RALEIGH, N.C. (July 28, 2025) — Elected officials and concerned residents from the town of Louisburg will hold a press conference at 11:00 a.m. Tuesday in front of the North Carolina Legislative Building to speak out against a last-minute and unexplained legislative maneuver that altered the town’s election process without consultation or consent.
Lawmakers passed HB 183 on June 25. The bill initially focused on regulating wake surfing on Lake Glenville in Jackson County, but in a surprise move, as-yet-unknown legislators added an unrelated provision changing how Louisburg elects its mayor. The provision amending the town’s charter — slipped in at the 11th hour after the bill had already gone through the committee process — allows for a runoff election if no mayoral candidate receives more than 50% of the vote and the runner-up requests it.
Neither the Louisburg Town Council nor the mayor were informed or consulted about the change. The provision was not reviewed during the regular committee process, nor was it flagged during final votes in the House or Senate — by the time anyone in the town found out about it, the bill had already been passed. Lawmakers gave community members no opportunity to weigh in, breaking from the usual practice of consulting local elected officials and residents before taking action. And several press inquiries have failed to uncover who was responsible for requesting the provision be added.
“Our community was blindsided. Decisions that affect Louisburg should be made with Louisburg, not behind closed doors in Raleigh,” said Johnnie C. Clifton, President of the South Side Community Organization, Louisburg. “If lawmakers can rewrite our town’s charter without talking to a single person who lives here, that should alarm everyone in North Carolina.”
The town estimates runoff elections would cost an additional $7,000 to $10,000 — an expense that would strain its already limited budget and divert funds from essential community needs.
The press conference will highlight concerns over legislative overreach, lack of transparency, and the need for public accountability when local governance is affected.
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Southern Coalition for Social Justice, founded in 2007, partners with communities of color and economically disadvantaged communities in the South to defend and advance their political, social, and economic rights through the combination of legal advocacy, research, organizing, and communications. Learn more at southerncoalition.org and follow our work on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn.