Minutes - 20090526 - Laserfiche WebLink

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Ben Judge is a student at Carrboro High School. He came from Chapel Hill High School where there was a beautiful auditorium and now he is at Carrboro High school with no auditorium and no arts wing. He is also in the band and there is no band room. The band program is growing and there is no storage and the band meets in the weight room. He pleaded that the County Commissioners consider the arts wing to be completed within the next few years. Jane Kerwin is a mother of four children in the CHCCS. She said that this is a tough budget year, and she understands that there will be cuts. She said that everyone needs to remember why people move to Chapel Hill —for the education. She said that her family moved here for the education. She said that if the education suffers, then this will affect the property values. She said that, at a minimum, the schools need the 48.4% funding. Michelle Laws said that she wonders how a social observer would record this history five years from now- the threats to take away the jobs, relying on the kindness of friends, closing the doors to our libraries, etc. She said that she is the first Vice-Chair of the Chapel Hill- Carrboro NAACP and the Co-Chair of the joint IMA NAACP Education Committee. She said that even though we are living in the worst of economic times, they must use judicious judgment when making a decision on how to create and balance this budget. She said that everyone is sharing the pain, but for some it is unbearable. She asked the County Commissioners to consider the least of the citizens and not accept any proposals that will cut after-school programs, the arts, and AVID instruction time. Barbara Brown is a board member of the CSFPU6 and a returning parent. She said that at one time this school was not acceptable but now it is one of the best preschools. She asked that the school be funded for the extension of the lease and to help with the renovation. Ben Lloyd is a former dairy farmer. He is still a farmer. All of the cows left the farm in 2002 because it was no longer profitable to produce milk. He said that for the past several days, he has been on a hay field on a 1967 tractor. He uses these old tractors on a 700-acre farm that he owns. The new tractors would be above his means. He said that these are tough times and no profit to be made anymore. He has heard the pleas tonight for schools and other school needs. He said that he has three sisters that are retired teachers and he used to sit on the Board of County Commissioners, where he supported the schools. He wants as much schools as the people in the County can afford to pay for. He said that the only place available for additional funds is from an increased property tax, and people in Orange County are hurting. He said that 5,000 people appealed their tax revaluations. Lifelong residents are moving out of Orange County because they cannot afford to pay their property tax. He said that Orange County is out of money. The County has even asked its employees to take a pay cut or take furloughs. He said that 50 years ago, Orange County was the dairy county of North Carolina with 120 active dairies and today there are only nine dairies. He said that property tax has become a major expense for the farmers in Orange County. He asked the Board to look closely, learn how to say no, learn how to allow the residents of the County to stay here and not be run out, and allow the farmers to continue to put food on the table. Sergio Verde spoke with a translator. He lives in the community of Richmond Hills in Efland. He said that the increase in the sewer is too much. He said that he does not use the water to water the lawn or wash the car. Maria Vasquez spoke with a translator and she lives in Richmond Hills. She is worried about her sewer rates. She has tried to use less water, but the rate has not decreased. She also has three kids and her husband has no job. She begs the County Commissioners to help the community and not raise the water rates. Lynne Bressler has a sophomore at Carrboro High. She said that the students, parents, and the Public School Foundation raised money last year and the music program purchased risers. The room that the chorus is now in was not meant to be a music room, so the door has to be taken off the hinges in order to move the risers. She said that there is a lack of