Orange County NC Website
• To protect and enhance opportunity, justice and tolerance, and the health, safety, and <br />welfare of our people, environment, and other living things fairly, effectively, and <br />transparently. <br />What is the Board's vision for Orange County government, what should it aspire to, what <br />legacy do you wish to leave as a board for those who will follow you? <br />Phillip Boyle asked each County Commissioner to draft a statement to this effect. <br />The County Commissioners made the following individual statements and Phillip Boyle <br />read them. <br />Individual Statements from the Five County Commissioners: <br />• A county with a diverse physical and natural environment and a culturally and <br />economically diverse population, which values freedom of expression of opinions and <br />preferences in public and private settings. <br />• A county that provides for the preservation and sustainability of economic, natural, and <br />cultural resources that ensure the effective and efficient delivery of services to promote <br />and enhance the quality of life for all residents. <br />• A county with enhanced opportunity, justice and tolerance for all people, where people <br />and other living things are healthy and safe, where the natural environment is protected, <br />and government is effective, transparent and fair. <br />• A county that operates efficiently and transparently, provides services such as libraries <br />in an equitable manner, and has a dynamic economy benefiting a diverse population. <br />• A county that is a flexible, inclusive, and just vehicle for promoting opportunity, <br />organizing development and services, and protecting residents and the environment. <br />Phillip Boyle said that this conversation was to provide a context and framework for <br />thinking about what the strategic navigation process looks like. The participants would be <br />senior staff and the Board. He said that one day is sufficient to come out of that with a working <br />and living document. Every participant would be solicited for issues, challenges, needs, <br />priorities, and actions that are critical for the County to address. All of the input would come to <br />him and he would collate, edit out specific solutions, and focus on the issues. There would be <br />no identification or particular order of the listing. Small groups would then meet to identify key <br />themes and the whole package would be put into about five strategic goal statements. <br />Phillip Boyle said that the items could be fiscal or operational, small or large, and this <br />would be a framework. The document should have a shelf life. <br />Commissioner Gordon asked about the staff that would be involved. Laura Blackmon <br />said that it would be more than her small management team of ten members. Phillip Boyle said <br />that more staff is less of a problem than having fewer staff. <br />Chair Jacobs suggested including all department heads and directors. <br />Commissioner Gordon asked what would be done with the living document and Phillip <br />Boyle said that the County Commissioners would get a copy and then the staff would take it and <br />see where the operational/fiscal obligations are. With this data, the priorities can be discussed. <br />There will not be any commitments at the retreat for the document. The Board would not be <br />bound by the document until there is a decision to adopt it. <br />