A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT to incorporate the town of red cross.
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:
SECTION 1.  A Charter for the Town of Red Cross is enacted to read:
"Charter of the town of red cross.
"ARTICLE I. INCORPORATION AND CORPORATE POWERS.
"Section 1.1. Incorporation and Corporate Powers. The inhabitants of the Town of Red Cross are a body corporate and politic under the name 'Town of Red Cross'. The Town of Red Cross has all the powers, duties, rights, privileges, and immunities conferred and imposed on cities by the general law of North Carolina.
"ARTICLE II. CORPORATE BOUNDARIES.
"Section 2.1. Town Boundaries. Until modified in accordance with the law, the boundaries of the town of Red Cross are as follows:
"ARTICLE iii. gOVERNING bODY.
"Section 3.1. Structure of Governing Body. The governing body of the Town of Red Cross shall be the Town Council, which shall have four members and the Mayor.
"Section 3.2. Temporary Officers. Until the initial elections of 2003 provided for by Section 4.1 of this Charter, C. J. Barbee, Heath Hahn, J. D. Hinson, Raeford Quick, and Larry Wayne Smith are hereby appointed to the Town Council of the Town of Red Cross. They shall possess and exercise the powers granted to the governing body until their successors are elected or appointed and qualified pursuant to this Charter. The temporary officers shall elect a person from among the members of the temporary governing body to serve as interim mayor. If any person named in this section is unable to serve, the remaining temporary officers shall, by majority vote, appoint a person to serve until the regular municipal elections are held in 2003.
"Section 3.3.  Manner of Electing Town Council; Term of Office. The qualified voters of the entire Town shall elect the members of the Town Council and, except as provided in this section, they shall be elected to four‑year terms. In 2003, the two candidates receiving the highest number of votes shall be elected to four‑year terms and the two candidates receiving the next highest number of votes shall be elected to two‑year terms. In 2005, and quadrennially thereafter, two members shall be elected to four‑year terms.
"Section 3.4. Manner of Electing Mayor; Term of Office; Duties. The qualified voters of the entire Town shall elect the Mayor. In 2003, and quadrennially thereafter, the Mayor shall be elected for a term of four years.
"Section 3.5. Residence of Governing Body Members. All members of the governing body of the Town of Red Cross, whether elected or appointed, must be registered voters who reside within the corporate limits of the Town of Red Cross in order to qualify to take, hold, and continue in any such office.
"ARTICLE IV. ELECTIONS.
"Section. 4.1. Conduct of Town Elections. Elections shall be conducted on a nonpartisan basis and results determined by a plurality as provided in G.S. 163‑292.
"ARTICLE V. ADMINISTRATION.
"Section 5.1. Village to Operate Under Mayor‑Council Plan. The Town of Red Cross will operate under the Mayor‑Council form of government as provided in Part 3 of Article 7 of Chapter 160A of the General Statutes."
SECTION 2.  From and after the effective date of this act, the citizens and property in the Town of Red Cross shall be subject to municipal taxes levied for the year beginning July 1, 2002, and for that purpose, the Town shall obtain from Stanly County a record of property in the area incorporated in Section 1 of this act that was listed for taxes as of January 1, 2002. The Town may adopt a budget ordinance for fiscal year 2002‑2003 without following the timetable in the Local Government Budget and Fiscal Control Act, but shall follow the sequence of actions in the spirit of the act insofar as is practical. For fiscal year 2002‑2003, ad valorem taxes may be paid at par or face amount within 90 days of adoption of the budget ordinance and thereafter in accordance with the schedule in G.S. 105‑360. If the effective date of incorporation is prior to July 1, 2002, the Town may adopt a budget ordinance for fiscal year 2001‑2002 without following the timetable in the Local Government Budget and Fiscal Control Act, but shall follow the sequence of actions in the spirit of the act insofar as is practical.
SECTION 3.  This act is effective when it becomes law.