office, shall immediately forfeit his 20
office." 21
SECTION 2. Section 12 of the Charter of the Town of Norlina, being Chapter 1020 22
of the 1947 Session Laws, reads as rewritten: 23
"Sec. 12. Munic ipal Elections. The regular election for the choice of Regular municipal 24
elections shall be held at the time of the general election in each even-numbered year. The mayor 25
and members of the board of commissioners shall be held on Tuesday following the first Monday 26
in May in odd numbered years. The board of commissioners may, by resolution, order a special 27
election, fix the time for holding the same, and provide all means for holding such special 28
election.elected on a nonpartisan plurality basis in accordance with G.S. 163-292. Except as 29
otherwise provided, elections shall be held and conducted in accordance with the uniform 30
municipal election laws of Chapter 163 of the General Statutes." 31
SECTION 3. Sections 13 through 16 of the Charter of the Town of Norlina, being 32
Chapter 1020 of the 1947 Session Laws, are repealed. 33
SECTION 4. Chapter 95 of the 1969 Session Laws is repealed. 34
SECTION 5. No municipal elections shall be conducted in the Town of Norlina in 35
2027. The terms of office for the mayor and five commissioners serving on the effective date of 36
General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025
Page 2 House Bill 1217-Second Edition
this act whose terms are set to expire in 2027 shall be extended by one year. Regular municipal 1
elections in the Town of Norlina shall resume in even -numbered years beginning in 2028. 2
Following the 2028 municipal election, the mayor and the two board of commissioner candidates 3
receiving the highest number of votes shall be elected to serve four -year terms. The three board 4
of commissioner candidates receiving the next highest number of votes shall be elected to serve 5
two-year terms. In 2030 and every four years thereafter, three members of the board of 6
commissioners shall be elected to serve four-year terms. In 2032 and every four years thereafter, 7
a mayor and two commissioners shall be elected to serve four-year terms. 8
SECTION 6. This act is effective when it becomes law and applies to elections held 9
on or after that date. 10