NORTH CAROLINA GENERAL ASSEMBLY
1963 SESSION

CHAPTER 913
HOUSE BILL 702

AN ACT TO INCREASE THE NUMBER OF THE MEMBERS OF THE BOARD OF EDUCATION OF WATAUGA COUNTY FROM THREE TO FIVE; TO APPOINT ADDITIONAL MEMBERS OF THE WATAUGA COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION FOR A TERM OF TWO YEARS, AND TO PROVIDE FOR THE ELECTION OF ALL SUBSEQUENT BOARDS OF EDUCATION FOR SAID COUNTY.

The General Assembly of North Carolina do enact:

Section 1. The Board of Education of Watauga County shall consist of five members, for the biennium ending the first Monday in April, 1965.
Sec. 2. The appointment of members of the Board of Education for Watauga County as made in the Omnibus Bill of 1963 is hereby confirmed with the provision that Dr. Charles Davant be and he is hereby appointed for a term of six (6) years from the first Monday in April, 1963; that H. W. Mast, Jr. be and he is hereby appointed for a term of four (4) years from the first Monday in April, 1963; and that D. Grady Moretz, Jr. be and he is hereby appointed for a term of two (2) years from the first Monday in April, 1963; that in addition to the said members named in the Omnibus Bill of 1963 John H. Hollar and F. D. Bumgardner are named as members of said Board for a term of two (2) years from the first Monday in April, 1963.
Sec. 3. At the general election to be held in Watauga County in 1964 there may be elected three (3) members of the Watauga County Board of Education for the places above designated as two‑year terms, provided a resolution approving said election shall be filed with the State Board of Education and duly adopted by the Board of Education of Watauga County on or before the first Monday in April, 1964, and provided further that the six‑year term and the four‑year term heretofore set up for present members of said Board shall not be affected thereby.
The Board of Education of Watauga County is also authorized to adopt a resolution to continue the system of appointment and the retention by said resolution of a five‑member Board, of which three (3) members shall be affiliated with the Democratic Party of Watauga County and two (2) members shall be affiliated with the Republican Party of Watauga County.
In the event such a resolution is adopted by said Board and is forwarded by said Board to the State Board of Education prior to the first Monday in April 1964, the Board of Education of Watauga County shall continue to be a five‑member Board, and each party shall select nominees for seats on said County Board held by members of that party whose terms shall expire the following year. Each party shall select the appropriate number of nominees by the method now prescribed or hereafter prescribed by statute. The resolution adopted by said Board may also set up a plan of staggered terms for such members.
Sec. 4. The Board of Education of Watauga County, as set out in Section 3, may by appropriate resolution set up an election for three (3) members of said Board in 1964 to fill the vacancies at that time occurring, two (2) of whom shall belong to the Republican Party and one (1) of whom shall belong to the Democratic Party, and they shall be chosen in the Primary of each party as now provided by statute, subject to the provisions of the law where no excess number of candidates file. This shall in no sense affect the terms of six (6) years and four (4) years hereinbefore provided.
Sec. 5. The members of the Board of Education who may be elected in the General Election of 1964 shall take office on the first Monday in April, 1965 and serve terms which shall expire on the first Monday in April, 1967; that the Board of Education of Watauga County may continue from biennium to biennium the same process of electing members of the Board of Education of Watauga County by filing a resolution as hereinbefore provided with the State Board of Education on or before the first Monday in April of each election year, which resolution may also set up a plan of staggered terms for such members.
Sec. 6. All vacancies occurring in the membership of the Board of Education by death, resignation or otherwise shall be filled for the unexpired term by the remaining members, including the Chairman of said Board, by appointment of some qualified citizen of Watauga County.
Sec. 7. This Act shall apply to Watauga County only.
Sec. 8. All laws and clauses of laws in conflict with this Act are hereby repealed.
Sec. 9. This Act shall be in full force and effect from and after its ratification.
In the General Assembly read three times and ratified, this the 13th day of June, 1963.