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Commissioners? No. Do you think the best way to ensure representation of the rural vote is to <br />vote by districts for its district representative in the primaries and general election? Yes. Do <br />you think whomever is elected to represent the rural district should awe their election to the rural <br />voters, not to the Chapel Hill-Carrboro voters? Do you think that the meeting place for the final <br />approval for district voting of such great effect to the rural voters should be in Hillsborough, not <br />Chapel Hill? She said that our State representatives are elected by districts and not by <br />statewide voting. She thinks it is entirely appropriate to have rural district representatives <br />elected by rural districts and not countywide. She said that the final decision for this plan is not <br />needed to be definite until next year, sa she is asking for more time to analyze these choices. <br />Bill Ray is from the northern part of Orange County. He asked if the County <br />Commissioners have came up with a determination for how to operate in the district itself. Chair <br />Carey said that they would be making that decision tonight. Bill Ray said that he hopes they <br />came up with a plan that would be helpful to the rural people of Orange County. <br />Robert Nichols said that he remembers years ago hearing about the Boston Tea Party. <br />He asked the County Commissioners to keep in mind taxation without representation. He said <br />that they have not been getting representation in rural Orange County. <br />Chair Carey pointed out the decision points for the Board on page 3. He suggested <br />considering them in order. <br />Commissioner Halkiotis said that one of the telling components of the process is that <br />there has been a positive response on behalf of all members of the Board of County <br />Commissioners to citizen concerns. There could have been opportunities for a lot of selfish <br />statements that have not been made. He thinks everyone wants to make the process better, <br />more meaningful, and to have more opportunities for participation by more people. He said that <br />he is not prepared to vote tonight on this. He would like to propose a work session devoted to <br />discussing what they have heard from the public because they are moving too fast with this. <br />The Board has not had an opportunity to discuss this in a work session. He thinks this is the <br />most serious agenda item that he can remember in 20 years. He wants at least one work <br />session devoted to this issue only. <br />Commissioner Foushee agreed with Commissioner Halkiotis about scheduling a work <br />session for this issue. The Board has not had the opportunity to process the information it has <br />received. She said that she is for district representation, but she cannot say with certainty <br />which one of the proposals that she prefers. She does not think that any of them give the <br />residents what they are interested in. <br />Chair Carey said that he respectfully disagrees with his counterparts in that they have <br />heard a lot about this, and if they do not act on it tonight then they will not act on this until next <br />year. He thinks that this Board and he as its Chair committed that they would take an action an <br />this by the end of the year. He said that the Board could debate tonight and then act. <br />Commissioner Foushee agreed that they can take some action tonight, but to be careful <br />and to act on something on page three. She cautioned the Board to move slowly. <br />Commissioner Gordon said that there are two more regular meetings -December Stn <br />and 13th, and she thinks it is not outside of the realm of possibility to do it before the break. She <br />said that maybe it would be better to make further progress tonight and then have a work <br />session. She said that if they are making a decision between five or seven Commissioners, <br />then they need another proposal with seven Commissioners on the table. She thinks there is a <br />way to still get it done this year and make progress tonight. <br />Commissioner Jacobs said that he agrees with Commissioner Halkiotis and that the two <br />scheduled meetings are not the place to have this discussion, but that there should be a work <br />session. He thinks it is more important to do it right than to do it fast. He encouraged the <br />Commissioners and staff to come up with other proposals. He would also like responses from <br />the Board of Elections on the drawing of lines. <br />