GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA
SESSION 2023
SESSION LAW 2023-16
HOUSE BILL 229
AN ACT to amend the charter of the town of halifax to stagger the terms of the mayor and members of the board of commissioners and extend their terms to four years.
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:
SECTION 1. The Charter of the Town of Halifax, as established in Volume VI of the 1757 Colonial Records of North Carolina and Volume XXV of the 1760 State Records of North Carolina, is amended by adding a new section to read:
"Section 3A. The mayor and commissioners shall serve staggered four‑year terms. Regular municipal elections shall be held at the time of the general election in each odd‑numbered year. Election of the mayor and commissioners shall be on a nonpartisan plurality basis and the results determined in accordance with G.S. 163‑292. The election shall be conducted in accordance with the uniform municipal election laws in Chapter 163 of the General Statutes."
SECTION 2. To implement the staggering of terms, the mayor and commissioners shall be elected as follows:
(1) In 2023 and every four years thereafter, the mayor shall be elected to serve a four‑year term.
(2) For the 2023 election, the two commissioners receiving the highest number of votes shall be elected to serve a four‑year term, and the three commissioners receiving the next highest number of votes shall be elected to serve a two‑year term.
(3) In 2025 and every four years thereafter, three commissioners shall be elected to serve a four‑year term.
(4) In 2027 and every four years thereafter, two commissioners shall be elected to serve a four‑year term.
SECTION 3. This act is effective when it becomes law and applies to elections held on or after that date.
In the General Assembly read three times and ratified this the 24th day of May, 2023.
s/ Phil Berger
President Pro Tempore of the Senate
s/ Destin Hall
Presiding Officer of the House of Representatives