NORTH CAROLINA GENERAL ASSEMBLY

1967 SESSION

 

 

CHAPTER 1061

HOUSE BILL 706

 

 

AN ACT TO INCORPORATE THE TOWN OF CRAMERTON IN GASTON COUNTY, STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA.

 

The General Assembly of North Carolina do enact:

 

Section 1. The inhabitants of the Town of Cramerton in Gaston County, within the boundaries hereinafter established in Section 2 of this Charter or as hereafter established in the manner provided by law, are hereby incorporated under the name of the Town of Cramerton, and the same is hereby created a body politic and corporate and shall hereafter possess all the corporate powers and be subject to all the provisions contained in Chapter 160 of the General Statutes of North Carolina and other general laws of the State relating to cities and towns, and all such provisions that are not inconsistent with this Act are hereby made a part of the same.

Sec. 2. The boundaries and corporate limits of said Town of Cramerton shall be as follows:

"Situated in South Point Township, Gaston County, described as follows:

"BEGINNING at a point in center of the bridge of U. S. Highway No. 29-74 (Wilkinson Boulevard) over the South Fork of Catawba River; thence North 51 degrees 22 minutes West 129.7 feet to an iron pin on the western edge of said river, the southeast corner of Lot No. 8 on map recorded in Plat Book 14, Page 21 owned by H. E. O'Shields; thence North 84 degrees 39 minutes West with said property 425.00 feet to an iron bolt in the center of U. S. Highway No. 29-74; thence with the center line of the said highway the following four courses and distances: North 74 degrees 55 minutes West 614.95 feet; North 70 degrees 45 minutes West 290.93 feet; North 61 degrees 26 minutes West 342.20 feet; North 51 degrees 21 minutes West 325.70 feet to a cross mark in the center of said highway at the intersection of Cramerton-McAdenville Rd., State Route No. 2209; thence with the center line of State Route No. 2209 South 39 degrees 30 minutes West about 240 feet to intersection of the North line of Lot No. 1, J. W. Groves subdivision as recorded in Plat Book 2, Page 17, extended; thence with said line North 65 degrees 15 minutes West along the North line of Lot No. 1 owned by W. B. Wolf and along North line of West First Street 354.5 feet to the northwest intersection of West First and Groves Street; thence South 39 degrees 30 minutes West with West right of way of Groves Street 724.0 feet to the South corner of Lot No. 99 of said subdivision; thence South 19 degrees 30 minutes West continuing with West side of Groves Street to its intersection with South line of West Second Street about 220 feet to the northwest corner of Lot No. 39 of said subdivision; thence continuing South 19 degrees 30 minutes West, with the West line of Lots 39 through 43 of said subdivision plat, owned by Furman Cooke, about 400 feet to an iron bolt in the center of State Route No. 2209 overhead bridge over the Southern Railroad; thence South 48 degrees 31 minutes West 125.05 feet to an iron bolt in the center of said State Route No. 2209; thence South 59 degrees 05 minutes West 404.97 feet to an iron pin on the South side of State Route No. 2209, the northern corner of Cramerton Freewill Baptist Church property; thence South 80 degrees 13 minutes 14 seconds West 203.61 feet to a bolt in the intersection of Woodlawn Street State Route No. 2481 and State Route No. 2209; thence South 74 degrees 57 minutes West with State Route No. 2209 McAdenville Road 769.0 feet to an iron bolt in the center of said road; thence South 33 degrees 31 minutes West 122.75 feet to an iron pin, an old corner on the South side of said road the northern corner of Gaston County 44-acre tract; thence South 31 degrees 23 minutes East with said tract 424.14 feet to an iron pin an old corner; thence South 37 degrees 08 minutes East with said tract 882.28 feet to an old stone corner; thence continuing South 37 degrees 08 minutes East with said tract 1238.45 feet to the southeast corner of said tract, marked by an iron pipe designated as corner no. 58 on map entitled 'The Cramer property' as recorded in Plat Book 16, Page 52; thence following the southern boundary of said plat and referring to corners designated by numbers on said plat the following 57 courses: South 54 degrees 00 minutes West with the aforementioned Gaston County 44-acre tract 808.36 feet to corner no. 57 marked by an iron pipe; thence North 35 degrees 45 minutes East with said county tract 1023.00 feet to a concrete monument corner no. 56 at a branch; thence South 22 degrees 15 minutes West with John M. Gaston, Sr. property down branch 82.50 feet to corner no. 55; thence South 31 degrees 15 minutes West with said property down branch 66.00 feet to corner no. 54; thence South 12 degrees 15 minutes West with said property down branch 231.00 feet to corner no. 53; thence South 39 degrees 45 minutes West with said property down branch 107.25 feet to corner no. 52; thence South 81 degrees 15 minutes West with said property down branch 82.50 feet to corner no. 51; thence South 69 degrees 15 minutes West with said property down branch 82.50 feet to corner no. 50 at mouth of branch at Duhart Creek; thence South 59 degrees 15 minutes East-West with said property crossing Duhart Creek 66.0 feet to a concrete monument and stone approximately 50 feet on the West side of Duhart Creek corner no. 49 being also the northern corner of S. F. Rollins property; thence South 18 degrees 00 minutes East with said property 184.35 feet to a cross marked in branch, corner no. 48; thence South 42 degrees 32 minutes 50 seconds East with said property 115.50 feet to eastern corner of S. F. Rollins property and the northern corner of Wilbert B. Nichols property marked by an iron pipe on West side of Duhart Crek, corner no. 47; thence South 68 degrees 32 minutes 50 seconds East with North line of said Nichols property 429.00 feet to the eastern corner of same marked by a concrete monument on West side of Duhart Creek, corner no. 46; thence South 02 degrees 27 minutes 10 seconds West with said property 429.00 feet to a concrete monument on bank of Spring Branch about 50 feet southwest of Duhart Creek, corner no. 45; thence South 42 degrees 54 minutes 45 seconds West continuing with said property 338.25 feet up Spring Branch corner of said property to corner of Church Armstrong property marked by an iron pipe on southeast bank of branch, corner no. 44; thence continuing with said Armstrong property the following: South 11 degrees 45 minutes 20 seconds East 982.37 feet to an iron pipe in a pile of stones with pointers, corner no. 43; thence North 86 degrees 49 minutes 15 seconds West 1587.85 feet to an iron pipe and stone monument, corner no. 42; thence South 07 degrees 09 minutes 40 seconds East 525.57 feet to an iron pipe and stone monument, corner no. 41; thence South 31 degrees 06 minutes 30 seconds East crossing a branch 108.80 feet to corner of C. H. Armstrong and Preston Taylor property marked by an iron pipe in a White Oak stump on southeast bank of branch, corner no. 40; thence South 28 degrees 08 minutes 15 seconds East with Preston Taylor's northeast line 477.21 feet to an iron pipe, corner no. 39; thence South 25 degrees 51 minutes 30 seconds West with Preston Taylor's southeast line 432.88 feet to northern corner of Sloan H. Stone property marked by an iron pipe, corner no. 38; thence South 51 degrees 46 minutes 10 seconds East with Stone's North/East line and northeast line of Hubert V. Hanna 1752.14 feet to northeast corner of Hanna tract marked by an iron pipe, corner no. 37; thence South 36 degrees 14 minutes 30 seconds West with Hanna tract 1359.00 feet to an iron pipe corner of Leonard B. Ratchford's property, corner no. 36; thence South 17 degrees 17 minutes 10 seconds East with said Ratchford's northern line 297.00 feet to an iron pipe, corner no. 35; thence South 69 degrees 24 minutes 40 seconds East with said tract 720.98 feet to an iron pipe, corner no. 34; thence South 47 degrees 54 minutes 15 seconds East with said tract 208.66 feet to an iron pipe on the North side of access road, corner no. 33; thence South 20 degrees 36 minutes 25 seconds West with Ratchford's tract and said access road 687.00 feet to an iron pipe in said road his corner, at State Route No. 2302 (New Hope Road) corner no. 32; thence North 82 degrees 17 minutes 50 seconds East with said road 562.29 feet to an iron pipe in North right of way of said road corner no. 31; thence South 58 degrees 07 minutes 40 seconds East with North right of way of said road 380.75 feet to an iron pin in right of way of State Route No. 2302, corner no. 30; thence North 25 degrees 51 minutes 20 seconds East with northwest line of Miles Hammrick Subdivision as recorded in Plat Book 4, Page 139 a distance of 431.75 feet to a railroad spike in the North side of State Route No. 2517, corner no. 29; thence South 70 degrees 41 minutes 20 seconds East with State Route No. 2517 a distance of 1300.00 feet to an iron pipe, corner no. 28 being corner of Parks Duff Subdivision; thence North 35 degrees 55 minutes 30 seconds West with said property 390.00 feet to corner of same marked by a concrete monument, corner no. 27; thence North 53 degrees 04 minutes 30 seconds East with said property 50.00 feet to corner of same marked by a concrete monument, corner no. 26; thence South 42 degrees 44 minutes 30 seconds East with said Property crossing State Route No. 2517 a distance of 885.33 feet to old Park Duff's and Howard Smith Property corner marked by an iron pipe in a branch, corner no. 25; thence South 42 degrees 44 minutes 30 seconds East with Howard Smith property 445.50 feet to an iron pipe, corner no. 24; thence South 39 degrees 32 minutes 50 seconds East continuing with Howard Smith property 573.70 feet to corner of Nancy Smith property marked by an iron pipe, corner no. 23; thence South 44 degrees 05 minutes 50 seconds East with said property 258.61 feet to corner of Hattie Hart property marked by an iron pipe, corner no. 22 in right of way of American Tel and Tel Co.; thence North 41 degrees 17 minutes East with West line of Hattie Hart's property 1172.41 feet to corner of same in State Route No. 2517 extended marked by an iron pipe, corner no. 21; thence South 52 degrees 45 minutes 20 seconds East with said property and road 257.21 feet to square iron rod, corner no. 20; thence South 77 degrees 52 minutes 30 seconds East continuing with said property and road 383.84 feet to an iron pin, corner no. 19; thence South 67 degrees 53 minutes 40 seconds East with property of Hattie Hart and Issac Reid 993.72 feet to Reid's corner marked by an iron pipe, corner no. 18; thence North 33 degrees 01 minute 20 seconds East with Reid's property 131.00 feet to his corner marked by an iron pipe in branch, corner no. 17; thence South 58 degrees 11 minutes East with Reid's property 191.03 feet to his corner, a 36-inch Red Oak, corner no. 16; thence South 22 degrees 25 minutes 43 seconds West with Reid's property 230.62 feet to Reid's corner marked by an iron pipe, corner no. 15; thence South 49 degrees 39 minutes 30 seconds East continuing with Reid's property 133.00 feet to his corner marked by a concrete monument, corner no. 14; thence South 37 degrees 21 minutes 55 seconds West with Reid's East line 1115.45 feet to his corner marked by a concrete monument, corner no. 13; thence South 63 degrees 23 minutes 50 seconds East continuing with Reid's line 453.64 feet to his common corner with property of Albert J. Reid and Eunice F. Reid marked by an iron pipe in branch, corner no. 12; thence North 21 degrees 17 minutes 10 seconds East with West line of Eunice F. Reid property 197.36 feet to her corner marked by an iron pipe, corner no. 11; thence South 68 degrees 40 minutes 50 seconds East with said property 575.54 feet to her corner marked by an axle on West side of State Route No. 2519, corner no. 10; thence North 18 degrees 30 minutes 50 seconds East with said road and property of R. B. Hand 296.80 feet to an old corner on northwest side of State Route No. 2519 marked by an iron pipe, corner no. 9; thence North 37 degrees 58 minutes 50 seconds East crossing and recrossing State Route No. 2519 with property of R. B. Hand and Johnny R. Ferguson 792.41 feet to the latter's corner with John C. McCraw marked by an iron pipe, corner no. 8; thence North 28 degrees 04 minutes 30 seconds East with northwest line of McCraw and R. B. Hand property 506.58 feet to old corner marked by an iron pin in the center of State Route No. 2519, corner no. 7; thence with center of said road as follows: North 24 degrees 31 minutes 30 seconds West 360.00 feet to corner no. 6; North 17 degrees 32 minutes West 100.00 feet to corner no. 5; North 02 degrees 17 minutes 30 seconds West 100.00 feet to corner no. 4; North 11 degrees 04 minutes East 100.00 feet to corner no. 3; North 18 degrees 53 minutes 30 seconds East 102.00 feet to corner no. 2 marked by an iron pin at the center of southwestern abutment of Armstrong Bridge of State Route No. 2519, crossing South Fork of the Catawba River; thence North 18 degrees 45 minutes 30 seconds East with center line of Armstrong Bridge 251.42 feet to center of South Fork of Catawba River, corner no. 1; thence North 19 degrees 04 minutes East continuing across river with center line of State Route No. 2519 (Armstrong Ford Road) 923.5 feet to point in center of road; thence continuing with center of said road and property of Duke Power Company the following: North 29 degrees 03 minutes East 1036.1 feet; North 34 degrees 39 minutes East 663.5 feet; thence North 48 degrees 14 minutes East with center line of said road and with property of Duke Power Company and Sallie A. Clarke to point in road; thence North 70 degrees 09 minutes East with center line of said road and Sallie A. Clarke 229.45 feet to a cross mark in the center of road; thence North 08 degrees 14 minutes East leaving said road and with West line of said Clarke property 154.8 feet to her corner with Ruth L. Cathey property marked by a stone monument; thence North 8 degrees 34 minutes East with West line of Cathey property 596.83 feet to her corner marked by an iron pipe; thence South 84 degrees 41 minutes 10 seconds East with North line of Cathey property 922.24 feet to a railroad spike in center line of State Route No. 2519; thence North 47 degrees 52 minutes 30 seconds East with center line of said road 186.80 feet to a railroad spike in center line of said road; thence North 52 degrees 45 minutes 40 seconds West with line of Heritage Development Company property 1186.17 feet to an old corner marked by a 2-inch iron pipe in rock pile; thence North 85 degrees 45 minutes 30 seconds West with said line to an iron pipe at a 36-inch pine stump, and old corner; thence North 27 degrees 47 minutes 10 seconds West with said line 441.51 feet to an old corner marked by an iron pipe in Persimmon stump; thence North 06 degrees 07 minutes East with said line 766.26 feet to a corner in Belmont Hosiery Mills, Inc. line lying North 31 degrees 26 minutes West 98.07 feet from their old corner which is marked by an iron pipe; thence North 31 degrees 26 minutes West with line of Belmont Hosiery Mills, Inc. West line 808.25 feet an old iron pipe in South right of way line of Eagle Mill Road State Route No. 2565; thence North 31 degrees 26 minutes West with said line 35.25 feet to steel pin set in center line of said road; thence with center line of said road along property of Eagle Yarn Mill property the following: North 82 degrees 37 minutes West 222.55 feet to nail; North 79 degrees 44 minutes West 134.00 feet to nail; North 76 degrees 37 minutes West 158.19 feet to nail; North 74 degrees 10 minutes West 120.44 feet to nail; North 72 degrees 42 minutes West 320.45 feet to iron set in center line intersection of State Route No. 2565 and Southern Railroad; thence southeasterly with center line of Eagle Mill Road (State Route No. 2565) about 1000 feet to intersection with Lakewood Road (State Route No. 2014); thence northwardly along center of Lakewood Road (State Route No. 2014) about 3000 feet to intersection with southern right of way of U. S. Highway No. 29-74 (Wilkinson Boulevard); thence eastwardly with southern right of way U. S. Highway No. 29-74 about 1800 feet to an old corner marked by an iron pin on South side of said U. S. Highway No. 29-74 in West line of Frank P. Hall Subdivision as recorded in Plat Book 7, Page 57; thence North 25 degrees 45 minutes West with West line of Frank P. Hall Subdivision as recorded in Plat Book 8, Page 63 a distance of 1596.07 feet to an old corner in Pine stump at South side of Peach Orchard Road State Route No. 2014; thence South 52 degrees 23 minutes West along and crossing said road with properties of Bessie Rankin, Donald T. Rankin, W. F. Abee, Hattie Bridges, and R. Elmer Lineberger 883.83 feet to the latter's southern corner marked by a twin Pine on North side of State Route No. 2014; thence North 38 degrees 52 minutes West with R. E. Lineberger's southwest line 351.65 feet to his northwest corner; marked by an iron pin; thence North 48 degrees 52 minutes East to northern corner of said property in line of Bessie Rankin property a distance of 119.02 feet marked by an iron pipe; thence North 83 degrees 51 minutes West with line of Rankin lands 386.99 feet corner in J. Harold Lineberger's line, marked by an iron pin; thence South 46 degrees 16 minutes West with Lineberger's line 496.84 feet to old corner marked by an iron pin in right of way of Duke Power Company transmission line; thence North 18 degrees 51 minutes West with J. Harold Lineberger's West line 911.20 feet to his corner, marked by an iron pin in said right of way; thence North 18 degrees 51 minutes West with old line about 20 feet more or less to McAdenville Corporation line; thence with McAdenville City Limit line (with a curve concave to the northwest) southwesterly (having a radius of 2640 feet) about 600 feet more or less to the center of the South Fork of the Catawba River; thence with center line of said river southwesterly down stream about 1570 feet to center line of bridge of U. S. Highway No. 29-74 (Wilkinson Boulevard) over said river, the point of BEGINNING."

Reference is made to composite descriptions of Burlington Mills Corporation, Cramerton Division, Cramerton, North Carolina, on maps prepared by Southern Mapping and Engineering Company, dated August 21, 1946 (revised August 21, 1962, and October 9, 1962), and to current supplementation and revisions March-April, 1967.

It is also the intent and purpose of this description to include in the above-described corporate limits the following:

(1)       The entire right of way of State Route No. 2519 from the southern corner of Heritage Development Company property southwesterly crossing Armstrong Bridge and continuing southwesterly to the northeast corner of Eunice F. Reid property, corner no. 10 of the above description.

(2)       The entire right of way of State Route No. 2302 from corner no. 29 along Miles Hamrick Subdivision as recorded in Plat Book 4, Page 139, and continuing eastward to terminus of said road near corner no. 19.

(3)       The entire right of way of State Route No. 1208 from the northeast corner of above-mentioned Gaston County 44-acre tract northeastward to intersection of State Route No. 1208 with U. S. Highway No. 29-74 (Wilkinson Boulevard).

(4)       The entire right of way of U. S. Highway No. 29-74 from State Route No. 1208 intersection eastward to center line of State Route No. 2014 (Lakewood Road).

(5)       The entire right of way of State Route No. 2302 (New Hope Road) between corner no. 30 and corner no. 32 of the above description.

(6)       The entire right of way of State Route No. 2565 (Eagle Mill Road) between property of Belmont Hosiery Mill, Inc. property line westward about 1955 feet to Lakewood Road (State Route No. 2014).

(7)       The entire right of way of State Route No. 2014 (Lakewood) from U. S. Highway No. 29-74 southward to State Route No. 2565 (Eagle Mill Road).

Sec. 3. The officers of the Town of Cramerton shall consist of a Mayor and five Commissioners, who shall constitute the governing body of said municipality. The following members of the governing body are hereby appointed to serve from the effective date of this Act, until their successors are duly elected and qualified as hereinafter provided: J. Paul Featherston, Mayor; Albert Reece, Parks Featherston, Millie Malone, G. M. Michaels and L. P. Martin, Commissioners.

Sec. 4. As a body politic and corporate by the name of Cramerton, Gaston County, North Carolina, said municipality shall have perpetual succession; may use a corporate seal; may sue and be sued; may acquire property within or without said boundary lines for any municipal purpose, in fee simple or lesser estate, by purchase, gift, devise, lease or condemnation, and may sell, lease, hold, manage and control such property as its interest may require, and except as may be prohibited by the Constitution of the State of North Carolina or the general municipal laws of North Carolina, the Town of Cramerton shall have and may exercise all municipal powers, functions, rights, privileges and immunities of every name and nature, whatsoever, as provided under Chapter 160 of General Statutes, including the following:

(1)       To levy, assess and collect taxes when and if necessary, and to borrow money within the limits and regulations prescribed by the general municipal and fiscal laws of North Carolina and the Constitution thereof; to levy and collect special assessments for benefits conferred.

(2)       To furnish all local public services; to purchase, hire, construct, own, maintain and operate or lease local public utilities; to acquire by condemnation or otherwise, within or without corporate limits, property necessary for any such purposes, subject to restrictions imposed by general law for protection of other communities; and to grant local public utility franchises and regulate the exercises thereof.

(3)       To make local public improvements and to acquire, by condemnation or otherwise, property necessary.

(4)       The Board of Commissioners of the Town of Cramerton is authorized and empowered to exercise any and all powers of planning and zoning conferred upon municipal corporations by the General Statutes of North Carolina.

(5)       The jurisdiction of all police and law enforcement officers, if any, shall extend throughout the area within corporate limits and beyond to such extent provided by the General Statutes of North Carolina.

(6)       To adopt and enforce within its limits local police, sanitary and other similar regulations not in conflict with the general laws.

(7)       To issue bonds for the purposes and in the manner prescribed by the general laws of the State of North Carolina for the issuance of bonds by municipalities.

(8)       Enumeration of powers above shall not be deemed exclusive, but it is intended that the Town of Cramerton shall have, and may exercise, all powers which, under the Constitution of the State of North Carolina and the general laws of North Carolina, it would be competent for this Charter to enumerate.

Sec. 5. Governing Board. The powers of the town shall be vested in a board of commissioners of five members and a Mayor nominated and elected from the town at large in the manner hereinafter provided. Term of office shall be for a period of two years and until their successors are elected and qualified, except that the initial board herein appointed shall serve from effective date of this Act, upon taking required oath hereinafter provided, until the next regular municipal election. Vacancy in office of Mayor or Commissioner shall be filled by the board of commissioners for the unexpired term. The Mayor and each member of the board of commissioners shall receive such salary as prescribed by ordinance.

Sec. 6. Meetings of Board of Commissioners. The first meeting of the board of commissioners shall be held no later than 30 days from the effective date of this Act, at which time all members shall take the oath of office hereinafter prescribed. Thereafter, they shall meet at such regular times as may be prescribed by ordinance. The board shall determine in what manner and upon what notice special meetings may be called. On the day following the next regular municipal election in May, 1969, those elected as Mayor and as members of the board of commissioners, shall meet at 12:00 noon, take oath of office and assume their duties. This shall be the regular procedure after each regular municipal election thereafter. All subsequent meetings shall be held in accordance with this Section.

Sec. 7. Duties, Powers and Quorum. (1) The Mayor shall preside at meetings of the board of commissioners and shall exercise such powers and perform such duties as may be conferred and imposed upon him by the general laws of North Carolina, this Charter and the ordinances adopted, and as generally associated with the office of Mayor. In times of prolonged illness or disability of the Mayor, the board of commissioners may elect one of its number to act as Mayor during such absence on account of illness and/or disability.

(2)       The board of commissioners shall determine its own rules and order of business and keep a journal or minute book of its proceedings.

(3)       Quorum shall be a majority of the members elected to board of commissioners present and voting. Affirmative vote of a majority of the members elected to the board of commissioners shall be necessary to adopt ordinances, resolutions, orders, or other matters of business.

Sec. 8. Ordinances. The yeas and nays shall be taken upon passage of all ordinances and resolutions and entered upon the journal or official minute book kept of all proceedings. All ordinances, including annual tax levy, appropriations, assessments for local improvements and emergency measures shall take effect as indicated therein except as may be otherwise required by the General Statutes of North Carolina. All ordinances and resolutions, as finally adopted, shall be authenticated by signatures of the Mayor and Town Clerk. Minutes shall be certified or authenticated by the Town Clerk.

Sec. 9. Municipal Elections. (1) The first regular election for choice of Mayor and members of the board of commissioners shall be held on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in May, 1969, and on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in May of each odd-numbered year thereafter. Special elections shall be set and conducted by and under resolution of the board of commissioners.

(2)       All elections shall be conducted in accordance with the General Statutes of North Carolina relating to Municipal Elections (Chapter 160, Article 3), except as further modified and provided by this Act.

(3)       Any person desiring to become a candidate for election to the office of Mayor or Board of Commissioners of the Town of Cramerton shall at least 15 days prior to said election, file with the Town Clerk a statement of such candidacy in substantially the following form:

 

"State of North Carolina:

County of Gaston:

I, _____________________, hereby give notice that I reside within the corporate limits of the Town of Cramerton, County of Gaston, State of North Carolina, that I am a candidate for election to the office of _____________to be voted on at the general municipal election to be held on the ___________ day of May, 19____, and I hereby request that my name be printed upon the official ballot to be voted in said election.

 

                                                                        (Signed)______________________________

Candidate

(Date)

_________________________________ ."

 

At the time of filing such notice of candidacy, each candidate so filing shall pay the Town Clerk a filing fee of five dollars ($5.00). Proceeds of said filing fees shall be used to defray costs of printing ballots and other election costs. Any candidate may withdraw his notice up to the last day for filing by doing so in writing, but the filing fee shall be forfeited.

(4)       All qualified electors in order to be able to vote in a municipal election must be registered in the Town of Cramerton. Registration books shall be open for registration of voters during the fourth, third and second weeks immediately prior to the election, ending on the second Saturday immediately prior to the election. The last Saturday immediately prior to the election shall be Challenge Day. The Registrar shall be at the polling place on the Saturdays of each week above specified from 9:00 a.m. until sunset. The general election laws concerning age, residence and other qualifications shall apply.

(5)       On April 1, 1969, and biennially thereafter (except on Monday following should April 1 fall on Sunday), the Mayor and board of commissioners shall cause notice of the election to be posted in three public places in the corporate limits of the Town of Cramerton, and such notice shall state substantially:

(a)       The date and polling place.

(b)       The names of the Registrar and Judges.

(c)       The date and time for opening and closing of the registration books.

(d)       Requirements for registration.

(e)       Requirements as to filing notice of candidacy.

(6)       All properly registered persons shall be entitled to vote for one candidate for Mayor and for as many candidates as there are members to be elected to the board of commissioners. All candidates up to the number to be elected who receive the largest number of votes shall be declared elected. The Registrar and Judges shall certify the results of each election and the same shall be entered in the official minute book of the Town of Cramerton by the Town Clerk.

(7)       On the day following each municipal election, those elected to office of Mayor and Commissioners shall meet at the town hall or place designated as the town hall, at 12:00 noon, and there before a Notary Public or other official authorized to administer oaths, take and subscribe to the oath of office hereinafter set out, before assuming their duties.

Sec. 10. Organization. (1) Upon assuming their duties the board of commissioners may appoint a Town Clerk, a Treasurer, a Tax Collector, Town Attorney, a Chief of Police, a Fire Chief, Street and Water Superintendent, and such other officers, employees and personnel as may be necessary, and residence within the corporate limits of the Town of Cramerton shall not be necessary unless so ordered by the board of commissioners. Provided, that the board of commissioners may appoint one person to fill any two or more positions (when not contrary to constitutional provision against double office-holding). Such officers and employees shall serve at the pleasure of the board of commissioners, and shall perform such duties as may be prescribed by the board. The board of commissioners shall fix all salaries, prescribe bonds and require such oaths as they deem necessary.

(2)       All monies received by any department or agency of the town shall be put promptly into the town depository as designated by ordinance adopted by the board of commissioners. The board shall designate personnel to receive and handle monies. Disbursement of money shall be only on vouchers signed by the Mayor, or the Town Treasurer, or by such other officers as designated by the board.

(3)       Purchases for the town shall be by personnel so authorized, and in the manner authorized by the board of commissioners.

(4)       Fiscal year shall run from July 1 through June 30. As soon as practicable after the close of each fiscal year, the board of commissioners shall have an audit of the town accounts by a qualified public accountant and audit report published upon completion in some newspaper of general circulation in Gaston County, North Carolina.

(5)       Every officer of the town shall, before entering upon the duties of his office, take and subscribe to the following oath or affirmation, to be filed and kept with the records of the town:

 

 

OATH

 

 

"I solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support the Constitution and will obey the laws of the United States and of the State of North Carolina; that I will, in all respects, observe the provisions of the Charter and ordinances of the Town of Cramerton and will faithfully discharge the duties of the office of _________________."

Sec. 11. If any Section, clause or sentence of this Act shall be declared invalid, no other Section, clause or part of this Act shall be affected thereby.

Sec. 12. All laws and clauses of laws in conflict with the provisions of this Act are hereby repealed.

Sec. 13. 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 3rd day of July, 1967.