NORTH CAROLINA GENERAL ASSEMBLY

1967 SESSION

 

 

CHAPTER 1243

HOUSE BILL 850

 

 

AN ACT TO FIX THE TERMS OF OFFICE OF THE BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS OF HARNETT COUNTY.

 

The General Assembly of North Carolina do enact:

 

Section 1. For the purpose of electing its county commissioners, the County of Harnett is hereby divided into five districts as follows:

(1)       District one shall consist of Aversboro Township;

(2)       District two shall consist of Duke and Grove Townships;

(3)       District three shall consist of Black River, Neill's Creek, Hector's Creek and Buckhorn Townships;

(4)       District four shall consist of Lillington, Stewart's Creek, and Anderson Creek Townships;

(5)       District five shall consist of Upper Little River, Barbecue, and Johnsonville Townships.

Sec. 2. In the primary election for county officers, to be held in Harnett County in 1968, candidates for the board of county commissioners shall be nominated as now provided by law.

Sec. 3. At the general election for county officers to be held in Harnett County in 1968, the three candidates elected from their districts to serve as members of the board of county commissioners with the most total votes shall serve for a period of four years and until their successors are elected and qualified. Their first term shall commence the first Monday in December, 1968. The two candidates elected from their districts to serve as members of the board of county commissioners, with the least total votes shall serve for a period of two years and until their successors are elected and qualified. Their first term shall commence the first Monday in December, 1968.

The candidates nominated from each district shall be voted on in the general election by the qualified voters of the entire county and the candidate from each district receiving the largest number of votes shall be declared elected to serve as a member of the board of commissioners from his district.

At the general election for county officers in 1970, and biennially thereafter, there shall be elected candidates equal to the number of commissioners whose terms next expire, who shall serve for a term of four years and until their successors are elected and qualified.

Sec. 4. In the primary election for county officers in Harnett County in 1970, and biennially thereafter, there shall be nominated by each political party one candidate for membership on the board of county commissioners from each district where the term of office for its member on the board of county commissioners expires on the first Monday in December of that year. The candidate from each district shall be nominated as now provided by law, and the candidate for each political party receiving the majority of the votes cast for the candidates from his district shall be declared nominated.

Sec. 5. In the event any district as established in Section 1 of this Act should not be represented on the board of county commissioners of Harnett County for any reason, then in such event the clerk of superior court of Harnett County shall appoint some competent and qualified person from the district which has no representation, such person to serve as a member of the board of commissioners of Harnett County for the duration of the term for which he is appointed and until his successor is elected and qualified.

Sec. 6. At the general election for county officers in 1968, it shall be the duty of the county board of elections to submit to the qualified voters of Harnett County the question of electing members of the county board of commissioners for terms of four years, as provided in this Act. Upon the ballot shall be printed the words "FOR Electing County Commissioners for Four-Year Terms"; "AGAINST Electing County Commissioners for Four-Year Terms".

If a majority of votes cast shall be for electing county commissioners for four-year terms, then Section 3 of this Act shall become effective as to those commissioners elected in 1968 and thereafter.

If a majority of the votes cast shall be against electing county commissioners for four-year terms, then this Act shall be null and void and the commissioners shall be nominated and elected for the same term and in the same manner as provided by prior laws.

Sec. 7. All laws and clauses of laws in conflict with this Act are hereby repealed.

Sec. 8. This Act shall be in full force and effect from and after its ratification.

In the General Assembly read three times and ratified, this the 6th day of July, 1967.