CHARTER FOR THE TOWN OF
HOLDEN BEACH, NORTH CAROLINA

   STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA

   MUNICIPAL BOARD OF CONTROL

In re: Proposed incorporation of the Town of Holden Beach, Brunswick County, North Carolina.

   Pursuant to a petition filed under Article 17 of Chapter 160 of the General Statutes of North Carolina with the Honorable Thad Eure, Secretary of State and Secretary of the Municipal Board of Control, on the 25th day of November, 1968, requesting the incorporation of Holden Beach, North Carolina and an order made by the said Thad Eure on the 25th day of November, 1968, fixing the time and place for a hearing on said petition, the Municipal Board of Control met at 10:00 A.M. January 10, 1969 in the Conference Room of the Attorney General in the Justice Building. The meeting was recessed to meet in the Conference Room of the North Carolina State Bar in the Justice Building where the hearing proceeded before Thad Eure, Secretary of State and Secretary of the Municipal Board of Control, and Harry T. Westcott, Chairman of the Utilities Commission and Acting Chairman of the Municipal Board of Control, Robert Morgan, Attorney General and Chairman of the Municipal Board of Control, having disqualified himself. The petitioners, represented by Grover A. Gore, Attorney at Law, and those in opposition to the petition, represented by A.H. Gainey, Jr., Attorney at Law, were fully heard at the said hearing and a conference held for clarification of the record on the 14th day of February, 1969.

   NOW, THEREFORE, the Municipal Board of Control finds the following facts:

   1.   That the petition is signed by a majority of the resident qualified electors of the territory proposed to be incorporated.

   2.   That the petition is signed by a majority of the resident freeholders of the territory proposed to be incorporated.

   3.   That the said territory is accurately described in said petition as amended with a map attached thereto.

   4.   That the petition as amended contains the names of all the qualified voters in the territory to be incorporated.

   5.   That the petition contains the assessed valuation of the real property of the proposed town which is at least twenty-five thousand dollars according to the last preceding tax assessment.

   6.   That the petition contains the proposed name of the new town.

   7.   That the petition is signed by at least twenty-five resident freeholders of the age of twenty-one years or older, at least twenty of whom are qualified voters.

   8.   That the petition is verified by three of the signers who are qualified voters.

   9.   That at least thirty days before the hearing, notice of such hearing, signed by three of the freeholders signing the petition for the organization of the town was published once a week for four weeks in a newspaper published in the county where such territory is situated and posted at the county courthouse door of such county for a like period.

   The allegations of the petition appearing to be true and the requirements of Article 17 of Chapter 160 of the General Statutes of North Carolina having been substantially complied with,

      IT IS THEREFORE ORDERED that the territory described as follows:

      BEGINNING at a point on the West bank of Lockwoods Folly Inlet where the low-water mark of the same intersects the Atlantic Ocean; runs thence along the low-water mark of the Atlantic Ocean in a westwardly direction approximately 43,200 feet to a point on the low-water mark of the East bank of Shallotte Inlet where the same intersects the Atlantic Ocean; runs thence along the low-water mark of Shallotte Inlet in a northwardly direction approximately 5,280 feet to where the same intersects the center line of the Intra-Coastal Waterway Canal; runs thence in an eastwardly direction and with the center line of said Intra-Coastal Waterway Canal approximately 43,500 feet to a point in the West bank of Lockwoods Folly Inlet where the low-water mark of the same intersects the Intra-Coastal Waterway Canal; runs thence along the low-water mark of Lockwoods Folly Inlet in a southerly direction approximately 2,960 feet to the place and point of BEGINNING, containing an island beach approximately eight miles long, the same including what is known as Holden Beach, Bobinson Beach, and Colonial Beach, and is bounded on the East by Lockwoods Folly Inlet; on the South by the Atlantic Ocean; on the West by Shallotte Inlet; and on the North by the center line of the Intra-Coastal Waterway Canal. A map of said territory to be incorporated is attached hereto and made a part hereof.

is hereby incorporated into a town under the name “The Town of Holden Beach;” with all the powers and subject to all the laws governing municipal corporations set forth in the General Statutes of North Carolina.

   IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that the governing body of The Town of Holden Beach shall consist of the Mayor and five commissioners and that the first election for said officials shall be held on Tuesday, May 6, 1969, in accordance with the laws pertaining to municipal elections. The place of such election shall be the Holden Beach Fishing Pier. Mrs. Elizabeth Holden is appointed Registrar and Ben Elixson and Mrs. Gladys Hare are appointed judges to hold said election. The amended list of the qualified voters attached to the petition shall be treated as the registration of qualified voters for said election subject to additional registration in accordance with law.

Editor's note:

   Ord. No. 4-89, § 1, adopted March 6, 1989, provided for an amendment to the Charter as follows: The form of government for the Town of Holden Beach shall be changed from the “mayor-council form of government” to the “council-manager form of government” in accordance with Part 2 of Article 7 of Chapter 160A of the North Carolina General Statutes.

   AND IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that the following named persons shall constitute the ad interim Mayor and Commissioners of The Town of Holden Beach to hold office until their successors are elected and qualified: Mayor, John F. Holden; Commissioners, J. D. Griffin, Sr., Hugh Dutton, Joseph A. Hewett, Claude Van Werry and E. M. Briles.

   AND IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that a certified copy of this Order and the papers in reference to the organization of The Town of Holden Beach shall be filed and recorded in the office of the Clerk of Superior Court of Brunswick County.

This the 14th day of February, 1969.

            /s/                                                             

            HARRY T. WESTCOTT,

            Chairman of the Utilities Commission
            and Acting Chairman of the Municipal
            Board of Control

            /s/                                                             

            THAD EURE, Secretary of State and Secretary
            of the Municipal Board of Control