North Carolina Special Airport Districts Act.
§ 63-78. Short title.
This Article shall be known and may be cited as the "North Carolina Special Airport Districts Act." (1979, c. 689, s. 1.)
As used in this Article, the following words and terms shall have the following meanings, unless the context shall indicate another or different meaning or intent:
(1) "Aeronautical facilities" means airports, runways, terminals, hangars and other facilities related thereto;
(2) "District" means a special airport district created under the provisions of this Article;
(3) "District board" or "board" means a special airport district board established under the provisions of this Article as the governing body of a district;
(4) "Governing body" means the board, commission, council or other body, by whatever name it may be known, of a unit of local government in which the general legislative powers thereof are vested;
(5) "Unit" or "unit of local government" means counties, cities, towns and incorporated villages. (1979, c. 689, s. 2.)
§ 63-80. Procedure for creation of districts; concurrent resolutions; notice and public hearing; submission of question to voters; publication of notice; actions to set aside proceedings.
(a) Any unit of local government in this State and any one or more other units of local government in this State may, by concurrent resolutions adopted by the governing body of each such unit, create special airport districts under the provisions of this Article which shall be public bodies corporate and politic and political subdivisions of the State. The district shall comprise the territory of the participating units. The district shall be designated "Special Airport District of __" and shall be of such duration as the participating units shall determine.
(b) Prior to the adoption of any resolutions creating a special airport district, there shall be held a joint public hearing convened by the governing bodies of each of the participating units of government concerning the creation of the proposed special airport district. The presiding officers of the governing body of the units proposing to create such district shall name a time and place within the proposed district at which the public hearing shall be held. The presiding officers shall give prior notice of such hearing at the courthouse of the county or counties within which the district lies and also by publication at least once a week for two successive weeks in a newspaper having general circulation in the proposed district, the first publication to be at least 30 days prior to such hearing. In the event all matters pertaining to the creation of such special airport district cannot be concluded at such hearing, such hearing may be continued to a time and place within the proposed district determined by the governing body of each of the respective units of local government.
(c) Following the joint public hearing but prior to the adoption by a unit of local government of any resolution creating a special airport district, the governing body of such unit may submit the question of the unit's participation in a special airport district to the qualified voters of such unit. The form of the question as stated on the ballot shall be in substantially the following words:
"Shall the governing body of ___ approve ___'s participation in the proposed ____ special airport district?
YES NO"
If a majority of the qualified voters of the unit who vote thereon approve such participation, the governing body of such unit may adopt a resolution creating the particular special airport district. The election shall be conducted in accordance with G.S. 163-287 and the results thereof certified, declared and published in the same manner as bond elections within the unit.
(d) Following the adoption of the resolutions creating the district by the governing body of each participating unit, the presiding officer of each such governing body shall cause to be published a single time in a newspaper circulating within the unit a notice in substantially the following form:
The governing body of _____ and the governing body of ___ passed resolutions on ____, __, and on ____, __, respectively, creating the Special Airport District of ______. Notice of the creation of such special airport district is hereby given on the date hereof. Any action or proceeding questioning the validity of the resolutions or the creation of the special airport district must be commenced within 30 days after the publication of this notice.
_________________________________
Presiding Officer
(e) Any action or proceeding in any court to set aside the resolutions or the creation of a special airport district, or to obtain any other relief upon the ground that such resolutions or any proceeding or action taken with respect to the creation of such district is invalid, must be commenced within 60 days after the publication of the foregoing notice. After the expiration of such period of limitation, no right of action or defense founded upon the invalidity of the resolutions or the creation of the special airport district shall be asserted nor shall the validity of the resolutions or the creation of such airport district be open to question in any court upon any ground whatever, except in an action or proceeding commenced within such period. (1979, c. 689, s. 3; 1999-456, s. 59; 2013-381, s. 10.4; 2017-6, s. 3; 2018-146, ss. 3.1(a), (b), 6.1.)
§ 63-81. District board; composition, appointment, terms and oaths; organization; meetings; quorum.
(a) Appointment of Board for District. - The board of the special airport district shall be composed of two representatives from each of the participating units of local government appointed annually by the governing body of each of said units of local government, respectively, from among their members at the first regular meeting thereof in January. Each member of the district board must be a member of the governing body of the unit of local government by which he was appointed. Membership on the district board may be held in addition to the offices authorized by G.S. 128-1 or 128-1.1. Said representatives shall hold office from their appointment until their successors are appointed and qualified, except that when any member of the district board ceases for any reason to be a member of the governing body of the unit of local government by which he was appointed, he shall simultaneously cease to be a member of said district board. Upon the occurrence of any vacancy on said district board, the vacancy shall be filled within 30 days after notice thereof by the governing body of the participating unit of local government having a vacancy in its representation. Within 30 days after the expiration of the period set forth in G.S. 63-80 hereof, the governing body of each participating unit of local government shall appoint its representatives to hold office until successors shall be appointed in the manner hereinbefore provided. Each member of the district board, before entering upon his duties, shall take and subscribe an oath or affirmation to support the Constitution and laws of the United States and of this State and to discharge faithfully the duties of his office; and a record of each such oath shall be filed in the minutes of the respective participating units of local government.
(b) District Board Procedures. - The district board shall meet regularly at such places and on such dates as are determined by the board. Special meetings may be called by the chairman on his own initiative and shall be called by him upon request of two or more members of the board. All members shall be notified in writing at least 24 hours in advance of such meeting. A majority of the members of the district board shall constitute a quorum. No vacancy in the membership of the district board shall impair the right of a quorum to exercise all the rights and perform all the duties of the district board. No action, other than an action to recess or adjourn, shall be taken except upon a majority vote of the entire authorized membership of said district board. Each member, including the chairman, shall be entitled to vote on any question.
(c) District Board Officers. - The district board shall elect annually in January from among its members a chairman, vice-chairman, secretary and treasurer. (1979, c. 689, s. 4.)
§ 63-82. Procedure for inclusion of additional units of local government; notice and hearing; actions to set aside proceedings.
(a) If, at any time subsequent to the creation of a special airport district, there shall be filed with the district board a resolution of the governing body of a unit of local government requesting inclusion in the district of such unit of local government, and if the district board shall favor the inclusion in the district of such unit of local government, the district board shall notify the governing body of each of the participating units of local government within which the district lies and shall propose to such governing bodies an appropriate amendment of the concurrent resolutions creating the special airport district.
(b) The procedures set forth in G.S. 63-79 regarding the creation of a special airport district shall apply to the inclusion in such special airport district of additional units of local government.
(c) If all of the participating units of local government agree to the amendment of the concurrent resolutions creating the special airport district to include such unit of local government in the special airport district, the presiding officer of the governing body of each of such participating units of local government, including the unit proposed to be included, shall cause to be published in the manner provided in G.S. 63-79, a notice of the inclusion of such unit of local government.
(d) Any action or proceeding in any court to set aside such amendatory resolutions providing for the inclusion of a unit of local government within a special airport district or to obtain any other relief upon the ground that such amendatory resolutions or any proceeding or action taken with respect to the inclusion of the unit of local government within the district is invalid, must be commenced within 30 days after publication of the notice. After the expiration of such period of limitation, no right of action or defense founded upon the invalidity of the amendatory resolutions or the inclusion of the unit of local government in the district shall be asserted, nor shall the validity of the amendatory resolutions or the inclusion of the unit of local government in the district be open to question in any court upon any ground whatever, except in an action or proceeding commenced within such period. Provided that no such action or proceeding to set aside such amendatory resolutions shall impair or otherwise affect the conclusivity of the concurrent resolutions as provided in G.S. 63-80.
(e) Immediately following the inclusion of any additional unit of local government within an existing district, members representing such additional unit of local government shall be appointed to the district board in the manner provided in G.S. 63-81 hereof.
(f) The annexation by a participating unit of local government of an area lying outside the district shall not be construed as the inclusion within the district of an additional unit of local government within the meaning of the provisions of this section; but any such area so annexed shall become a part of the district and shall be subject to all debts and supplemental tax obligations thereof. (1979, c. 689, s. 5.)
§ 63-83. Powers of districts generally.
Each district shall be deemed to be a public body and body politic and corporate exercising public and essential governmental functions to aid counties, cities, towns, incorporated villages and airport authorities in constructing and financing aeronautical facilities and enhancing the security of airport revenue bonds issued by counties, cities, towns, incorporated villages and airport authorities, and each district is hereby authorized and empowered:
(1) To adopt bylaws for the regulation of its affairs and the conduct of its business not in conflict with this or other laws;
(2) To adopt an official seal and alter the same at pleasure;
(3) To maintain an office at such place or places in the district as it may designate;
(4) To sue and be sued in its own name, plead and be impleaded;
(5) To acquire in the name of the district by gift, purchase or exercise of the power of eminent domain any improved or unimproved lands or rights-in-land and make a conveyance thereof to a county, city, town, incorporated village or airport authority for use as or in connection with aeronautical facilities;
(6) To enter into contracts with any person, firm or corporation, public or private, or any airport authority or other public authority or governmental entity, upon such terms as the district board may determine with respect to aeronautical facilities owned or operated by counties, cities, towns, incorporated villages or airport authorities;
(7) To lend to any airport authority heretofore or hereafter created by statute such sum or sums of money and at such rate of interest and upon such other terms as the district and the airport authority shall contract and agree upon, for the purpose of establishing, enlarging, improving, or maintaining any airport under the control of such airport authority;
(8) To issue bonds or other obligations of the district as hereinafter provided and apply the proceeds thereof to the financing of aeronautical facilities owned or operated by counties, cities, towns, incorporated villages or airport authorities or to the retirement of bonds theretofore issued by such units for such purposes or by the district and to refund, whether or not in advance of maturity or the earliest redemption date, any such bonds or other obligations;
(9) To levy for the life of airport revenue bonds issued by counties, cities, towns, incorporated villages or airport authorities an annual property tax for operating supplements or debt service reserved supplements as hereinafter provided;
(10) To cause taxes to be levied and collected upon all taxable property within the district sufficient to meet the obligations of the district; and
(11) To do all acts and things necessary or convenient to carry out the powers granted by this Article. (1979, c. 689, s. 6.)
§ 63-84. Bonds and notes authorized.
In addition to the powers hereinbefore granted, a district shall have power to issue bonds and notes pursuant to the provisions of the Local Government Bond Act and the Local Government Revenue Bond Act for the purpose of financing aeronautical facilities and to refund such bonds and notes, whether or not in advance of their maturity or earliest redemption date, and such bond or note issues may include bonds or notes, the proceeds of which are to be applied to the retirement of outstanding bonds or notes of counties, cities, towns, incorporated villages or airport authorities theretofore issued for the purpose of financing aeronautical facilities. (1979, c. 689, s. 7.)
§ 63-85. Taxes for supplementing airport revenue bond projects.
A district shall have power from time to time to levy taxes or cause the levy thereof for operating supplements and debt service reserve supplements with respect to aeronautical facilities under and subject to the Local Government Revenue Bond Act. (1979, c. 689, s. 8.)
§ 63-86. Determination of tax rate by district board; levy and collection of tax; remittance and deposit of funds.
After each assessment for taxes following the creation of the district, the board or boards of commissioners of the county or counties within which the district is located shall file with the district board the valuation of assessable property within the district. The district board shall then determine the amount of funds to be raised by taxation for the ensuing year in excess of available funds to provide for the payment of interest on and principal of all outstanding general obligation bonds as the same shall become due and payable and to pay all obligations incurred by the district in the performance of its lawful undertakings and functions.
The district board shall determine the number of cents per hundred dollars necessary to raise said amount and certify such rate to the appropriate board or boards of commissioners of the appropriate county or counties. The board or boards of commissioners of such county or counties shall include the number of cents per hundred dollars certified by the district board in its next annual levy against all taxable property within the district, which tax shall be collected as other county taxes are collected, and every month the amount of tax so collected shall be remitted to the district board and deposited by the district board in a separate account in a bank in the State. Such levy may include an amount for reimbursing the particular county for the cost to the county of levying and collecting any such taxes. The officer or officers having charge or custody of the funds of the district shall require security for protection of deposits as provided in the Local Government Budget and Fiscal Control Act. (1979, c. 689, s. 9.)
§ 63-87. Bond elections.
Elections for the purpose of authorizing the levy of taxes for the issuance of bonds shall be called by the district board and shall be conducted in accordance with G.S. 163-287 and the results canvassed by the boards of elections having jurisdiction within the participating units. Such results shall be certified to the district board and such board shall certify and declare the result of the election and publish a statement of the result once as provided in the Local Government Bond Act. (1979, c. 689, s. 10; 2013-381, s. 10.5; 2017-6, s. 3; 2018-146, ss. 3.1(a), (b), 6.1.)
Any participating unit of local government is hereby authorized to make advances, from any moneys that may be available for such purpose, in connection with the creation of the special airport district and to provide for the preliminary expenses of such district. Any such advances may be repaid to such participating units of local government from the proceeds of the bonds issued by such district or from other available funds of the district. (1979, c. 689, s. 11.)
§ 63-89. Inconsistent laws declared inapplicable.
All general, special or local laws, or parts thereof, inconsistent herewith, are hereby declared to be inapplicable, unless otherwise specified in the provisions of this Article. (1979, c. 689, s. 12.)