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HB 1117

Even-Year Municipal Elections/Catawba County.

2025-2026 Session Introduced by Jay Adams and 1 co-sponsor

HB 1117 requires all Catawba County municipalities to hold regular elections in even-numbered years, with 2027 canceled and terms extended to 2028 and beyond.

Passed 1st Reading
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Bill Summary · HB 1117

Summary of HB 1117 (2025 Session) – Even-Year Municipal Elections/Catawba County (North Carolina)

Note: This bill is a local act affecting multiple municipalities within Catawba County and sets the schedule for holding regular municipal elections in even-numbered years.

1) Purpose and Intent

  • The bill requires that regular municipal elections for all municipalities in Catawba County be held in even-numbered years.
  • It applies specific implementation details to several towns and cities within the county, including Brookford, Catawba, Claremont, Conover, Hickory, Long View, Maiden, and Newton. The overarching aim is to synchronize municipal elections with even-numbered-year cycles, aligning them with broader state practice for uniformity and predictability.

2) Key Provisions and Changes

Brookford

  • Shifts regular municipal elections for mayor and aldermen to occur in even-numbered years.
  • For 2027, no municipal elections shall be conducted; terms expiring in 2027 are extended by one year. Terms expiring in 2029 are extended by one year.
  • Regular elections resume in 2028 with the same term staggering as in odd-numbered years prior to the change.

Catawba

  • 2027 elections are canceled; terms expiring in 2027 extended by one year; terms expiring in 2029 extended by one year.
  • Regular elections resume in 2028 with the same term staggering as prior to the change.

Claremont

  • 2027 elections canceled; terms expiring in 2027 extended by one year; terms expiring in 2029 extended by one year.
  • Regular elections resume in 2028 with the existing staggering pattern restored.

Conover

  • Regular municipal elections shifted to even-numbered years; elections held under nonpartisan plurality rules per existing North Carolina law.
  • 2027 elections canceled; respective terms extended by one year to 2028 restart, maintaining the prior stagger.

Hickory

  • Regular municipal elections shifted to even-numbered years; elections held under nonpartisan plurality rules per existing law.
  • 2027 elections canceled; terms expiring in 2027 extended by one year; terms expiring in 2029 extended by one year.
  • Restart with the same stagger in 2028.

Long View

  • Regular elections moved to even-numbered years; governed by nonpartisan plurality rules consistent with Chapter 163.
  • 2027 elections canceled; 2027-expiring terms extended by one year; 2029-expiring terms extended by one year.
  • Resumption in 2028 with existing staggering.

Maiden

  • Elections to be held on the first Tuesday of November in odd-numbered and even-numbered years as previously defined, with nonpartisan plurality rules and a specific set of tie-breaker provisions.
  • 2027 elections canceled; 2027-expiring terms extended by one year; 2029-expiring terms extended by one year.
  • Resumption in 2028 maintaining prior staggering.

Newton

  • Structure and term framework for the Board of Aldermen and Mayor continue, with elections held in even-numbered years under nonpartisan plurality.
  • 2027 elections canceled; 2027-expiring terms extended by one year; 2029-expiring terms extended by one year.
  • Regular elections resume in 2028 with existing staggering.

3) Affected Parties

  • Municipalities in Catawba County: Brookford, Catawba, Claremont, Conover, Hickory, Long View, Maiden, Newton.
  • Elected officials impacted include mayors and council/board members (aldermen), with term extensions and revised election years.
  • Voters in these municipalities, who will participate in elections on even-numbered years beginning after the effective date.

4) Procedural and Timeline Aspects

  • Effective Date: The act becomes law and applies to elections held on or after the effective date.
  • 2027 Elections: Across affected municipalities, no municipal elections shall occur; terms expiring in 2027 are extended by one year.
  • 2028 Onward: Regular municipal elections resume in even-numbered years, maintaining or restoring the prior staggering of terms.
  • 2029 Terms: Extensions are applied to preserve consistent term lengths and staggered cycles through the transition.
  • The bill references standard nonpartisan plurality rules and Chapter 163 general municipal election laws for election conduct.

5) Additional Observations

  • The measure is explicitly local and targeted to municipalities within Catawba County, though it includes several towns and a city with similar transition rules.
  • It ensures continuity of governance by extending terms for those whose terms would have expired during the transition year(s) and then aligning future elections with even-numbered years.

If you’d like, I can provide a municipality-by-municipality comparison table or a timeline graphic outline of the transition years and term extensions.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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