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ORANGE COUNTY <br />BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS <br />ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT <br />Meeting Date: August 23, 2011 <br />Action Agenda <br />Item No. 5_~C, _ <br />SUBJECT: Extending the Financial Assistance Program for Solid Waste Fees <br />DEPARTMENT: Tax Administration PUBLIC HEARING: (Y/N) No <br />ATTACHMENT(S): INFORMATION CONTACT: <br />Jenkins S. Crayton, 919-245-2735 <br />PURPOSE: To approve the extension of the Solid Waste Fee Assistance Program. <br />BACKGROUND: In fiscal year 2004-2005, the Board of County Commissioners established <br />Orange County's 3R Program and accompanying fees. Recognizing that payment of the 3R Fee <br />might be a financial burden for some taxpayers, the Board agreed to establish an assistance <br />program to aid those individuals in paying their 3R Fee. At the November 15, 2007 Board of <br />Commissioners meeting, the current 3R Financial Assistance Program was approved (Action <br />Agenda Item 4-C). This relief program assists about 550 households in the current year with a <br />cost of about $39,000. <br />For this fiscal year, the Board has established Orange County's Solid Waste Convenience <br />Center Fees (CC Fees). As a reminder, those fees are: <br />Rural Residential - $10 <br />Urban Residential - $5 <br />Multi-Family - $2 <br />Total Revenues from the fees are expected to be approximately $320,000. <br />Recognizing that payment of these fees might be a financial burden for some, just as the 3R <br />Fee might be, staff has prepared to extend similar assistance for the new fee. This relief will <br />assist the same households at an additional cost of about $4,500 in the current year. <br />Since many of the individuals who may need financial assistance are the same who meet <br />requirements of the Homestead Exemption legislation (North Carolina General Statute 105- <br />277), the Board established the Homestead Exemption rules for 3R Fee relief, and staff <br />proposes to extend those rules for the CC Fee relief. <br />In order to qualify for the Homestead Exemption program in 2011 individuals must (1) be 65 <br />years of age or totally and permanently disabled, (2) have an adjusted gross income (as defined <br />