AN ACT providing that members of the governing boards of counties and cities shall not fix their compensation and allowances at an amount greater than that of a member of the general assembly.

The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:

SECTION 1.  G.S. 153A‑28 reads as rewritten:

§ 153A‑28.  Compensation of board of commissioners.

(a)        The board of commissioners may fix the compensation and allowances of the chair and other members of the board by inclusion of the compensation and allowances in and adoption of the budget ordinance. ordinance; provided, however, that the compensation and allowances fixed by the board of commissioners shall not be greater than the compensation and allowances of a member of the General Assembly under G.S. 120‑3(b) and G.S. 120‑3(c). In addition, if the chair or any other member of the board becomes a full‑time county official, pursuant to G.S. 153A‑81 or 153A‑84, the compensation and allowances may be adjusted at any time during that person's service as a full‑time official, for the duration of that service.service, and that person's compensation and allowances shall not be restricted to that of a member of the General Assembly under G.S. 120‑3(b) and G.S. 120‑3(c).

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SECTION 2.  G.S. 160A‑64 reads as rewritten:

§ 160A‑64.  Compensation of mayor and council.

(a)        The council may fix its own compensation and the compensation of the mayor and any other elected officers of the city by adoption of the annual budget ordinance, but the ordinance; provided, however, that the compensation fixed by the council shall not be greater than the compensation of a member of the General Assembly under G.S. 120‑3(b) and G.S. 120‑3(c). The salary of an elected officer other than a member of the council may not be reduced during the then‑current term of office unless he agrees thereto. thereto, except as necessary to comply with the provisions of this subsection. The mayor, councilmen, and other elected officers are entitled to reimbursement for actual expenses incurred in the course of performing their official duties at rates not in excess of those allowed to other city officers and employees, or to a fixed allowance, the amount of which shall be established by the council, for travel and other personal expenses of office; provided, any fixed allowance so established during a term of office shall not be increased during such term of office.office and the reimbursement for actual expenses or fixed allowance shall not be greater than that authorized by law for a member of the General Assembly under G.S. 120‑3(b) and G.S. 120‑3(c).

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SECTION 3.  This act is effective when it becomes law and applies to the annual budget ordinance adopted for the 2023‑2024 fiscal year.