1893_public laws_415_11
CHAPTER 415 An act to authorize the commissioners of Buncombe county to issue bonds for public roads improvement. The General Assembly of North Carolina do enact : 3
That at any election on the question of issuing the bonds herein provided for there shall be elected by the said qualified voters of said county fourteen freeholders, one for each of the fourteen townships of said county, who shall be a resident of the township for which he is elected, all of whom, together with the five members of the board of county commissioners of said county, shall constitute and be known as  the road improvement commission of Buncombe county, who shal! serve from the time of their election until the qualification of their successors, who shall be elected at the next succeeding general election and biennially thereafter in the same manner and for the same term as the sheriff of said county. Before entering upon the discharge of the duties of their office the said road improvement commissioners shall qualify by taking an oath before the clerk of the superior court of said county faithfully and diligently to perform all the duties imposed upon them by the provisions of this act, which said oath shall be subscribed before said clerk and by him recorded in the same manner as is now provided by law for the recording of the oath of the sheriff of said county; said road improvement commissioners shall serve without compensation as such: Provided, that if at any election on the question of issuing the bonds hereinbefore provided for, a majority of the qualified voters of said county shall vote * Against public roads improvement, then and in that event the election of the said fourteen freeholders at said election shall be and void. If at any election under the provisions of this act a majority of the qualified voters of said county shall vote For public roads improvement, the fourteen freeholders elected at such election, together with the said five commissioners of said county, shall organize as said road improvement commission of Buncombe county. YThe chairman of the board of commissioners of said county shall be ex officio chairman of said road improvement commission. There shall be elected biennially by said road improvement commission a secretary to said commission, whose compensation shall be fixed by said commission; it shall be the duty of said secretary to keep an accurate record of all proceedings and doings of said commission, which said record shall be at all times open to the inspection of any citizen of the said county of Buncombe. The said road improvement commission is empowered and it is hereby made its duty to administer all funds that may be realized from the sale of the bonds herein provided for, to select the roads to be improved under the provisions of this act, to determine the character of the improvements to be made, to let contracts, to hire labor, and do every and all such acts and things as may be proper and necessary to carry into effect the purposes and intentions of this act; and no bill or account for labor done or material furnished in the making of the road improvements hereinbefore provided for shall be paid, except upon the warrant of the said road improvement commission, and no warrant shall be issued except upon the order of a majority of all said road improvement commissioners. Said road improvement commissioners shall have power to fill all vacancies occurring in the body by death, resignation, removal, or otherwise, until the next election of road improvement commissioners.