Form of Government

The Town of Lake Lure is a full-service community, and provides the complete range of traditional municipal functions. These include police and fire protection, water and sewer service, solid waste, garbage and recycling collection, planning and zoning services, and recreational opportunities.

 

The Town of Lake Lure offers quite a few extras, too.   The town has 27 miles of lakeshore line, a beach area, marina, municipal golf course, community center, and visitor center.   We also welcome literally thousands of visitors each year, who come to enjoy the lake and the beautiful Blue Ridge mountain range.

 

The Town of Lake Lure was incorporated in 1927 and operates under the council-manager form of government.  The original town charter was revised on May 15, 1987 upon ratification by the North Carolina General Assembly and currently defines the governing body.

 

The governing body of the Town of Lake Lure is the board of commissioners; also refer to as the town council, which has four members, and the mayor.  Members of the Town Council are elected to four-year staggered terms with two members elected in each odd-numbered year. The mayor is elected by the citizens of the Town of Lake Lure with a two-year term and presides at town council meetings. A mayor pro-tem is selected from its member and will preside in the absence of the mayor. The mayor shall have the right to vote on matters before the town council only when there are equal numbers of votes in the affirmative and in the negative.

 

The town council passes ordinances, adopts the annual budget, hires the town manager, and appoints citizens to numerous boards, commissions and committees to assist with the work of governing the town.   The town council appoints the town manager for an indefinite term solely on the basis of administrative qualifications.   The town manager serves as the chief administrative officer of the town, and is responsible for carrying out the policies and ordinances adopted by the town council, hiring and supervision of town employees, and overall management of the day-to-day operations of the town’s departments and services. The town manager attends all meetings of the town council with the right to take part in discussions, but without the right to vote, and carries the responsibility for making recommendations to the town council as he deems necessary for the benefit of the public.  

 

The town attorney advises the town council, and department heads on legal matters and procedures.   He prepares agreements, deeds, leases, and other miscellaneous legal documents.

 

The town auditor reviews the financial records annually and gives a professional opinion based on acceptable municipal accounting principles and practices.

 

The public is invited and encouraged to attend all town council meetings to ensure open communications. The town council’s regular meetings are held the second Tuesday of each month at 7:00 PM at the Municipal Center/Town Hall. Special meetings may be called with 48-hour public notice. The town council agenda is usually arranged so that public hearings on matters of general interest are held early in the meetings to allow residents the opportunity to address the town council. The town council meeting agenda will be available at the town hall or on this website on the Friday prior to the scheduled meeting.