\nAn authority may be created for the area of any Metropolitan Planning Organization of the State that, at the time of creation of the authority, meets the following criteria, such area being the initial territorial jurisdiction of the Authority:\n(1) The area consists of all or part of five counties, all five counties of which form a contiguous territory;\n(2) At least two of those counties are contiguous to each other and each have a population of 250,000 or over; and\n(3) The other three counties each have a population of 100,000 or over. (1997-393, s. 1.)
North Carolina Legal Code