House Bill 147 is a local act that removes specific parcels of land from the corporate limits of two North Carolina municipalities: the City of Elizabeth City in Pasquotank County and the City of King in Stokes County. For Elizabeth City, the bill deannexes a 6.89-acre parcel identified as Lot No. 1 from a recorded subdivision plat. For King, it deannexes two identified parcels and a portion of the Century Oak Drive right-of-way described by county tax parcel numbers and GIS boundaries.
The bill also preserves the cities’ ability to collect or foreclose on any ad valorem tax or special assessment liens that were already outstanding before the effective date. The deannexed territory remains subject to those existing liens as if it were still inside the city for collection purposes. The act becomes effective June 30, 2025, and the affected property is no longer subject to municipal taxes for taxable years beginning on or after July 1, 2025, based on its status as of January 1, 2025.
Impact
This bill changes municipal boundaries in two cities by removing specified property from their corporate limits, which in turn ends future city taxation and municipal jurisdiction over those parcels after the effective date. It does not disturb preexisting municipal tax liens or special assessment obligations, which remain enforceable. The practical effect is to shift the listed properties out of city governance and into the surrounding county jurisdiction for municipal purposes, while leaving prior liabilities intact.
Sentiment
The voting history suggests the bill was broadly supported and not especially controversial. It passed second reading 109-5 and third reading 108-4, indicating strong bipartisan approval with only a small number of مخالف votes. No committee transcript is available, and the bill’s local, parcel-specific nature suggests the measure was treated as a routine deannexation rather than a major policy dispute.
Contention
The main point of potential contention is the deannexation itself, since removing property from a city can affect municipal tax revenue, service boundaries, and local planning authority. Any opposition likely centered on whether the parcels should remain within city limits or on the implications for affected landowners and municipal finances. However, the very small number of dissenting votes indicates that any objections were limited and did not prevent passage.