AN ACT to alter the manner in which appointments are made to the washington‑warren airport.

The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:

SECTION 1.(a)  Section 2 of S.L. 2022‑34 reads as rewritten:

SECTION 2.  The Airport Authority shall consist of seven members appointed by the Washington City Council as provided in this section to serve staggered three‑year terms. Each member shall take and subscribe an oath of office before the Clerk of Superior Court of Beaufort County and file the same with the clerk to the board of the Beaufort County Commissioners and the clerk to the board of the Washington City Council. Members of the Airport Authority may be appointed to one or more successive terms by the Washington City Council. appointing authority. The Washington City Council appointing authority shall fill any vacancies arising on the Airport Authority. In appointing members or filling vacancies to Members of the Airport Authority, the Washington City Council shall appoint members Authority shall be appointed as follows:

(1)        Two members One member appointed by the City of Washington who shall be a registered voters voter of the City of Washington with aviation or drone experience in aviation.or business management expertise.

(2)        One member appointed by the Beaufort County Commissioners who shall be a registered voter of the County of Beaufort and of the City of Washington.Washington with business management or financial expertise.

(3)        Two members appointed by the Beaufort County Commissioners who shall be registered voters of the County of Beaufort with experience in aviation and shall not be registered voters of the City of Washington.Washington with aviation or drone experience.

(4)        One member shall be a registered voter of the County of Beaufort and shall not be a registered voter of the City of Washington.

(5)        One member shall be a registered voter of the County of Beaufort and may be a registered voter of the City of Washington.Three members who shall be registered voters of the County of Beaufort selected and appointed by the remaining members of the Airport Authority.

SECTION 1.(b)  The terms of all current members of the Washington‑Warren Airport Authority shall expire October 1, 2023. Upon the expiration of those terms, appointments shall be promptly made to the Airport Authority as provided in Section 2 of S.L. 2022‑34, as amended by this act, and, after establishing the staggered terms, all terms of office shall be for three years as provided in Section 2 of S.L. 2022‑34, as amended by this act. If an appointing authority fails to make an initial appointment under subdivisions (1) through (3) of Section 2 of S.L. 2022‑34, as amended by this act, by October 31, 2023, and the number of vacancies on the board is such that a quorum of the board cannot be obtained, the Clerk of Superior Court of Beaufort County shall fill that vacancy upon the request of a member of the Airport Authority. To implement staggering of the terms, the following shall apply:

(1)        The member appointed by the City of Washington shall serve a two‑year term.

(2)        One of the members appointed by the Beaufort County Commissioners shall serve a two‑year term. One of the members appointed by the Beaufort County Commissioners shall serve a three‑year term. One of the members appointed by Beaufort County Commissioners shall serve a four‑year term.

(3)        One of the members selected and appointed by the remaining members of the Airport Authority shall serve a two‑year term. One of the members selected and appointed by the remaining members of the Airport Authority shall serve a three‑year term. One of the members selected and appointed by the remaining members of the Airport Authority shall serve a four‑year term.

SECTION 1.(c)  Section 16 of S.L. 2022‑34 is repealed.

SECTION 2.  This act is effective when it becomes law.