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40 <br /> Authority to Amend the Orange County Civil Rights Ordinance <br /> The Board of Commissioners adopted the Orange County Civil <br /> Rights Ordinance in 1994 with the purpose and policy to promote <br /> the equal treatment of all individuals. In subsequent years, the <br /> County has requested, to no avail, additional legislative <br /> authority to amend the Ordinance to include additional protected <br /> classes. The Orange County Human Relations Commission formally <br /> acted in October 2011 requesting that the Board of Commissioners <br /> take the appropriate steps to amend the Orange County Civil <br /> Rights Ordinance to include sexual orientation and sexual <br /> identity as protected classes. Approximately 89% of Fortune 500 <br /> companies prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation, <br /> including Bank of America, Lowe' s, Duke Energy,, Branch Banking <br /> and Trust (BB&T) , and Reynolds American (the five largest North <br /> Carolina-based public companies in 'that order) . Orange County <br /> supports legislative action to provide the County the authority <br /> to include sexual orientation and sexual identity as protected <br /> classes. <br /> E-911 Funds - Orange County appreciates past efforts and <br /> supports future initiatives to expand the uses for these funds <br /> within the public safety disciplines related to emergency <br /> communications and Emergency Medical Services. North Carolina <br /> General Statute (NCGS) 62A-47 Section 9 allowed local <br /> governments to use 500 of the funds in the Emergency Telephone <br /> System to provide for public safety needs, without limitations <br /> imposed under NCGS 62A-46. Public Safety expenditures <br /> authorized under Section 9 must be completed by June 30, 2012. <br /> Orange County supports permanently extending the authorization <br /> to use E911 funds for all public safety disciplines- <br /> Mental Health - Orange County supports stable and secure <br /> funding for mental illness, development disabilities, and <br /> substance abuse treatment systems Statewide, and especially <br /> supports efforts and funds to enhance community-based <br /> initiatives. <br /> Land, Water and Agricultural Preservation Funding - Orange <br /> County supports the safeguarding of Park, Agricultural <br /> Preservation, Clean Water and other existing trust funds <br /> established for the protection of the State's land, water, <br /> agriculture, and special places before they are irreversibly <br /> lost. <br />