Chapter 153A

Each county is authorized to appropriate funds and lease real property to schools chartered under Article 14A of Chapter 115C of the General Statutes. Counties may provide funds only for the purposes set forth in G.S. 115C-218.105(b1). (2023-107, s. 6(d).)

(a) A county shall not do either of the following: (1) Regulate the operation of an online marketplace, as defined in subsection (b) of this section. (2) Require an online marketplace to provide personally identifiable information of users, unless pursuant to a subpoena or court …

Any geographic information system (GIS) tool offered to the public by a county shall bear a disclaimer notifying the user that the data offered by the tool is provided without warranty and that the user should consult public primary information sources, such as recorded deeds and…

(a) Notwithstanding any provision of law to the contrary, each county agency shall establish a policy to send any permits issued by the agency to permittees using one or more of the following methods instead of requiring the permittee to pick up the permit at an agency office or …

(a) No county may require any person, including an applicant for employment or an employee, to provide proof of a COVID-19 vaccination or to submit to a COVID-19 vaccination or a series of COVID-19 vaccinations, unless the exemption in subsection (b) of this section applies. For …

Subject to G.S. 143-138(e), a county may in an ordinance adopt by reference a published technical code or a standard or regulation promulgated by a public agency. A technical code or standard or regulation so adopted has the force of law in any area of the county in which the ord…

(a) Except as provided in this section, the powers, duties, functions, rights, privileges, and immunities of a city are vested with any county that has either: (1) No portion of an incorporated municipality located within its boundaries; or (2) One incorporated municipality locat…

For the purposes of this Article, any statutory reference to: (1) A city shall be construed as a reference to a county. (2) A city council or governing board shall be construed as a reference to the board of commissioners. (3) The mayor shall be construed as a reference to the ch…

If a county is subject to this Article under G.S. 153A-471(a)(2), it may not levy property taxes on the entire county for any function authorized by this Article but not otherwise authorized by law for counties. Instead, the county may establish a county service district under Pa…

This Article only applies to a county if approved by the qualified voters of the county in a referendum called by the board of commissioners in accordance with G.S. 163-287. The referendum shall be conducted by the county board of elections in accordance with the provisions of la…

The clerk shall maintain an ordinance book, separate from the minute book of the board of commissioners. The ordinance book shall be indexed and shall be available for public inspection in the office of the clerk. Except as provided in this section and in G.S. 153A-47, each count…

A county may adopt and issue a code of its ordinances. The code may be reproduced by any method that gives legible and permanent copies, and may be issued as a securely bound book or books with periodic separately bound supplements, or as a loose-leaf book maintained by replaceme…

If a reference is made in another portion of the General Statutes, in a local act, or in a city or county ordinance, resolution, or order to a portion of Chapter 153, and the reference is to Chapter 153 as it existed immediately before February 1, 1974, the reference is deemed am…

County ordinances shall be pleaded and proved under the rules and procedures of G.S. 160A-79. References to G.S. 160A-77 and G.S. 160A-78 appearing in G.S. 160A-79 are deemed, for purposes of this section, to refer to G.S. 153A-49 and G.S. 153A-48, respectively. (1973, c. 822, s.…

The board of commissioners may hold public hearings at any place within the county. The board may adopt reasonable rules governing the conduct of public hearings, including but not limited to rules (i) fixing the maximum time allotted to each speaker, (ii) providing for the desig…

The board of commissioners shall provide at least one period for public comment per month at a regular meeting of the board. The board may adopt reasonable rules governing the conduct of the public comment period, including, but not limited to, rules (i) fixing the maximum time a…

(a) The board of commissioners shall adopt a resolution or policy containing a code of ethics, as required by G.S. 160A-86. (b) All members of the board of commissioners, whether elected or appointed, shall receive the ethics education required by G.S. 160A-87. (2009-403, s. 4.)

A county may alter the structure of its board of commissioners by adopting one or any combination of the options prescribed by this section. (1) Number of members of the board of commissioners: The board may consist of any number of members not less than three, except as limited …

If the structure of the board of commissioners is altered to establish a board with an odd number of members serving a combination of four-and two-year terms of office, the new structure shall be implemented as follows: At the first election all members of the board shall be elec…

The board of commissioners shall initiate any alteration in the structure of the board by adopting a resolution. The resolution shall: (1) Briefly but completely describe the proposed alterations; (2) Prescribe the manner of transition from the existing structure to the altered s…

A proposition to approve an alteration shall be printed on the ballot in substantially the following form: "Shall the structure of the board of commissioners be altered? (Describe the effect of the alteration.) [] YES [] NO" The ballot shall be separate from other ballots used at…

Any approved alteration shall be the basis for nominating and electing the members of the board of commissioners at the first succeeding primary and general election for county offices held after approval of the alteration; and the alteration takes effect on the first Monday in D…

A copy of a resolution approved pursuant to this Part shall be filed and indexed in the ordinance book required by G.S. 153A-48. (1927, c. 91, s. 4; 1969, c. 717, s. 1; 1973, c. 822, s. 1.)

If the proposition is approved under G.S. 153A-61, a certified true copy of the resolution and a copy of the abstract of the election shall be filed with the Secretary of State and with the Legislative Library. (1985 (Reg. Sess., 1986), c. 935, s. 1; 1989, c. 191, s. 1.) §

The board of commissioners may create, change, abolish, and consolidate offices, positions, departments, boards, commissions, and agencies of the county government, may impose ex officio the duties of more than one office on a single officer, may change the composition and manner…

(a) In the exercise of its jurisdiction over commissions, boards and agencies, the board of county commissioners may assume direct control of any activities theretofore conducted by or through any commission, board or agency by the adoption of a resolution assuming and conferring…

A county may develop for human services a single portal of entry, a consolidated case management system, and a common data base; provided that if the county is part of a district health department or multicounty public health authority or a multicounty area mental health, develop…

The board of commissioners may by resolution adopt or discontinue the county-manager plan. If it adopts the county-manager plan, the board may, in the alternative: (1) Appoint a county manager to serve at its pleasure. The manager shall be appointed solely on the basis of his exe…

(a) The manager is the chief administrator of county government. The manager is responsible to the board of commissioners for the administration of all departments of county government under the board's general control and has the following powers and duties: (1) He shall appoint…

By letter filed with the clerk, the manager may designate, subject to the approval of the board of commissioners, a qualified person to exercise the powers and perform the duties of manager during the manager's temporary absence or disability. During an absence or disability, the…

Whenever the position of county manager is vacant, the board of commissioners shall designate a qualified person to exercise the powers and perform the duties of manager until the vacancy is filled. The board may designate the chairman or some other member as interim manager; for…

In a county that has not adopted or does not operate under the county-manager plan, the board of commissioners shall appoint, suspend, and remove all county officers, employees, and agents except those who are elected by the people or whose appointment is otherwise provided for b…

By letter filed with the clerk, the head of a department may designate, subject to the approval of the board of commissioners, a qualified person to exercise the powers and perform the duties of head of that department during the department head's temporary absence or disability.…

Whenever the position of head of a department is vacant, the board may designate a qualified person to exercise the powers and perform the duties of head of the department until the vacancy is filled. (1973, c. 822, s. 1.) §

(a) Subject to the limitations set forth in subsection (b) of this section, the board of commissioners shall fix or approve the schedule of pay, expense allowances, and other compensation of all county officers and employees, whether elected or appointed, and may adopt position c…

(a) The board of commissioners may provide for enrolling county officers and employees in the Local Governmental Employees' Retirement System, the Law-Enforcement Officers' Benefit and Relief Fund, the North Carolina Firefighters' and Rescue Squad Workers' Pension Fund, or a reti…

(a) The board of commissioners may adopt or provide for rules and regulations or ordinances concerning but not limited to annual leave, sick leave, special leave with full pay or with partial pay supplementing workers' compensation payments for employees injured in accidents aris…

All counties that employ firefighters, law enforcement officers, paramedics, other first responders, or health department employees shall, not later than 90 days after this section becomes law, enact a policy regarding sick leave and salary continuation for those employees for ab…

(a) The board of commissioners may adopt or provide for rules and regulations or ordinances concerning a requirement that any applicant for employment be subject to a criminal history record check of State and National Repositories of Criminal Histories conducted by the State Bur…

The board of commissioners may establish a personnel board with authority, as regards employees in offices, departments, boards, commissions, and agencies under the general control of the board of commissioners, to administer tests designed to determine the merit and fitness of c…

The board of commissioners may take any action necessary to allow county officers and employees to participate fully in benefits provided by the Federal Social Security Act. (1973, c. 822, s. 1.)

A county may, pursuant to G.S. 160A-167, provide for the defense of: (1) Any county officer or employee, including the county board of elections or any county election official. (2) Any member of a volunteer fire department or rescue squad which receives public funds. (2a) Any so…

(a) Notwithstanding the provisions of G.S. 132-6 or any other general law or local act concerning access to public records, personnel files of employees, former employees, or applicants for employment maintained by a county are subject to inspection and may be disclosed only as p…

(a) Purpose. The purpose of this section is to ensure that county employees are not subjected to political or partisan coercion while performing their job duties, to ensure that employees are not restricted from political activities while off duty, and to ensure that public funds…

(a) Counties Must Use E-Verify. - Each county shall register and participate in E-Verify to verify the work authorization of new employees hired to work in the United States. (b) E-Verify Defined. - As used in this section, the term "E-Verify" means the federal E-Verify program o…