House Bill 1035 changes the election schedule for the Town of Pink Hill in Lenoir County. It rewrites the town charter so that regular municipal elections will be held in even-numbered years at the time of the general election, rather than on the prior odd-year cycle. The bill keeps the mayor and commissioners elected on a nonpartisan plurality basis and preserves the staggered four-year terms for town offices, while aligning the town’s elections with the uniform municipal election laws in Chapter 163 of the General Statutes.
The bill also provides a transition period to move from odd-year to even-year elections. No municipal election will be held in Pink Hill in 2027, and the terms of the mayor and affected commissioners that would have expired in 2027 and 2029 are extended by one year. Regular elections then resume in 2028, with the same staggering pattern as before. The act becomes effective when it becomes law and applies to elections held on or after that date.
Impact
The bill amends the private local charter of the Town of Pink Hill by repealing older charter provisions and adding a new section that sets municipal elections in even-numbered years. It also repeals Chapter 760 of the 1955 Session Laws and updates the town’s election framework to conform to the state’s uniform municipal election laws, including nonpartisan plurality elections under G.S. 163-292. The practical effect is to shift election administration, extend certain office terms by one year, and eliminate the 2027 municipal election in Pink Hill.
Sentiment
The available voting history suggests broad support and little controversy: the bill passed second reading in the House by a 103-0 vote. No committee transcript is available, but the unanimous vote indicates the measure was viewed favorably and likely as a routine local election-scheduling adjustment rather than a contentious policy change.
Contention
No specific opposition is reflected in the available record. The main substantive issue is the transition from odd-year to even-year municipal elections, including the one-year extension of current officeholders’ terms and the cancellation of the 2027 election. Those changes could matter to local voters and incumbents, but the unanimous House vote suggests no significant legislative disagreement was recorded.