Orange County NC Website
the Towns for their formal comment. He does not think that the public who have been <br />reducing waste and recycling would want the County to not do anything or start <br />retrenching. <br />Chair Jacobs agreed with Commissioner Carey. He said that because they may not be <br />ready to make a decision until early June, it gives them a chance to get back to the <br />municipalities and have more discussion and communicate the history, the principles, <br />the financials, and the alternatives. He would at least like the staff to look at a base fee <br />and fold it into the property tax, and then do some public outreach over the summer and <br />even have a public comment period. He said that, as part of deferring the totality of the <br />fees far the additional services, he would develop a schedule of haw to adjust the fee if it <br />went into place three or six months from now. <br />Rod Visser said that if they are not ready to do this by the end of July, they would have <br />to do some separate bills, and there would be additional costs. He said that there are <br />some statutory distinctions as to why this is a fee and not a tax. It is a recoverable <br />materials fee and not an availability fee or a solid waste fee. Because it is a fee, the Tax <br />Collector will not be able to enforce collection, and they are assuming that the collection <br />rate will be lower than the normal collection rate. If the fees are not on the tax bills, the <br />collection rate will be even lower. <br />Chair Jacobs said that if a financial analysis is done with the municipalities, it is <br />reasonable to share with them the consequences of delaying the fee. They need to <br />understand that their decision will directly affect their constituents, even though the <br />County is the one forced to levy the fee. He made reference to an article in the <br />newspaper today that said that Raleigh has a $7 per month household solid waste fee, <br />and they are proposing that it go up to $10 per month. He would be surprised if <br />Raleigh's level of service surpasses Orange County's. He would like to share a lot of the <br />information through the media to the public and via a public hearing sa that people feel <br />that they have at least been heard by the County Commissioners and get some <br />answers. <br />Commissioner Gordan said that it is the procedure to notify the other jurisdictions that a <br />fee will be levied. She pointed out page 11, Interlocal Agreement Obligations, and read, <br />"The County must give parties at least 30 days' notice of the effective date of the fee. <br />The County must request the SWAB consider the proposed fee. If the SWAB approves <br />the fee, then the fee will be considered fully approved when the Commissioners <br />subsequently approve it. If the SWAB disapproves, then the fee may take effect only if <br />the County or at least one other party subsequently approves it. The fee will take effect <br />at the end of the notice period, or if later, the date of the last governing body approval if <br />necessary." She said that she feels strongly that the County should stick with the deal <br />that was made. She said that this is an enterprise fund and she would hate to go on the <br />slippery slope of putting it in the tax rate. She is willing to give the function back if <br />Chapel Hill and Carrboro want to take it back. As long as the County is doing it, she <br />thinks they should stick with the deal that was made with the interlocal agreement. She <br />thinks it is very important to get the input of the other jurisdictions. <br />Chair Jacobs suggested, when the staff does the history, to put in what an enterprise <br />fund is and how it differs from the other functions of County government. He thought <br />that if part of this was in the property tax, that the County could still assign it to the <br />enterprise fund. <br />