GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA

1993 SESSION

 

 

CHAPTER 693

HOUSE BILL 1827

 

AN ACT TO PROVIDE THAT THE EXEMPTION OF BEAUFORT COUNTY FROM CERTAIN PROVISIONS OF LAW RELATING TO THE APPOINTMENT OF COMMISSIONERS OF A PUBLIC HOUSING AUTHORITY SHALL NOT BE APPLICABLE TO THE CITY OF WASHINGTON AND THE WASHINGTON HOUSING AUTHORITY.

 

The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:

 

Section 1.  G.S. 157-5 reads as rewritten:

"§ 157-5.  Appointment, qualifications and tenure of commissioners.

An authority shall consist of not less than five nor more than nine commissioners appointed by the mayor and he shall designate the first chairman.  Notwithstanding G.S. 157-7, 14-234, or any other provision of law, no person shall be barred from serving as a commissioner of any housing authority created under this Chapter because such person is a tenant of the authority or a recipient of housing assistance through any program operated by the authority; provided, that no such commissioner shall be qualified to vote on matters affecting his official conduct or matters affecting his own individual tenancy, as distinguished from matters affecting tenants in general; and further provided, that no more than one third of the members of any housing authority commission shall be tenants of the authority or recipients of housing assistance through any program operated by the authority.  Avery, Beaufort, Bertie, Burke, Caldwell, Camden, Cherokee, Chowan, Clay, Cleveland, Currituck, Dare, Duplin, Edgecombe, Franklin, Gates, Graham, Halifax, Haywood, Henderson, Hertford, Hoke, Hyde, Jackson, Jones, Lenoir, Macon, Martin, Nash, Northampton, Onslow, Pasquotank, Perquimans, Pitt, Polk, Robeson, Rowan, Swain, Transylvania, Tyrrell, Vance, Warren, Washington, Watauga, Wilkes, Wilson and Yadkin Counties are exempted from any provision of law allowing a person who is a tenant of the authority to serve as a commissioner of a housing authority. authority, except that the exemption for Beaufort County shall not apply to the City of Washington and the Washington Housing Authority.  The council may at any time by resolution or ordinance increase or decrease the membership of an authority, within the limitations herein prescribed.

The mayor shall designate overlapping terms of not less than one nor more than five years for the commissioners first appointed.  Thereafter, the term of office shall be five years.  A commissioner shall hold office until his successor has been appointed and has qualified.  Vacancies shall be filled for the unexpired term.  A majority of the commissioners shall constitute a quorum.  The mayor shall file with the city clerk a certificate of the appointment or reappointment of any commissioner and such certificate shall be conclusive evidence of the due and proper appointment of such commissioner.  A commissioner shall receive no compensation for his services but he shall be entitled to the necessary expenses including traveling expenses incurred in the discharge of his duties.

When the office of the first chairman of the authority becomes vacant, the authority shall select a chairman from among its members.  An authority shall select from among its members a vice-chairman, and it may employ a secretary (who shall be executive director), technical experts and such other officers, agents and employees, permanent and temporary, as it may require, and shall determine their qualifications, duties and compensation.  An authority may call upon the corporation counsel or chief law officer of the city for such legal services as it may require or it may employ its own counsel and legal staff.  An authority may delegate to one or more of its agents or employees such powers or duties as it may deem proper."

Sec. 2.  This act applies to the City of Washington and the Washington Housing Authority only.

Sec. 3.  This act is effective upon ratification.

In the General Assembly read three times and ratified this the 6th day of July, 1994.

 

 

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Dennis A. Wicker

President of the Senate

 

 

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Daniel Blue, Jr.

Speaker of the House of Representatives