NORTH CAROLINA GENERAL ASSEMBLY

1975 SESSION

 

 

CHAPTER 324

HOUSE BILL 554

 

AN ACT TO ALLOW THE PEOPLE OF BRUNSWICK COUNTY TO DECIDE BY REFERENDUM WHETHER THE COUNTY SEAT, THE COURTHOUSE, AND ALL OTHER BUILDINGS AND AGENCIES OF BRUNSWICK COUNTY SHOULD BE RELOCATED FROM SOUTHPORT TO THE GENERAL VICINITY OF SUPPLY AND BOLIVIA, AND TO ESTABLISH GUIDELINES FOR THE RELOCATION.

 

The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:

 

Section 1. The Brunswick County Board of Elections shall conduct a countywide referendum on July 19, 1975, on the question of whether the county seat of Brunswick County, along with the courthouse and other county buildings and agencies, should be relocated from Southport to the general vicinity of Supply and Bolivia.  Except as otherwise provided in this act, the board of elections shall conduct the referendum in accordance with G.S. Chapter 163.  The notice of the referendum, required by G.S. 163-33(8), shall include the description of the general vicinity of Supply and Bolivia set out in Section 6 of this act.

Sec. 2. The proposition shall be printed on the ballot in substantially the following form:

"Shall the Brunswick County county seat, along with the courthouse and other county buildings and agencies, be relocated from Southport to the general vicinity of Supply and Bolivia?

[ ]      YES

[ ]      NO."

Sec. 3. If a majority of the votes cast on the proposition are in the negative, the county seat and county buildings and agencies shall remain in Southport.

Sec. 4. If a majority of the votes cast on the proposition are in the affirmative, the Brunswick County Board of Commissioners are under a duty to plan and carry out the relocation as expeditiously as possible.  They shall forthwith select the exact location of the new county seat, within the boundaries set forth in Section 6 of this act and begin planning for the relocation, including initiating discussions with the Local Government Commission regarding financing of the relocation.  If the relocation or any part thereof can be effected without the issuance of bonds, construction contracts for that part not requiring bond financing shall be let no later than July 1, 1977.

Sec. 5. A new G.S. 159-67 is enacted to read as follows:

"§ 159-67. Procedures if a county votes to relocate the county seat. – Whenever the citizens of a county, by referendum, decide that the county's county seat, along with the courthouse and other county buildings and agencies, should be relocated, the board of county commissioners of that county shall forthwith begin discussions with the Local Government Commission concerning financing of the relocation. If bonds are to be issued for the relocation, or a financing agreement entered into, the board of commissioners shall apply to the Local Government Commission no later than 10 months after the day of the referendum. If a bond election is necessary, it shall be held no later than 22 months after the day of the referendum."

Sec. 6. For purposes of this act, the general vicinity of Supply and Bolivia is that part of Brunswick County located within one-half mile on either side of U. S. Highway 17 extending from one and one-half miles southwest of the crossing of Highway 17 and N.C. Highway 211 to the southwestern limits of the town of Bolivia.

Sec. 7. This act shall become effective upon ratification.

In the General Assembly read three times and ratified, this the 19th day of May, 1975.