Orange County NC Website
Browse       Search
the Board to identify and restrict a substantial proportion of this revenue for meaningful <br /> economic development. <br /> Jerry Gschwind said that he is opposed to any tax increase. He said that the <br /> government payroll in N.C. has increased 90% since 1997 and N.C. has the 81h highest <br /> number of State government employees. He said that there is a bloated government structure <br /> in the State. He said that if they want to attract people, they need to reduce taxes and not <br /> increase them. <br /> Jeff Danner said that he would like income from the sales tax to go to the schools and <br /> education. He appreciates what the Board of County Commissioners has done in the past to <br /> address school funding. <br /> Sam Gharbo is a customer of the Efland sewer and he would support this tax if a large <br /> portion goes to infrastructure development, more specifically, the long-term solution of the <br /> Orange County sewer in Efland. <br /> Chapel Hill Fire Chief Dan Jones said that the Board has heard about the safety <br /> concerns about Emergency Medical Services and the 911 center in Orange County. If this 1/4- <br /> cent sales tax is approved, he asked that the Board please recognize this priority and fund it <br /> appropriately. He said that the EMS System needs to have more staffing and ambulances. <br /> This could help back down the 17-minute response time that is happening now. He said that <br /> funding should come from this sales tax. <br /> Gary Wallach is against this sales tax because it is an insufficient attempt to respond to <br /> our tax funding needs, and he would have gone for a 1/4-cent sales tax. He said that he <br /> supports the tax, but he wishes it were larger. <br /> Joe Phelps said that before he would support this sales tax, he would like the Board of <br /> County Commissioners to acknowledge how these funds would be spent. He would like for at <br /> least some of it to be for economic development (30% for the first year). He would like for <br /> some of the remaining funds to be used to reduce the property tax rate. <br /> Desiree Goldman lives in Carrboro and is the Legislative Affairs Director for the Greater <br /> Chapel Hill Association of Realtors. She echoed Bill Whitmore that they would support the <br /> sales tax with 1/3 going towards economic development and the rest to the schools. She said <br /> that the Unified Development Ordinance should be consistent with supporting economic <br /> development and there should be a welcoming signage ordinance for businesses. <br /> Tony McKnight, Chair of the Orange County Board of Education, said that he is here <br /> with a resolution supporting the 1%-cent sales tax for all funding to go to education. He read <br /> the resolution, as shown below: <br /> RESOLUTION IN SUPPORT OF THE <br /> ONE-QUARTER CENT SALES TAX IN ORANGE COUNTY, NORTH CAROLINA <br /> WHEREAS, the Orange County Board of Education ("School Board") has experienced <br /> state and local budget cuts of at least $6.2 million for day-to-day operations plus $800,000 <br /> reductions in capital funding from the state and Orange County since fiscal year 2008-2009; <br /> and <br /> WHEREAS, The School board anticipates a loss of at least an additional $4 million in <br /> federal funds in fiscal year 2011-2012; and <br /> WHEREAS, loss of these funds will create a fiscal environment that would cause the <br /> school system to severely limit programs and services offered to its students; and <br /> WHEREAS, the Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools has experienced similar funding <br /> reductions; and <br />