NORTH CAROLINA GENERAL ASSEMBLY

1973 SESSION

 

 

CHAPTER 286

SENATE BILL 673

 

AN ACT TO AUTHORIZE THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE ROXBORO-PERSON CHARTER COMMISSION AND PROVIDE FOR A REFERENDUM ON THE CONSOLIDATION OF THE GOVERNMENTS OF THE CITY OF ROXBORO AND PERSON COUNTY.

 

The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:

 

Section 1. Establishment authorized.  The governing bodies of the City of Roxboro and Person County may by concurrent resolutions establish a charter commission and may appropriate for the support of the commission any revenues not otherwise limited as to use by law.

Sec. 2. Purposes. The charter commission created pursuant to this act may be charged with any of the following purposes:

(1)       To study the powers, duties, functions, responsibilities, and organizational structures of the county and city and of other units of local government and public agencies within the county and the city;

(2)       To prepare a report on its studies and findings;

(3)       To prepare a plan for consolidating one or more functions and services of the county and the city;

(4)       To prepare drafts of any agreements or legislation necessary to effect the consolidation of one or more functions and services;

(5)       To prepare a plan for consolidating into a single government the governments of the county and the city;

(6)       To prepare drafts of any legislation necessary to effect the plan of governmental consolidation;

(7)       To call a referendum, as provided in Section 5 of this act, on the plan of governmental consolidation.

Sec. 3. Content of concurrent resolutions. The concurrent resolutions establishing the commission shall:

(1)       Set forth the purposes that are to be vested in the commission;

(2)       Determine the composition of the commission, the manner of appointment of its members, and the manner of selection of its officers;

(3)       Determine the compensation, if any, to be paid to commission members;

(4)       Provide for the organizational meeting of the commission;

(5)       Set out the method for determining the financial support that will be given to the commission by the governments of the county and the city;

(6)       Set forth the date by which the commission is to complete its work;

(7)       Set forth any other directions or limitations considered necessary.

Sec. 4. Powers of the commission. The Roxboro-Person Charter Commission established pursuant to this act may:

(1)       Adopt rules and regulations for the conduct of its business;

(2)       Apply for, accept, receive, and disburse funds, grants, and services made available to it by the State of North Carolina or any agency thereof, the federal government or any agency thereof, any unit of local government, or any private or civic agency;

(3)       Employ personnel;

(4)       Contract with consultants;

(5)       Hold hearings in the furtherance of its business;

(6)       Take any other action necessary or expedient to the furtherance of its business.

Sec. 5. Referendum; General Assembly action. If authorized to do so by the concurrent resolutions that established it, the Roxboro-Person Charter Commission may call a countywide referendum on its propose plan of governmental consolidation. The referendum shall be conducted by the Person County Board of Elections and the expense of the election shall be met by Person County. The referendum may be held on the same day as any other referendum or election in the county, but may not otherwise be held during the period beginning 30 days before and ending 30 days after the day of any other referendum or election to be conducted by the Person County Board of Elections. The proposition submitted to the voters shall be substantially in the following form:

[ ]     For the consolidation of the City of Roxboro with the County of Person.

[ ]     Against the consolidation of the City of Roxboro with the County of Person.

No new and consolidated government shall become effective until approved by a majority of those voting in the countywide referendum and until its charter is enacted into law by the General Assembly of North Carolina.

Sec. 6. This act shall become effective upon ratification.

In the General Assembly read three times and ratified, this the 27th day of April, 1973.