2005 North Carolina Code - General Statutes § 14-288.17. Municipal and county ordinances may be made immediately effective if state of emergency exists or is imminent.

§ 14‑288.17.  Municipal and county ordinances may be made immediately effective if state of emergency exists or is imminent.

(a)       Notwithstanding any other provision of law, whether general or special, relating to the promulgation or publication of ordinances by any municipality or county, this section shall control with respect to any ordinances authorized by G.S. 14‑288.11 and 14‑288.12.

(b)       Upon proclamation by the mayor or chairman of the board of county commissioners that a state of emergency exists within the municipality or the county, or is imminent, any ordinance enacted under the authority of this article shall take effect immediately unless the ordinance sets a later time. If the effect of this section is to cause an ordinance to go into effect sooner than it otherwise could under the law applicable to the municipality or county, the mayor or chairman of the board of county commissioners, as the case may be, shall take steps to cause reports of the substance of any such ordinance to be disseminated in a fashion that such substance will likely be communicated to the public in general, or to those who may be particularly affected by the ordinance if it does not affect the public generally. As soon as practicable thereafter, appropriate distribution or publication of the full text of any such ordinance shall be made. (1969, c. 869, s. 1.)