Orange County NC Website
Contact Information <br /> Meg Gray Wiehe <br /> meg @ncjustice.org <br /> 919-856-3192 <br /> Commissioner Jacobs asked if part of this discussion was having the State address the <br /> increasing inequity in the amount of responsibility for funding services that it has hoisted on <br /> local governments over time. <br /> Meg Wiehe said that the most recent Tax Commission that met (December 2008 <br /> without issuing a final report), had at its charge a subcommittee that was looking at that very <br /> issue. The Medicaid swap two years ago came out of the work of that subcommittee. The <br /> approach to date is to take a piece meal approach. The plan is to come back after the new <br /> year and take on the next tax. She recommended making this suggestion to Senator Kinnaird <br /> and to the representatives. <br /> Commissioner Pelissier said that she has seen various articles on taxation of services <br /> and there is concern about taxing needed services such as doctors. <br /> Meg Wiehe said that she would recommend never to tax healthcare or education. <br /> Senator Kinnaird said that there are 168 services that are able to be taxed, but the <br /> more that is taxed, the lower the tax rate will be and it will be a revenue neutral change, so that <br /> the base is more stable. <br /> Frank Clifton said that some counties like Orange do not have the more commercial tax <br /> base to generate the sales. He said that the reality is that most people in Orange County shop <br /> somewhere else. <br /> Senator Kinnaird said that the solution would be to broaden the commercial base. <br /> Commissioner Jacobs thanked Senator Kinnaird and Meg Wiehe for the presentation. <br /> He said that Orange County picks up the burden of schools to the greatest extent of any <br /> county in the State. Orange County pays $3,400 per pupil and other counties only pay $600 <br /> per pupil. He hopes that the State works to fix some of the inequities inherent in the current <br /> way in which it has addressed some of these problems. He asked Senator Kinnaird to mention <br /> this to the legislature. <br /> b. Town of Chapel Hill Mayor Kevin Foy's Mental Health Task Force Report <br /> The Board received the final report of Chapel Hill Mayor Kevin Foy's Mental Health <br /> Task Force. <br /> Natalie Ammarell, Chair of Human Service Systems, made a PowerPoint presentation. <br /> MAYOR'S MENTAL HEALTH <br /> TASK FORCE <br /> REPORT <br /> October, 2009 <br /> MAYOR'S MENTAL HEALTH TASK FORCE <br /> Natalie Ammarell, Chair <br /> Human Service Systems <br />