AN ACT TO REQUIRE THAT municipal elections in the town of belville BE CONDUCTED in even‑numbered years and to increase the mayor's term from two to four years.

The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:

SECTION 1.  Section 4 of the Charter of the Town of Belville, being Chapter 84 of the 1977 Session Laws, reads as rewritten:

Sec. 4. The regular Regular municipal election elections shall be held in November 1977, and biennially thereafter for the election of a mayor and the members of the board of commissioners. in even‑numbered years. The election shall be nonpartisan and decided by simple plurality and held at the time specified in G.S. 163‑279(a)(1).

The municipal elections shall be held and conducted by the county board of elections and the town shall reimburse the county board of elections for the cost thereof except the first election required to be held herein. thereof. The elections shall be conducted in accordance with the applicable provisions of Articles 23 and 24 of Chapter 163 of the General Statutes of North Carolina, except as otherwise provided herein.

SECTION 2.  Section 5 of the Charter of the Town of Belville, being Chapter 84 of the 1977 Session Laws, reads as rewritten:

Sec. 5. In the 1977 municipal election and biennially thereafter, the The mayor shall be elected for a term of two four years. In the 1977 municipal election the two candidates for commissioner receiving the highest number of votes shall be elected for a term of four years, and the two candidates receiving the next highest number of votes shall be elected for a term of two years. Thereafter as the term of each member of the board of commissioners expires, his successor shall be elected for a term of four years.Members of the board of commissioners shall be elected for terms of four years on a staggered basis.

SECTION 3.  No regular municipal elections shall be conducted in the Town of Belville in 2027. The terms of office of the mayor and members of the board of commissioners set to expire in 2027 shall be extended by one year. The terms of office of the members of the board of commissioners set to expire in 2029 shall be extended by one year. Beginning in 2028, municipal elections shall take place biennially in even‑numbered years, pursuant to Section 1 of this act. Beginning in 2028, the mayor shall serve four‑year terms, pursuant to Section 2 of this act.

SECTION 4.  This act is effective when it becomes law and applies to elections held on or after that date.