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that there should be more responsible use of public funds and not more tax money to spend. <br /> He said that the country now is in a very shaky economic position. Orange County's taxes have <br /> been increasing for some years and this new transfer tax is not any guarantee that the property <br /> taxes will not increase. He asked the County Commissioners to tighten the spending bill. <br /> Roy Longford said that it is not necessary to spend tax money to make the public aware <br /> of this issue. He thinks that this issue is getting ample publicity through the current news media <br /> and radio talk shows, etc. He said that it is a waste of taxpayer money and the Board of County <br /> Commissioners should be more frugal on how it allocates funds. He is opposed to this tax and <br /> the allocation of spending funds for this education campaign. <br /> Mary Copeland said that she keeps hearing that the County has to spend money to <br /> educate Orange County because it is such a short time. She asked why it was a short time. <br /> She would prefer that the vote be held in November. She said that she thinks it is illegal to take <br /> the taxpayer money and spend it to propagandize what the citizens hear and try to sell them <br /> something that they do not want. <br /> Ben Lloyd verified that the proposal is to spend an additional $100,000 on this education <br /> campaign. He said that years ago Orange County had a planning process and it was suggested <br /> to incorporate more people from the rural and agricultural community. He said that someone <br /> from the Planning Board said that in her opinion, people from the agricultural segment of <br /> Orange County do not have the expertise to properly plan for themselves, but need experts <br /> doing it for them. He wonders if this same philosophy prevails among part of the Board of <br /> County Commissioners. He said that the survey did not turn out the way the County <br /> Commissioners wanted, and now they want to spend money to entice the people to vote to <br /> support the Board's agenda of getting this passed. He said that this is one of the most <br /> irresponsible actions that he has ever seen taken in Orange County. <br /> Barry Katz said that he is on the education committee but is not speaking as a person on <br /> that committee. He said that there is a N.C. real estate association that has 520 3(c) status and <br /> disseminates information and spends money in trying to defeat land transfer tax issues in the <br /> state. Part of the expenses included "push polls", which are telephone surveys asking <br /> individuals what they know about an issue, but they are pointedly intended to direct people's <br /> opinions in one way or another. He received one of those calls and he went through the entire <br /> telephone survey. He knows that there was at least one other push poll survey done in Orange <br /> County to try to dissuade the voters of Orange County to even consider such a tax. In addition, <br /> there was a postal card that went around to most people in the County, which misrepresents the <br /> land transfer tax. He said that he knows that the real estate association is willing to spend <br /> several more thousand dollars in this County to defeat the land transfer tax. He said that this <br /> has put the Orange County Board of Commissioners in a position to have to spend $100,000 <br /> just to get honest information out about what this tax is. He said that citizens are obliged to <br /> make decisions about where to raise unavoidable revenue to meet obligations that they have to <br /> meet as citizens, particularly in terms of education. He said why not allow voters to get <br /> education about this and make their minds up for themselves. <br /> Commissioner Nelson said that he was impressed by Ballen Media and he is <br /> comfortable with this company. He said that this vote on May 6th is a citizen's choice and the <br /> County needs to get good information to the public. He supports the Manager's <br /> recommendation, but he wants to know what the County gets for the two proposals. Rod Visser <br /> said that there is still another step in the process, which is to finalize the agreement after Ballen <br /> is approved. There would be a more specific scope of work with details brought back to the <br /> Board. <br /> Commissioner Foushee said that whatever scope that is presented needs to include <br /> specifics about direct mail. <br /> 14 <br />