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DRAFT Ti'~S ~ avow - v 41 !~ <br />.~=~-a ~ <br />ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS ~ ~~- <br />Resolution Supporting <br />Senate Bill 1030 -Electronics Recycling and Job Creation <br />WHEREAS, Orange County spends considerable funds annually recycling electronics collected <br />from its residents and businesses; and, <br />WHEREAS, these funds are provided from revenue collected as part of the County's Reduce, <br />Reuse & Recycling Fee and landfill operations revenues with no other state, private or federal <br />funds supporting the County's electronics recycling; and, <br />WHEREAS, local government operated electronic recycling programs are an efficient way to <br />divert electronics from disposal and to provide recycling services to residents across the State; <br />and, <br />WHEREAS, local government operated electronic recycling programs, where they exist, are the <br />only existing programs to adequately serve North Carolinians and to divert large quantities of <br />electronics from disposal (the State of North Carolina, electronics manufacturers, retailers, and <br />others provide no such system); and, <br />WHEREAS, Orange County operates one of the most successful electronics recycling programs <br />in the southeast, collecting approximately 180 tons of electronics last fiscal year, estimated as the <br />highest per capita in the nation; and, <br />WHEREAS, more than 14,000 new televisions, monitors and printers were purchased by Orange <br />County residents and businesses last year; and, <br />WHEREAS, electronics recycling legislation is strongly supported and was originally sponsored <br />in the North Carolina Senate by Senator Ellie Kinnaird of Orange County and in the North <br />Carolina House by Representative Joe Haclrney of Orange County; and, <br />WHEREAS, approximately 65 businesses are handling recyclable electronics now in North <br />Carolina and this is an area of job growth and business expansion in our State; and, <br />WHEREAS, very few counties have funds for implementing electronics recycling programs; <br />and, <br />WHEREAS, each conventional (not flat screen) television and computer monitor contains an <br />average of eight pounds of lead and other heavy metals; and, <br />WHEREAS, recycling and reusing computer monitors, televisions, printers and other electronics <br />represents recovery of valuable resources and conservation of locally scarce landfill space;- and, <br />WHEREAS, legislation now being considered by the North Carolina General Assembly could <br />provide sufficient funds from a privilege tax on the sale of televisions, computer monitors and <br />printers to fully support local government operated electronics recycling programs, including <br />Orange County's, enabling the recycling fee revenues collected by counties, including those <br />collected by Orange County, to support other recycling and waste reduction efforts; <br />NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Orange County Board of Commissioners <br />supports Senate Bill 1030 -Electronics Recycling and Job Creation, and urges the members of the <br />Orange County's legislative delegation as well as all members of the General Assembly to <br />support legislation that imposes a privilege tax on electronic devices in order to encourage and <br />fund local government operated electronics recycling programs. <br />This the 4`s day of May 2006. <br />Bang Jacobs, Chair <br />Orange County Board of Commissioners <br />