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representing their view. Along with improving representation an future boards, he urges <br />the Commissioners to review the many precincts that currently divide the UNC campus <br />and to advocate for a consent of citizens clause or a comparable amendment to the <br />current annexation law. If these are general assembly issues, please add them to <br />Orange County's legislative agenda. If the Board of County Commissioners can da <br />something directly here locally to fix those problems as in the case of rural Orange <br />County's under representation, then please take action. <br />Louise Tate is a 54-year resident of Cedar Grove Township. Her son is <br />the 5t" generation to farm the land that they live on. She is a member of the Agricultural <br />Preservation Board and was a member of Shaping the Future of Orange County Task <br />Force. District representation is the right thing for the county and she knows that each <br />of the Board members has the interest of the County as a top priority. Each township or <br />group of townships should have a seat an the Board of County Commissioners and they <br />should have a voice in county government. District representation would encourage the <br />citizens of Orange County to come out and vote in the commissioner race. So many of <br />the people in northern Orange County do not vote because they feel their vote will not <br />count. As a member of the Shaping the Future of Orange County Task Force, district <br />representation was one of the most discussed issues. She feels sure that members of <br />the Board of Commissioners will lay aside their personal interest and put the interest of <br />the county first in dealing with this matter. <br />Ted Triebel lives in Little River Township and would like to make some <br />observations on the methods and types of district voting and perhaps ask for some <br />clarification on the process in population requirements for proposed districts. Currently <br />they elect their commissioners at large. Another election method is called residency or <br />residential districts and currently 24 N.C. counties use this method. This is where the <br />candidates must reside in his or her districts but ALL voters in the county vote for the <br />seat. There is also a single member district voting and this is one way where the <br />candidates must reside in his/her district and ONLY the voters of that district can vote for <br />the seat. This is one way that populations of a district can be assured of electing a <br />candidate of their choice. Chair Corey's election options are referred to as blended <br />options and they are similar to a single member district in the primary and at large <br />arrangement in the general election. He said that the population of voting districts <br />according to N.C. General Statute 153A-22 must be as nearly equal as practicable. This <br />means that Option 3 would not be viable. The point being that to have five voting <br />districts as proposed in Options 1 and 2 with nearly equal populations, the Chapel Hill <br />Township, with 67°~ of the population, would have to comprise three {3) of the (five) 5 <br />voting districts. The other two districts with 33°~ of the county population would be <br />designed to have about 17°1o each. If these observations are correct, there might be little <br />or no change to election trends. The only way to insure a voice on the board from any <br />particular district is to consider asingle-member district option, along with other options, <br />on any proposed voter referendum. <br />Joe Phelps lives in Hillsborough Township and he supports some form <br />of district representation and he feels the 7-member board would be the best <br />consideration. He is the Mayor of Hillsborough and their Town Board is elected by non- <br />partisan and they have an array of interests. He would suggest that the Board of County <br />Commissioners could be elected as anon-partisan race and that would cut down on <br />some of the arguments between the parties. He also thinks it would save the county <br />some money as you would not need to have but one election. <br />Representative Bill Faison is Orange County's legislative representative <br />from House District 50 and he thanked Chair Carey for the proposals he brought <br />forward. He thinks that the plan for having the candidates run in districts in the primary <br />