Orange County NC Website
smaller number of parcels than Option 1 would impact,and something that has not been figured into the <br /> cost of this is the cost of transferring the lots from one county to the other and the discovery that would <br /> have to happen in the tax offices and changing the collection patterns there.Most importantly, Option 2v.3 <br /> would allow residents to continue to send their children to the same schools for the most part and receive <br /> services from the county they have been paying their taxes to. She opined there is no reason at all that a <br /> county line should be a straight line,and there are over 200 reasons, over 200 parcels,why the line should <br /> be adjusted to reflect current practices. People have made important life decisions based on practices of <br /> county government and they should be able to rely on their county government to make permanent and <br /> official the line which reflects past taxing and student attendance. She asked the Commissioners to vote in <br /> favor of Option 2v.3,and request that State House Representatives Alice Bordsen and Dan Ingle bring this <br /> to the next Legislative Session and pass it. <br /> PUBLIC COMMENTS—Comments from Mill Creek Subdivision were that the development owners <br /> endorse Option 2v.3. The Board of Directors of the Homeowners' Association asked the Commissioners to <br /> consider putting all of Mill Creek in Alamance County,the developed as well as the undeveloped portions. <br /> One resident stated that some residents expressed a willingness to help pay for the resurvey of the line. <br /> Another resident stated he specifically chose the section in Orange County because of excellent schools and <br /> that the motivation of others for changing the county line serves a few and would negate his decision to <br /> move into Orange County, as did others in that section. Comments from the Ninth Street area were that <br /> some residents requested that the line be changed to conform to the map that shows the line down the back <br /> of the properties and that they agree to participate in the cost of surveying and redrawing said county line <br /> with a cost not to exceed$3.20 per linear foot of their property that is on the boundary line. Another <br /> resident expressed disappointment that she was given incorrect information from a realtor when she made <br /> an offer on her property. A resident of the Village of the Oaks stated he chose Orange County because of <br /> schools and services. A resident in the Cane Creek area stated that the location of the legal line is no longer <br /> uncertain,that the original location of the line is the only legal boundary between Orange and Alamance <br /> Counties,and as such,both counties are breaking State law in the taxation of properties in the other county <br /> and in the transfer of taxes to the other county. He stated the proposed line is unfair and unjust,paying for <br /> an unnecessary additional survey is fiscally irresponsible,and that using the legal surveyed line is the best <br /> and most economically responsible solution that cannot be challenged in court. He suggested the line issue <br /> should be settled this year with the already located legal line,as it has been the failure of past county <br /> commissioners that this issue was not resolved and subsequently created more justifiably angry residents as <br /> time passed. A resident in the Mebane Oaks Road area stated that his property is isolated from the rest of <br /> Alamance County by Mrs. Morrow's farm and the Alamance County landfill,that all of his services come <br /> from Orange County, and he is used to the situation that exists and is excited about Option 2 and would like <br /> to remain where he is. <br /> COMMISSIONERS' DELIBERATION—Commissioner Yuhasz stated the Commissioners need to <br /> recognize where the historic line is but don't necessarily have to ratify that. He further stated that the <br /> Commissioners have the opportunity to decide where the line is going to be moving forward to meet the <br /> expectations of people who have bought property along the line and have expected to be and were told that <br /> they were going to be in one county or another. With information available now,with the historic line,and <br /> where the line is located going forward,the Commissioners will have a much more precise definition of <br /> where the county line is and will be in a much better position to maintain the position of the line. Option <br /> 2v.3 respects as much as possible the expectations of people, particularly those who have smaller, <br /> welldeveloped <br /> property. He stated he would lean toward encouraging the staffs to come up with a scenario that <br /> uses Option 2v.3 as its basis. He asked for more information as to how many developed properties in Mill <br /> Creek have been added to the initial Option 2.He expressed concern that if properties are moved from one <br /> jurisdiction to another,that might change the value of the property and have a negative effect on a lender's <br /> perspective and on the owner's perspective. He stated he would like to take a look at this before deciding <br /> to change properties from one jurisdiction to another. Commissioner Jacobs noted that in the Mill Creek <br /> section in Option 2v.3 there are 65 lots,about 35 developed and 30 undeveloped lots,and there are roughly <br /> three or four households that have children on the Orange County side. He stated that 95%of the land area <br /> in Mill Creek is in Alamance County. He also noted that indications from both school systems are that it is <br /> feasible to have an inter-local school agreement to allow children to attend the school of their choice. <br />