CABARRUS CO LOCAL OMNIBUS. (NEW)

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View NCGA Bill Details(link is external)2025-2026 Session
House Bill 271 (Local) Filed Monday, March 3, 2025
AN ACT TO REQUIRE A REFERENDUM IN EACH MUNICIPALITY WHOLLY LOCATED WITHIN CABARRUS COUNTY ON WHETHER TO CHANGE THE METHOD OF ELECTION FROM NONPARTISAN TO PARTISAN; AND TO MODIFY THE PROCESS FOR FILLING VACANCIES ON THE CABARRUS COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS.
Intro. by Echevarria, Campbell, Almond.
Status: Ref To Com On Rules and Operations of the Senate (Senate action) (May 15 2025)

SOG comments (1):

Long title change

Submitted by jhenders@sog.unc.edu on

Committee substitute to the 1st edition changed the long title. Original long title was AN ACT TO PROVIDE THAT REGULAR MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS FOR MUNICIPALITIES IN CABARRUS COUNTY SHALL BE CONDUCTED ON A PARTISAN BASIS AND TO PROVIDE THAT ONLY VOTERS RESIDING IN THE DISTRICT THE CITY COUNCIL MEMBER REPRESENTS SHALL VOTE FOR THAT MEMBER IN THE CITY OF CONCORD.

Bill History:

H 271

Bill Summaries:

  • Bill H 271 (2025-2026)
    Summary date: May 13 2025 - View Summary

    House committee substitute to the 1st edition makes the following changes. Makes conforming changes to act’s long and short titles. Makes technical changes to municipal law citations throughout the act.  Makes organizational and technical changes. Removes provisions pertaining to the Town of Kannapolis. Removes provisions specifying that the act has the effect of repealing any conflicting provisions of local or special acts or conflicting local ordinances relating to the nonpartisan municipal elections for any municipalities covered by this act.

    Removes provisions in Section 3.1 of the Charter of the City of Concord (Charter), SL 1985-861, as amended, setting city council elections for the listed districts in 2025 and mayoral and city council elections for the remaining districts in 2027. Directs instead for the city council terms to be staggered in Section 2.3 of the Charter (Section 1 of SL 1985-861, as amended). Removes proposed changes to Section 3.2.

    Specifies that elections for town officers in the Town of Mount Pleasant in Section 3.2 of SL 1883-77, as amended, be conducted in accordance with the State’s uniform municipal election laws.

    Requires that the voters of the City of Concord, Town of Harrisburg, Town of Midland, and Town of Mount Pleasant vote on whether to adopt the partisan method in electing city officers by referendum on November 3, 2025. Provides language for the referendum question and certification of the results by the Cabarrus County Board of Elections. If the referendum passes, then specifies that the act’s changes are effective at the first regular meeting of each municipality’s governing council in December 2027. Instructs for elections in 2027 and thereafter to be conducted accordingly. Clarifies that the act doesn’t affect the filling of any vacancy that occurs for city or town officers prior to the effective date described above.  

    Amends GS 153A-27.1 (pertaining to vacancies on board of commissioners in certain counties) so that it also applies to Cabarrus County.

    Further amends Section 4.1 of the Harrisburg Charter, SL 1973-111, as amended, by no longer specifying that regular municipal elections must be held on the Tuesday after the first Monday in November.

    Government, Elections
    Cabarrus, GS 153A
  • Bill H 271 (2025-2026)
    Summary date: Mar 3 2025 - View Summary

    Amends Section 3.1 of the Charter of the City of Concord (Charter), SL 1985-861, as amended, to require that beginning in 2025, regular municipal elections be held in the city every odd-numbered year and be conducted in accordance with the uniform municipal election laws of North Carolina. Requires that the Mayor and the City Council be elected using the partisan election method. Requires in 2025, and quadrennially thereafter, that the Mayor and three council members, representing Districts 3, 4, and 5, be nominated and elected for four-year terms and in 2027, and quadrennially thereafter, four council members, representing Districts 1, 2, 6, and 7, be nominated and elected for four-year terms. Amends Section 3.2 of the Charter by specifying that City Council members are to serve staggered four-year terms. Allows only qualified voters residing in that district to vote for the member from that district (was, members are nominated and elected by all the voters of the city voting at large).

    Amends Section 4.1 of the Charter of the Town of Harrisburg, SL 1973-111, as amended, by requiring Town officers to be elected according to the partisan election method (was, Council members must be elected on a nonpartisan basis and the results determined by plurality).

    Amends Section 4-1 of the Charter of the City of Kannapolis, as adopted by the Kannapolis Charter Commission on December 11, 1984, pursuant to SL 1983-191, by requiring City officers to be elected on a partisan (was, non-partisan) basis.

    Amends Section 4.1 of the Charter of the Town of Midland, being SL 2000-91, by requiring regular municipal elections to be partisan instead of non-partisan.

    Amends Section C-3.2 of the Charter of the Town of Mount Pleasant, SL 1883-77, as amended, to require Town officers to be elected according to the partisan election method (was, non-partisan).

    Specifies that this act has the effect of repealing any conflicting provisions of local or special acts or conflicting local ordinances relating to the nonpartisan municipal elections for any municipalities covered by this act. Also specifies that the act does not affect the filling of a vacancy in a municipal election that occurs for a seat elected prior to the effective date of this act.

    Applies to elections held in 2025 and thereafter.

    Government, Elections
    Cabarrus
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