GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA
SESSION 2007
SESSION LAW 2008-66
HOUSE BILL 2343
AN ACT to provide procedures for the city of durham to revise election ward boundaries.
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:
SECTION 1. Section 4 of the Charter of the City of Durham, being Chapter 671 of the 1975 Session Laws, as amended by Chapter 369 of the 1983 Session Laws, and as amended by Ordinance 12281 of the City of Durham, adopted May 7, 2001, under G.S. 160A-104 and G.S. 160A-106, reads as rewritten:
"Sec. 4. Election Wards. -
(a) The territory
located within the corporate limits of the City shall continue to be
divided into three numbered election wards.wards, which shall be
shown on the map showing the city limits maintained by the City Clerk pursuant
to the provisions of general law.A written description or map showing
the current boundaries of the respective three election wards shall be
maintained in the office of the City Clerk, and shall be available for public
inspection.
(b) Such ward
boundaries may be amended periodically pursuant to the provisions of General
Law.general law.
Whenever areas are hereafter annexed and made a part of
the City, the City Council shall by ordinance redefine and rearrange the three
election wards so as to include such annexed areas. Such ordinance shall be
adopted at least 60 days prior to the municipal primary next succeeding the
date of any annexation and shall provide for three election wards of
approximately equal population. In redefining and rearranging the election ward
lines, the City Council shall follow as nearly as practical, existing ward
lines.
(c) Within six months of the release of official United States decennial census figures (but not later than seven calendar days before the opening of filing under G.S. 163-294.2 for the next regular municipal election after release of the figures), the City Council shall by ordinance, using such figures and taking into account the election ward boundaries in existence at the time, revise the three election wards so that they are of approximately equal population, as determined in the discretion of the City Council.
(d) The council shall allocate to the election wards, or by ordinance provide procedures for the city manager to allocate to the election wards, areas that are annexed to the city after the ordinance adopted pursuant to subsection (c) of this section and such allocation shall be made before the effective date of each annexation.
(e) This section is supplementary to the provisions of general law. In case of conflict or inconsistency, this section controls."
SECTION 2. This act is effective when it becomes law.
In the General Assembly read three times and ratified this the 8th day of July, 2008.
s/ Beverly E. Perdue
President of the Senate
s/ Joe Hackney
Speaker of the House of Representatives