AN ACT to PROVIDE THAT REGULAR MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS IN all of the TOWNS IN PAMLICO COUNTY SHALL BE HELD IN EVEN‑NUMBERED YEARS.

The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:

SECTION 1.(a)  Sections 3‑3 and 3‑4 of the Charter of the Town of Grantsboro, being S.L. 1997‑446, as amended by S.L. 2011‑83, read as rewritten:

Section 3‑3. Term of Office of Council Members. Members of the Council are elected to four‑year terms in 2011 and quadrennially thereafter.terms.

Section 3‑4. Mayor; Term of Office. The Mayor shall be elected by the qualified voters of the Town in 2011 and quadrennially thereafter for a four‑year term.

SECTION 1.(b)  Section 4‑1 of the Charter of the Town of Grantsboro, being S.L. 1997‑446, reads as rewritten:

Section 4‑1. Elections. Regular municipal elections shall be held at the time of the general election in even‑numbered years. Council members for the Town of Grantsboro shall be elected on a nonpartisan plurality basis and the results determined in accordance with G.S. 163‑292. Except as otherwise provided, the election shall be conducted in accordance with the uniform municipal election laws in Chapter 163 of the General Statutes.

SECTION 1.(c)  Section 4‑2 of the Charter of the Town of Grantsboro, being S.L. 1997‑446, is repealed.

SECTION 1.(d)  No municipal elections shall be conducted in the Town of Grantsboro in 2027. The terms of office for the Council members and Mayor in the Town of Grantsboro serving on the effective date of this act shall be extended by one year. Regular municipal elections shall be conducted in the Town of Grantsboro every four years beginning in 2028. Beginning in 2028, five Council members and a Mayor shall be elected to serve four‑year terms.

SECTION 2.(a)  Section 3 of the Charter of the Town of Minnesott Beach, being Chapter 890 of the 1971 Session Laws, reads as rewritten:

Sec. 3. The governing body of said Town shall consist of a mayor and four commissioners who shall be elected at the time and in the manner provided in the General Statutes.commissioners. The mayor and four commissioners shall be elected to serve two‑year terms. Regular municipal elections shall be held at the time of the general election in each even‑numbered year. The mayor and commissioners shall be elected on a nonpartisan plurality basis, and the results determined in accordance with G.S. 163‑292. Except as otherwise provided, the election shall be conducted in accordance with the uniform municipal election laws in Chapter 163 of the General Statutes.

SECTION 2.(b)  No municipal elections shall be conducted in the Town of Minnesott Beach in 2025. The terms of office of the mayor and the four commissioners serving on the effective date of this act whose terms are set to expire in 2025 shall be extended by one year. Regular municipal elections shall be conducted in the Town of Minnesott Beach in even‑numbered years beginning in 2026. Beginning in 2026, the mayor and four commissioners shall be elected to serve two‑year terms.

SECTION 3.(a)  Notwithstanding the Charter of the Town of Oriental, being Chapter 184 of the Private Laws of 1899, as amended by Chapter 878 of the 1991 Session Laws and Chapter 4 of the 1993 Session Laws, regular municipal elections for officers in the Town of Oriental shall be held at the time of the general election each even‑numbered year. The election shall be conducted on a nonpartisan plurality basis, and the results determined in accordance with G.S. 163‑292. Except as otherwise provided, the election shall be conducted in accordance with the uniform municipal election laws in Chapter 163 of the General Statutes.

SECTION 3.(b)  No municipal elections shall be conducted in the Town of Oriental in 2025. The terms of office for the mayor and five commissioners in the Town of Oriental serving on the effective date of this act whose terms are set to expire in 2025 shall be extended by one year. Regular municipal elections shall be conducted in the Town of Oriental in even‑numbered years beginning in 2026. Beginning in 2026, a mayor and five commissioners shall be elected to serve two‑year terms.

SECTION 4.(a)  Notwithstanding the Charter of the Town of Vandemere, being Chapter 311 of the Private Laws of 1895, regular municipal elections for officers in the Town of Vandemere shall be held at the time of the general election each even‑numbered year. The election shall be conducted on a nonpartisan plurality basis, and the results determined in accordance with G.S. 163‑292. Except as otherwise provided, the election shall be conducted in accordance with the uniform municipal election laws in Chapter 163 of the General Statutes.

SECTION 4.(b)  No municipal elections shall be conducted in the Town of Vandemere in 2025. The terms of office for the mayor and five commissioners in the Town of Vandemere serving on the effective date of this act whose terms are set to expire in 2025 shall be extended by one year. Regular municipal elections shall be conducted in the Town of Vandemere in even‑numbered years beginning in 2026. Beginning in 2026, a mayor and five commissioners shall be elected to serve two‑year terms.

SECTION 5.(a)  Section 8 of the Charter of the Town of Alliance, being Chapter 760 of the 1965 Session Laws, reads as rewritten:

Sec. 8. Mayor and Mayor Pro Tem. At its organizational meeting on the first Saturday in July, 1967, and biennially thereafter following a each regular municipal election, the board of commissioners shall elect the town commissioner with the largest vote at said election, as chairman, chair, who shall act as mayor, and another of its members its vice chairman, chair, who shall act as mayor pro tempore. The mayor shall preside at meetings of the governing board, and shall exercise such other powers and perform such other duties as are or may be conferred and imposed upon him by the general laws of North Carolina, by this Charter, and by the ordinances of the town. He The mayor shall be recognized as the head of the town government, for all ceremonial purposes, by the courts for the service of all legal process in civil matters, and by the Governor for the purposes of civil defense and military law. In time of public danger or emergency the mayor shall, if so authorized and directed by the town governing board, take and exercise command of the town police, maintain order, and enforce the law. In case of the absence or other disability of the mayor to act, the mayor pro tempore shall act as mayor during the continuance of the absence or other disability.

SECTION 5.(b)  Section 14 of the Charter of the Town of Alliance, being Chapter 760 of the 1965 Session Laws, reads as rewritten:

Sec. 14. Municipal Elections. The regular election of members of the board of commissioners shall be held on the last Saturday in June in the odd‑numbered years, beginning with the last Saturday in June, 1967, and biennially thereafter. The board of commissioners may, for any other lawful purpose, and by resolution, order a special election, fix the time for holding the same, and provide all other details and means for holding such special election.at the time of the general election in each even‑numbered year. The board of commissioners shall be elected on a nonpartisan plurality basis, and the results determined in accordance with G.S. 163‑292.

SECTION 5.(c)  Section 15 of the Charter of the Town of Alliance, being Chapter 760 of the 1965 Session Laws, reads as rewritten:

Sec. 15. Regulations of Elections. All elections shall be conducted in accordance with the general uniform municipal laws relating to municipal elections, in Chapter 163 of the General Statutes, except as otherwise provided herein.

SECTION 5.(d)  Sections 16, 17, 18, and 19 of the Charter of the Town of Alliance, being Chapter 760 of the 1965 Session Laws, are repealed.

SECTION 5.(e)  No municipal elections shall be conducted in the Town of Alliance in 2025. The terms of office of the five members of the board of commissioners serving on the effective date of this act whose terms are set to expire in 2025 shall be extended by one year. Regular municipal elections shall be conducted in the Town of Alliance in even‑numbered years beginning in 2026. Beginning in 2026, the five members of the board of commissioners shall be elected to serve two‑year terms.

SECTION 6.(a)  Notwithstanding the Charter of the Town of Arapahoe, being the Charter approved by the Municipal Board of Control and filed with the Secretary of State on September 21, 1920, as reactivated by Chapter 200 of the 1969 Session Laws, regular municipal elections for officers in the Town of Arapahoe shall be held at the time of the general election each even‑numbered year. The election shall be conducted on a nonpartisan plurality basis, and the results determined in accordance with G.S. 163‑292. Except as otherwise provided, the election shall be conducted in accordance with the uniform municipal election laws in Chapter 163 of the General Statutes.

SECTION 6.(b)  No municipal elections shall be conducted in the Town of Arapahoe in 2025. The terms of office for the mayor and five commissioners in the Town of Arapahoe serving on the effective date of this act whose terms are set to expire in 2025 shall be extended by one year. Regular municipal elections shall be conducted in the Town of Arapahoe in even‑numbered years beginning in 2026. Beginning in 2026, a mayor and five commissioners shall be elected to serve two‑year terms.

SECTION 7.(a)  Section 2 of the Charter of the Town of Bayboro, being Chapter 110 of the Private Laws of 1903, reads as rewritten:

SEC. 2. That there shall be held on the first Tuesday in May,1903, an election for mayor The governing body for the Town of Bayboro shall consist of a Mayor and three five Town Commissioners, and biennially thereafter on the first Tuesday in May an election shall be held for the purpose of electing a Mayor and three Commissioners for said town. That the elected for staggered four‑year terms. Regular municipal elections shall be held at the time of the general election in each even‑numbered year. The Mayor and Town Commissioners of said town shall hold a meeting on the first Wednesday in each month for the purpose of transacting the business of said town. That all be elected on a nonpartisan plurality basis, and the results determined in accordance with G.S. 163‑292. Except as otherwise provided, municipal elections shall be held under the provisions of the general election law, except as herein amended, except that the Board of Town Commissioners shall appoint all registrar of elections for said town elections and all poll holders, and shall canvass all the votes cast at each election and issue certificates of election to the successful candidates, and in case of a tie in the vote of  any  two  or  more candidates they may decide by a majority vote of said board in favor of either and declare the results of all elections; and for the purpose of carrying out the provisions of this section the Board of Town Commissioners shall   on the first Wednesday in April, 1903, and biennially thereafter on the first Wednesday in April, and appoint a registrar and two poll holders to hold said election, and the registrar shall be required to keep open the registration book for registration of voters for ten days only, being the ten days next preceding the day of election, Sundays excluded.conducted in accordance with the uniform municipal election laws in Chapter 163 of the General Statutes.

SECTION 7.(b)  No municipal elections shall be conducted in the Town of Bayboro in 2025. The terms of office for the Mayor and two Commissioners in the Town of Bayboro serving on the effective date of this act whose terms are set to expire in 2025 shall be extended by one year. The terms of office for the three Commissioners in the Town of Bayboro serving on the effective date of this act whose terms are set to expire in 2027 shall be extended by one year. Regular municipal elections shall be conducted in the Town of Bayboro in even‑numbered years beginning in 2026.

SECTION 8.(a)  Section 3.4 of the Charter of the Town of Mesic, being Chapter 626 of the 1971 Session Laws, reads as rewritten:

Section 3.4. Terms; Qualifications; Vacancies.

(a)        Except for the terms of office as specified in Section 3.1. and Section 4.1. herein, the Mayor and the members of the Town Board shall serve for terms of two (2) 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.

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

(c)        If any elected Commissioner shall refuse to qualify, or if there shall be any vacancy in the office of Commissioner after election and qualification, the remaining members of the Board shall by majority vote appoint some qualified person to serve for the unexpired term. Any Commissioner so appointed shall have the same authority and powers as if regularly elected.

SECTION 8.(b)  Section 4.1 of the Charter of the Town of Mesic, being Chapter 626 of the 1971 Session Laws, reads as rewritten:

Section 4.1. Regular Municipal Elections. Regular municipal elections shall be held on the Tuesday after the first Monday in May of each odd-numbered year, beginning in 1973. In the regular election in 1973 and biennially thereafter, there shall be elected five (5) Commissioners. In the regular election in 1973 and biennially thereafter, there shall be elected a Mayor for a term of two (2) years.at the time of the general election in even‑numbered years. The Mayor and the Commissioners shall be elected on a nonpartisan plurality basis, and the results determined in accordance with G.S. 163‑292.

SECTION 8.(c)  Section 4.2 of the Charter of the Town of Mesic, being Chapter 626 of the 1971 Session Laws, is repealed.

SECTION 8.(d)  Section 4.3 of the Charter of the Town of Mesic, being Chapter 626 of the 1971 Session Laws, reads as rewritten:

Section 4.3. Regulation of Elections. All municipal elections shall be conducted in accordance with the general uniform municipal election laws of North Carolina relating to municipal elections, in Chapter 163 of the General Statutes, except as otherwise provided herein.

SECTION 8.(e)  No municipal elections shall be conducted in the Town of Mesic in 2025. The terms of office of the Mayor and the five Commissioners serving on the effective date of this act whose terms are set to expire in 2025 shall be extended by one year. Regular municipal elections shall be conducted in the Town of Mesic in even‑numbered years beginning in 2026. Beginning in 2026, the Mayor and five Commissioners shall be elected to serve two‑year terms.

SECTION 9.(a)  Section 4 of the Charter of the Town of Stonewall, being Chapter 385 of the 1969 Session Laws, reads as rewritten:

Sec. 4. The governing body of said Town shall consist of a mayor and three commissioners who shall be elected at the time and in the manner provided in Chapter 160 commissioners, each elected to serve two‑year terms. Regular municipal elections shall be held at the time of the general election in each even‑numbered year. The mayor and commissioners shall be elected on a nonpartisan plurality basis, and the results determined in accordance with G.S. 163‑292. Except as otherwise provided, the election shall be conducted in accordance with the uniform municipal election laws of Chapter 163 of the General Statutes.

SECTION 9.(b)  No municipal elections shall be conducted in the Town of Stonewall in 2025. The terms of office for the mayor and three commissioners in the Town of Stonewall serving on the effective date of this act whose terms are set to expire in 2025 shall be extended by one year. Regular municipal elections shall be conducted in the Town of Stonewall in even‑numbered years beginning in 2026. Beginning in 2026, a mayor and three commissioners shall be elected to serve two‑year terms.

SECTION 10.  This act is effective when it becomes law and applies to elections held on or after that date.