AN ACT authorizing the city of northwest to amend its charter to establish residency districts.

The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:

SECTION 1.(a)  Section 3.2 of the Charter of the City of Northwest, being Chapter 222 of the 1993 Session Laws, is recodified as Section 4.2 of the Charter of the City of Northwest.

SECTION 1.(b)  Chapter IV of the Charter of the City of Northwest, being Chapter 222 of the 1993 Session Laws, as amended by Section 1(a) of this act, reads as rewritten:

CHAPTER IV.

ELECTIONS.

Sec. 4.1. Conduct of Town Elections. The Town officers shall be elected on a nonpartisan basis, and the results determined by plurality as provided in G.S. 163‑292. Elections shall be conducted by the Brunswick County Board of Elections.

Sec. 4.2. Manner of Electing Council. The qualified voters of the entire City elect the members of the Council. To be eligible for election, a person candidate must reside in the City.district for which that person is seeking election.

Sec. 4.3. Residency Districts. For the purpose of conducting elections, the City shall be divided into geographical subdivisions known as residency districts. Districts 1, 2, and 4 shall be single‑member districts, and District 3 shall be a two‑member district. The residency districts may be revised by the Council from time to time.

SECTION 2.  Section 3.3 of the Charter of the City of Northwest, being Chapter 222 of the 1993 Session Laws, reads as rewritten:

Sec. 3.3. Term of Office of Council Members. Members of the Council are elected to four‑year terms except that of those elected at the initial election in 1993, the three highest vote getters who are elected shall serve for four-year terms and the next two highest vote getters shall serve for two-year terms. In 1995 and quadrennially thereafter, two members of the Council shall be elected for four-year terms. In 1997 and quadrennially thereafter, three members of the Council shall be elected for four-year staggered terms.

SECTION 3.(a)  Nothing in this act shall affect the terms of office of any person elected in 2019 or 2021 to the Council of the City of Northwest who shall continue to hold at‑large positions on the Council until the end of their term or a vacancy occurs due to resignation or other causes.

SECTION 3.(b)  In 2023 and quadrennially thereafter, two members of the Council of the City of Northwest shall be elected from District 3 for four‑year terms. In 2025 and quadrennially thereafter, three members of the Council of the City of Northwest shall be elected, one member from each of Districts 1, 2, and 4, for four‑year terms.

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