Orange County NC Website
unemployment, but it doesn't have adequate em . We have people working full-time who <br /> are on food stamps. So I would suggest that that would be a good place to have that as a key <br /> issue. <br /> On page 3-10, I found this a little confusing. We talk about the counties in the Research <br /> Triangle Region. Is Alamance County in the Research Triangle Region? I don't think Alamance <br /> and Person County are in the Research Triangle Region. We ought to say who we are <br /> comparing ourselves to and be more explicit than just saying "region," This comes up later with <br /> use-value because we say we're 41%, and we don't' compare ourselves to other counties <br /> because we're the highest in the region for use-value. So, it gives a little better sense of <br /> perspective. <br /> Commissioner Gordon: I think it would be worth trying to follow up on that. what is the <br /> Research Triangle Region? Certainly, originally it was Durham, Orange, and Wake. And if you <br /> look at how the legislature is defining in the transportation bill, they say Durham, Orange, and <br /> Wake. And the Triangle is the three m jor Universities—Chapel with UNC, Durham with Duke, <br /> and N. C. State with Raleigh. That's what the Research Triangle is, and then there's a <br /> Research Triangle Park in the middle. I don't think there's any doubt that it's those three <br /> counties. If you want to then say Research Triangle Region, and adjacent because the <br /> legislature does that also, and what they allow those counties that are adjacent, if they're over a <br /> certain population, then they're allowed to do something else. <br /> Chair Jacobs: If we're just saying Research Triangle F{egion, and we're the |oxveet, then we're <br /> number 3, if that's how we define it as Wake, Durham, and Orange. We should say what it is. <br /> Commissioner Carey: It depends on what our objective is. I think when we're always talking <br /> about Research Triangle F`mrk, that's three cnUDties, but if we don't-include Chatham in the <br /> region, it's a relentless experience. <br /> Chair Jacobs: Then maybe we want to say "In the Region" and leave out Research Triangle, <br /> because the chart below it has Alamance, Chatham, and Person, which are not in the Research <br /> Triangle Region, but they are our neighbors. <br /> Commissioner Carey: They're our neighbors, and if we're talking about economic <br /> development terms, they are people that we are competing with for jobs, but they are not in the <br /> Research Triangle Region. So what are we asking our staff to do here? <br /> Chair Jacobs: I would ask them to take out"Research Triangle" and just say "neighboring <br /> counties." <br /> Commissioner Carey: I think I agree, and then the very next chart, although it's talking about <br /> agricultural comparisons, it has a different rubric as well. It doesn't have Person. <br /> Chair Jacobs: I would suggest that for use value that we compare it also. We have a lot of <br /> smart landowners, but it also affects our tax base. <br /> Commissioner Gordon: Following up on what you said and what to include, on page 3-13, <br /> Average Weekly Wages Comparison, it doesn't have Person County. So maybe the question is <br /> what's the reason for the counties that are included? Is there some reason that's not available? <br /> Chair Jacobs: We asked Tom Altieri to include these counties to keep the charts consistent. <br />