Even-Year Municipal Elections/Catawba Co.

GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA
SESSION 2025
S 1
SENATE BILL 810

Short Title: Even-Year Municipal Elections/Catawba Co. (Local)
Sponsors: Senator Hollo (Primary Sponsor).
Referred to: Rules and Operations of the Senate
April 22, 2026
*S810-v-1*
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1
AN ACT TO REQUIRE TH AT REGULAR MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS FOR ALL 2
MUNICIPALITIES IN CA TAWBA COUNTY BE HELD IN EVEN -NUMBERED 3
YEARS. 4
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts: 5
6
TOWN OF BROOKFORD 7
SECTION 1.(a) Section 3 of the Charter of the Town of Brookford, being Chapter 8
230 of the Private Laws of 1907, as amended by Chapter 109 of the 1961 Session Laws and 9
Town Ordinance, reads as rewritten: 10
"Sec. 3. That the officers of the said corporation shall be a may or, three commissioners and 11
such other officers and agents as may be appointed by the board of commissioners to enforce 12
their ordinances, keep their records, and otherwise aid in the conduct of the affairs of the town. 13
That until Tuesday after the first Mo nday in May, one thousand nine hundred and seven, T. J. 14
Leonard is appointed to the office of mayor of said town, and W. H. Shuford, J. W. Ballew and 15
C. E. Cole are appointed commissioners thereof; that the said mayor and commissioners shall 16
hold their off ices until their successors are elected and qualified, as hereafter provided. The 17
officers of the Town of Brookford shall be a mayor and four aldermen. The term of office for 18
mayor shall be four years. The terms of office for the aldermen shall be four -year staggered 19
terms." 20
SECTION 1.(b) Section 4 of the Charter of the Town of Brookford, being Chapter 21
230 of the Private Laws of 1907, as amended by Chapter 109 of the 1961 Session Laws and 22
Town Ordinance, reads as rewritten: 23
"Sec. 4. That there shall be an election to the offices of mayor and commissioners of said 24
town on Tuesday after the first Monday in May, one thousand nine hundred and seven, and 25
biennially thereafter, under the same restrictions and regulations under which Shate and county 26
elections are held, and as provided by law for elections in cities and towns in North 27
Carolina.Regular municipal elections for officers in the Town of Brookford shall be held at the 28
time of the general election in each even -numbered year. The election shall be conducte d on a 29
nonpartisan plurality basis and the results determined in accordance with G.S. 163-292. Except 30
as otherwise provided, the election shall be conducted in accordance with the uniform municipal 31
election laws in Chapter 163 of the General Statutes." 32
SECTION 1.(c) No municipal elections shall be conducted in the Town of Brookford 33
in 2027. The terms of office for the two aldermen in the Town of Brookford serving on the 34
effective date of this section whose terms are set to expire in 2027 shall be extended by one year. 35
The terms of office for the mayor and two aldermen in the Town of Brookford serving on the 36
General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025
Page 2 Senate Bill 810-First Edition
effective date of this section whose terms are set to expire in 2029 shall be extended by one year. 1
Regular municipal elections in the Town of Brookford shall resume in even -numbered years 2
beginning in 2028 with the same staggering of terms as when elections were conducted in the 3
odd-numbered years. 4
5
TOWN OF CATAWBA 6
SECTION 2.(a) Section 4 of the Charter of the Town of Catawba, being Chapter 7
274 of the Private Laws of 1893, as amended by Chapter 333 of the 1951 Session Laws, Chapter 8
224 of the 1965 Session Laws, Town Ordinance No. 02 -10 adopted on July 1, 2002, and Town 9
Ordinance No. 2006-15 adopted on November 6, 2006, and referred to as Section 5 in the current 10
amended Town Code, reads as rewritten: 11
"Sec. 5. Elections. 12
… 13
(b) Elections shall be conducted on the first Tuesday of November in odd-numbered 14
even-numbered years as provided by the laws of North Carolina. 15
… 16
(d) The mayor shall be elected every four years, for a term of four years, beginning with the 17
regular municipal election in 2007.years. 18
…." 19
SECTION 2.(b) No municipal elections shall be conducted in the Town of Catawba 20
in 2027. The terms of office for the mayor and two council members in the Town of Catawba 21
serving on the effective date of this section whose terms are set to expire in 2027 shall be 22
extended by one year. The terms of office for the two council members in the Town of Catawba 23
serving on the e ffective date of this section whose terms are set to expire in 2029 shall be 24
extended by one year. Regular municipal elections in the Town of Catawba shall resume in 25
even-numbered years beginning in 2028 with the same staggering of terms as when elections 26
were conducted in the odd-numbered years. 27
28
CITY OF CLAREMONT 29
SECTION 3.(a) Section 3 of the Charter of the City of Claremont, being Chapter 11 30
of the Private Laws of 1893, as amended by Chapter 76 of the 1961 Session Laws, Chapter 97 of 31
the 1975 Session Laws, S.L. 2005-54, and Town Ordinance adopted on February 3, 1976, reads 32
as rewritten: 33
"Sec. 3. Elections; Terms of mayor and councilmen.council members. 34
(a) At the regular annual election of city officers in May, 1961, in the City of Claremont, 35
the qualified voters shall elect a mayor and five (5) councilmen.The governing body for the City 36
of Claremont shall consist of a mayor and five council members , elected to serve four -year 37
staggered terms. Regular municipal elections shall be held at the time of the general election in 38
each even-numbered year. Council members for the City of Claremont shall be elected on a 39
nonpartisan plurality basis and the results de termined in accordance with G.S. 163-292. Except 40
as otherwise provided, the election shall be conducted in accordance with the uniform municipal 41
election laws in Chapter 163 of the General Statutes. 42
(b) The mayor to be elected in 2005 shall shall be elected to serve for a term of four years 43
or until a successor is duly elected and qualified. Thereafter, a mayor shall be elected every four 44
years in the odd-numbered years and the term of office shall be four years. 45
(c) Of the five (5) councilmen now holding office in the City of Claremont, Catawba 46
County, successors to the offices now held by Harold McRee Wilson, Eddy Gaither Harwell, and 47
William David Watts shall be elected at the November, 1975, election, and every fou r (4) years 48
thereafter, for the City of Claremont and shall serve for terms of four (4) years or until their 49
successors are elected and qualified. Successors to the offices now held by Timothy Allan 50
Lowrance and Gary Wayne Carpenter shall be elected at the regular November, 1977, election, 51
General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025
Senate Bill 810-First Edition Page 3
and every four (4) years thereafter, for the City of Claremont and shall serve for terms of four (4) 1
years or until their successors are elected and qualified. The terms of office of Timothy Allan 2
Lowrance and Gary Wayne Carpenter are hereby extended to November, 1977, or until their 3
successors are elected and qualified. Thereafter, as the terms of office expire, councilmen Council 4
members elected at regular town City elections shall serve for terms of four (4) years or un til 5
their successors are duly elected and qualified." 6
SECTION 3.(b) No municipal elections shall be conducted in the City of Claremont 7
in 2027. The terms of office for the three council members in the City of Claremont serving on 8
the effective date of this section whose terms are set to expire in 2027 shall be extended by one 9
year. The terms of office for the mayor and two council members in the City of Claremont serving 10
on the effective date of this section whose terms are set to expire in 2029 shall be e xtended by 11
one year. Regular municipal elections in the City of Claremont shall resume in even -numbered 12
years beginning in 2028 with the same staggering of terms as when elections were conducted in 13
the odd-numbered years. 14
15
CITY OF CONOVER 16
SECTION 4.(a) Section 4.01 of the Charter of the City of Conover, being Chapter 17
78 of the 1977 Session Laws, as amended by City Ordinance No. 16 -96 adopted July 8, 1996, 18
reads as rewritten: 19
"Section 4.01. Conduct of city elections. Regular municipal elections shall be held at the time 20
of the general election in each even-numbered year. All elections for mayor and council shall be 21
held on a nonpartisan basis and the results determined by plurality as provided in G.S. 163 -22
279(a)(1). G.S. 163-292. The term of office of the mayor shall be four (4) years. The terms of 23
office of councilmen council members shall be four years. At the regular election in November, 24
1997, and quadrennially thereafter, two councilmen and the mayor shall be elected. At the regular 25
election in November, 1979, and quadrennially thereafter, three councilmen shall be elected. 26
four-year staggered terms. The elections for the City of Conover shall be held and conducted 27
pursuant to the applicable provisions of Articles 23 and 24 of in accordance with the uniform 28
municipal election laws in Chapter 163 of the General Statutes of North Carolina.Statutes, except 29
as otherwise provided." 30
SECTION 4.(b) No municipal elections shall be conducted in the City of Conover 31
in 2027. The terms of office for the three council members in the City of Conover serving on the 32
effective date of this section whose terms are set to expire in 2027 shall be extended by one year. 33
The terms of office for the mayor and two council members in the City of Conover serving on 34
the effective date of this section whose terms are set to expire in 2029 shall be extended by one 35
year. Regular municipal elections in the City of Conover s hall resume in even -numbered years 36
beginning in 2028 with the same staggering of terms as when elections were conducted in the 37
odd-numbered years. 38
39
CITY OF HICKORY 40
SECTION 5.(a) Section 2.01 of the Charter of the City of Hickory, being Chapter 41
323 of the 1961 Session Laws, as amended by Chapter 404 of the 1967 Session Laws, reads as 42
rewritten: 43
"Sec. 2.01. Composition, Election, and Terms of Mayor and City Council; Time of General 44
Election. (a) The voters of the city shall elect a mayor and six aldermen. council members. The 45
mayor shall be nominated and elected at large. The aldermen council members shall be 46
nominated by wards and elected at large. The candidate from each ward receiving the highest 47
number of votes shall be declared elected. Except as is otherwise provided in this Charter, no two 48
aldermen council members shall be residents of the same ward. All municipal elections shall be 49
nonpartisan. 50
General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025
Page 4 Senate Bill 810-First Edition
(b) A general municipal election shall be held on the first Monday in June of 1967, and 1
on the first Monday in June of 1968. In 1970, and biennially thereafter, the general municipal 2
election shall be held on the first Monday in Jun e.Regular municipal elections shall be held at 3
the time of the general election in each even -numbered year. The mayor and council members 4
shall be elected on a nonpartisan plurality basis and the results determined in accordance with 5
G.S. 163-292. Except as otherwise provided, the elections for the City of Hickory shall be held 6
and conducted in accordance with the uniform municipal election laws in Chapter 163 of the 7
General Statutes. 8
(c) The terms of all council members shall begin at the day and hour pre scribed by 9
Section 3.03 of this Charter for the taking of the oath of office, and shall run for a period of four 10
years, except for member's interim terms of three years for the next election of aldermen of the 11
fourth, fifth, and sixth wards. This Section s hall apply to elections coming in 1967. Members 12
shall serve until their successors are elected and qualified. In the event that it is not possible 13
otherwise to determine which of two or more persons should be considered a hold-over alderman, 14
decision shall be made by lot between the aldermen who are willing to serve, the lots to be cast 15
under the supervision of the mayor and the remaining qualified aldermen. The mayor shall be 16
elected f or a term of four years. The terms of office of council members shall be four-year 17
staggered terms." 18
SECTION 5.(b) No municipal elections shall be conducted in the City of Hickory 19
in 2027. The terms of office for the three council members in the City of Hickory serving on the 20
effective date of this section whose terms are set to expire in 2027 shall be extended by one year. 21
The terms of office for the mayor and three council members in the City of Hickory serving on 22
the effective date of this section whose terms are set to expire in 2029 shall be extended by one 23
year. Regular municipal elections in the City of Hickory shall resume in even -numbered years 24
beginning in 2028 with the same staggering of terms as when elections were conducted in the 25
odd-numbered years. 26
27
TOWN OF LONG VIEW 28
SECTION 6.(a) Section 3 of the Charter of the Town of Long View, being Chapter 29
430 of the Private Laws of 1907, as amended by Chapter 131 of the Private Laws of 1929, 30
Chapter 789 of the 1955 Session Laws, and Motion of Town Board of Aldermen Meeting on 31
January 3, 1978, reads as rewritten: 32
"Sec. 3. Town Elections. 33
(a) The governing body for the Town of Long View shall consist of a mayor and six 34
aldermen. The mayor shall be nominated and elected by the voters at large for a four -year term 35
and shall serve until a successor is elected and qualified. Each ward of the Town of Long View 36
shall be represented on the board of aldermen by one alderman, who must be a resident of that 37
ward and nominated and elected by that ward. The aldermen shall serve four-year staggered terms 38
and until their successors are elected and qualified. 39
The Town of Long View shall be divided into five wards as follows: 40
… 41
(b) Regular municipal elections shall be held at the time of the general election in each 42
even-numbered year. The mayor and aldermen shall be elected on a nonpartisan plurality basis 43
and the results determined in accordance with G.S. 163-292. Except as otherwise provided, t he 44
elections for the Town of Long View shall be held and conducted in accordance with the uniform 45
municipal election laws in Chapter 163 of the General Statutes." 46
SECTION 6.(b) No municipal elections shall be conducted in the Town of Long 47
View in 2027. The terms of office for the three aldermen in the Town of Long View serving on 48
the effective date of this section whose terms are set to expire in 2027 shall be extended by one 49
year. The terms of office for the mayor and three aldermen in the Town of Long View serving 50
on the effective date of this section whose terms are set to expire in 2029 shall be extended by 51
General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025
Senate Bill 810-First Edition Page 5
one year. Regular municipal elections in the Town of Long View shall resume in even-numbered 1
years beginning in 2028 with the same staggering of terms as when elections were conducted in 2
the odd-numbered years. 3
4
TOWN OF MAIDEN 5
SECTION 7.(a) Section 4 of the Charter of the Town of Maiden, being Chapter 103 6
of the Private Laws of 1883, as amended by Chapter 445 of the 1955 Session Laws, Town 7
Ordinance No. 3-76 adopted on April 5, 1976, and Ordinance No. 11 -2006 adopted on April 3, 8
2006, reads as rewritten: 9
"Section 4. Elections. 10
… 11
(b) Elections shall be conducted on the first Tuesday of November in odd-numbered 12
even-numbered years as provided by the Laws of North Carolina. 13
(c) Election of the Mayor and Council shall be on a nonpartisan plurality basis and the 14
following rules shall be utilized in determining those elected: (1) When more than one person is 15
seeking election to a single office, the candidate who receives the hig hest number of votes shall 16
be declared elected. (2) When more persons are seeking election to two or more offices 17
(constituting a group) than there are offices to be filled, those candidates receiving the highest 18
number of votes equal in number to the number of offices to be filled, shall be declared elected. 19
(3) If two or more candidates receiving the highest number of votes each receive the same number 20
of votes, the board of elections shall determine the winner by lot.results determined in accordance 21
with G.S. 163-292. Except as otherwise provided, the elections for the Town of Maiden shall be 22
held and conducted in accordance with the uniform municipal election laws in Chapter 163 of 23
the General Statutes. 24
(d) The term of office for the Mayor shall be two (2) years. 25
(e) The term of office for the Council shall be determined as follows: (1) Election in 1975 to 26
provide that the two candidates receiving the first and second largest number of votes to serve 27
four-year terms; (2) Election in 1975 to provide that the three candidates receiving the third, 28
fourth, and fifth largest number of votes to serve two-year terms; (3) Election in 1977 to provide 29
that the two candidates receiving the first and second largest number of votes to serve four -year 30
terms; (4) Electi on in 1977 to provide that the candidate receiving the third largest number of 31
votes to serve a two-year term; (5) Election in all odd-numbered years after 1977 to provide that 32
staggered such that during the regular municipal election in each even -numbered year, three 33
council members shall be elected with the two candidates receiving the first and second largest 34
number of votes to serve four -year terms; terms and the candidate receiving the third largest 35
number of votes to serve a two-year term." 36
SECTION 7.(b) No municipal elections shall be conducted in the Town of Maiden 37
in 2027. The terms of office for the mayor and two council members in the Town of Maiden 38
serving on the effective date of this section whose terms are set to expire in 2027 shall be 39
extended by one year. The terms of office for three council members in the Town of Maiden 40
serving on the effective date of this section whose terms are set to expire in 2029 shall be 41
extended by one year. Regular municipal elections in the Town of Maiden shal l resume in 42
even-numbered years beginning in 2028 with the same staggering of terms as when elections 43
were conducted in the odd-numbered years. 44
45
CITY OF NEWTON 46
SECTION 8.(a) Article III of the Charter of the City of Newton, being Chapter 1042 47
of the 1989 Session Laws, as amended by City Ordinance No. 2002.29 adopted on July 10, 2002, 48
reads as rewritten: 49
"ARTICLE III. GOVERNING BODY. 50
General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025
Page 6 Senate Bill 810-First Edition
"Section 3.1. Structure of Governing Body; Number of Members. The Governing Body 1
of the City of Newton is the Board of Aldermen, City Council, which has six members, and the 2
Mayor. 3
"Section 3.2. Manner of Election of Board. Council. The qualified voters of the entire 4
City elect the members of the Board.Council. 5
"Section 3.3. Term of Office of Members of the Board. Council. Members of the Board 6
Council are elected to four -year staggered terms. In 1991 and each four years thereafter, three 7
members of the Board shall be elected. In 1993 and each four years thereafter, three members of 8
the Board shall be elected. 9
"Section 3.4. Election of Mayor; Term of Office. The qualified voters of the entire City 10
elect the Mayor. A new Mayor shall be elected in 1991 and each two years thereafter.Mayor who 11
shall serve a four-year term." 12
SECTION 8.(b) Section 4.1 of the Charter of the City of Newton, being Chapter 13
1042 of the 1989 Session Laws, reads as rewritten: 14
"Section 4.1. Conduct of City Elections. Regular municipal elections shall be held at the 15
time of the general election in each even -numbered year. City officers shall be elected on a 16
nonpartisan basis and the results determined by plurality, as provided by G.S. 163-292." 17
SECTION 8.(c) No municipal elections shall be conducted in the City of Newton in 18
2027. The terms of office for the mayor and three council members in the City of Newton serving 19
on the effective date of this section whose terms are set to expire in 2027 shall be extended by 20
one year. The terms of office for the three council members in the City of Newton serving on the 21
effective date of this section whose terms are set to expire in 2029 shall be extended by one year. 22
Regular municipal elections in the City of Newton shall resume in even -numbered years 23
beginning in 2028 with the same staggering of terms as when elections were conducted in the 24
odd-numbered years. 25
26
EFFECTIVE DATE 27
SECTION 9. This act is effective when it becomes law and applies to elections held 28
on or after that date. 29