NORTH CAROLINA GENERAL ASSEMBLY

1971 SESSION

 

 

CHAPTER 625

HOUSE BILL 972

 

AN ACT TO AUTHORIZE THE TOWNS OF CHAPEL HILL AND CARRBORO TO ESTABLISH A JOINT PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION COMMISSION.

 

The General Assembly of North Carolina do enact:

 

Section 1.  The Chapel Hill Board of Aldermen and the Carrboro Board of Aldermen are authorized at any time to create a joint public transportation commission, which shall serve as the planning and administrative commission for the operation of a public transportation system within the Towns of Chapel Hill and Carrboro.  Such a creation shall be effected through the adoption by each of said governing bodies, acting individually, of a joint resolution.  Said resolution shall provide for a membership of not more than ten persons which shall include five residents of the Town of Chapel Hill to be appointed by the Board of Aldermen of the Town of Chapel Hill and five residents of the Town of Carrboro to be appointed by the Board of Aldermen of the Town of Carrboro, the terms of the members, the procedures for removing or replacing members, the method of determining the financial support to be given the commission by each governmental unit concerned and the budgetary procedures to be followed.  Said resolution may be modified, amended, or repealed at any time through unanimous action of the governmental units concerned, each unit acting individually. Either the Town of Chapel Hill or the Town of Carrboro may withdraw from such agreement at any time on giving six months notice to the other governing board concerned.

Sec. 2.  If a joint public transportation commission is created as provided under Section 1 hereof, it shall be empowered to exercise the powers, duties, and functions as the administrative agency for the operation of a public transportation system within such towns, to establish routes, hours, and terms of service of such public transportation system.  The appropriation of all public funds, and fiscal commitments of either town, however, shall remain the responsibility of the individual governing units.

Sec. 3.  In addition to other powers conferred upon either the Town of Carrboro or the Town of Chapel Hill by their charter or by general or special law of the State of North Carolina, each governing unit is specifically authorized and empowered to acquire, establish, operate, maintain, franchise, subsidize, or contract for the operation of a public transportation system for each said governing unit or for both said governing units and if deemed expedient, enter into contracts and agreements with respect thereto with the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and with the Chapel Hill - Carrboro City Board of Education to operate such system as it deems advisable both within and without the town limits of both said towns, and to provide for the financing thereof through the expenditure of public funds, the issuance of bonds, notes and other evidences of indebtedness as provided by law.

Sec. 4.  In addition to the other powers conferred upon either the Town of Carrboro or the Town of Chapel Hill by their charter or by general or special law of the State of North Carolina the governing body of either municipality, in its discretion, may submit to the voters at a special election, the question of whether a special tax shall be levied for the support and subsidy of a public transportation system.  Such question shall be submitted to the voters at the next general election for the officers of the municipality or a special election to be called at any time by the governing body of the municipality or other political subdivision of the State for that purpose, provided, that no special election shall be held within 60 days of any general election for State, county or municipal officers.  Such special election shall be conducted according to laws governing general elections for officers in such municipality provided that the maximum tax levy to be submitted to the voters shall be determined by the governing body of such municipality, which maximum shall in no event exceed ten cents (10c) on one hundred dollars ($100.00) valuation of property.

Sec. 5.  This act shall become effective upon ratification.

In the General Assembly read three times and ratified, this the 21st day of June, 1971.