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Orange County Board of Commissioners <br />Page 3 <br />March 27, 1998 <br />19 <br />local act, does not include all North Carolina counties. During <br />the:1997 Session, Senate Bill 535 was ratified adding a number of <br />counties, including Alamance, to the list of counties covered by <br />G.S. § 153A-15(c) and amending the law to exclude property <br />acquisitions by a city within the corporate limits of the city. <br />Orange County is now almost surrounded by counties protected by <br />G.S. § 153A-15. They include Alamance, Caswell, Durham and <br />Person. I think that a request to include Orange among the <br />counties covered by G.S. § 153A-15 would stand a reasonable <br />chance of being approved during the Short Session. This <br />initiative would not technically be a local one since it would <br />involve an amendment to a Statewide law. I recommend that that <br />initiative go forward. <br />2. It may. also be possible for consideration during the <br />Short Session of a local bill which would allow Orange County to <br />regulate "emission of pollutants or contaminates." Cities have <br />this power and it enables them to expressly regulate open <br />burning. If that is the only local initiative, the Board may <br />prefer to wait until the 1999 Session to take it to the <br />Legislature along with other local initiatives. <br />3. There are also several School Board initiatives which <br />may become County initiatives. At the least they will require <br />County Support. <br />4. Senate Bill 594 was passed by the Senate during the <br />regular 1997 Session of the General Assembly and is eligible for <br />consideration during the Short Session. It authorizes <br />Cumberland, Cabarrus, Johnston and Franklin County to levy a 1~ <br />sales tax with proceeds to be used for school capital outlay. It <br />is an initiative of the North Carolina Association of County <br />Commissioners to make that bill "Statewide." If the Board is <br />interested in having additional sales tax authority, it may be <br />prudent to request that Orange County be added to Senate Bill 594 <br />in the event consideration of that bill as a Statewide bill does <br />not occur. <br />Very truly yours, <br />COLEMAN~~LEDHILL & HARGRAVE, P.C. <br />dhill <br />GEG/lsg <br />Enclosures , <br />xc: John M. Link, Jr. <br />lsg-12\boardleg.ltr <br />