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than the national average. Your job should be to see how efficiently you can utilize tax <br />dollars instead of finding new ways to spend our money. <br />In your promotion of the recent quarter cent sales tax referendum, you listed the <br />ways all the new tax revenue would be spent; however you failed to mention the <br />downside of higher taxes. I want to repeat, high county property and sales taxes and is a <br />deterrent for businesses to locate, here in Orange County. On the other hand, becoming <br />business-friendly will bring the county more tax revenue and give tax relief to residential <br />property owners. <br />To prove my point about the benefits of low taxes and becoming business- <br />friendly, The Daily Tarheel recently quoted Chapel Hill Town Manager, Roger Stancil, <br />`The town, which ran a deficit last fiscal year, should streamline public services and <br />allocate resources more efficiently. Keeping taxes low and refraining from public <br />employee layoffs and benefit cuts will make Chapel Hill more. desirable to potential <br />businesses and residents. He said Stancil referenced the loss of a new Wal-Mart to <br />Chatham County as a motivation for Chapel Hill to become more business friendly. <br />I can think of no reason why the Town Manager's words would not apply to the <br />county. <br />Thank you." <br />b. Matters on the Printed Agenda <br />(These matters were considered when the Board addressed that item on the agenda <br />below.) <br />3. Petitions by Board Members <br />Commissioner Jacobs said that a group was at the dedication of the food processing <br />center and the 10% campaign to try and get businesses and governmental entities to subscribe <br />to a program whereby 10% of food is bought local. He would like to ask the group to come and <br />make a presentation to the Board of County Commissioners about this. <br />Commissioner Jacobs asked that the County Commissioners invite the Chair of OWASA. <br />and Orange County's two representatives to come and talk to the Board about the Water and <br />Sewer Boundary Agreement. He said that the intention was to ask Mebane and Durham to join <br />when this was adopted. He would like to have a conversation about this before OWASA acts <br />on leaving the agreement. <br />Chair Pelissier said that at a recent meeting there was mention of interest of individuals <br />to have solar farms in Orange County, not necessarily on farm land. As the UDO is being <br />discussed, she thinks that it would be a good idea to consider such new technology and <br />whether it could fit into the zoning rules. She suggested that staff look into this issue. <br />4. Proclamations/ Resolutions/ Special Presentations <br />a. Proclamation -Human Rights Week Human Rights Day. and Bill of Rights <br />The Board considered adopting a proclamation to officially recognize Human rights <br />Week, Human Rights. Day, and Bill of Rights Day in Orange County during the month of <br />December and authorizing the Chair to sign. <br />Assistant County Manager Gwen Harvey presented this item and read the proclamation: <br />ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS <br />PROCLAMATION <br />