Orange County NC Website
Browse       Search
11 <br /> Many other methods could be examined. To establish a local living wage, the Board of County <br /> Commissioners would need to determine its objectives, decide on a specific living wage amount, <br /> and plan for how that amount might be adjusted annually. <br /> Management And Enforcement <br /> The ordinances that have been adopted detail the management, enforcement, and penalties for <br /> each community. If Orange County decides to adopt living wage rules, the County Attorney <br /> would craft a local ordinance that specifically addresses the processes and ramifications for failure <br /> to comply. Each local government that has adopted a policy has placed the responsibility for <br /> management and enforcement on departments or staff that do not correspond to Orange County's <br /> current administrative structure. <br /> In Orange County, the management of contracts and internal audit functions is contained in the <br /> Purchasing and Finance Departments. Various other county staff are involved, including the <br /> County Attorney, and the departments where contracts originate. <br /> Managing a living wage ordinance includes the following components: <br /> • Establishing and adjusting the specific wage <br /> • Informing potential contractors of the new rules <br /> • Gathering information about compliance <br /> • Auditing information to ensure compliance <br /> • Following-up on contractors deemed non-compliant <br /> How Orange County would organize and staff these functions would, in part, be dependent on the <br /> scope and nature of the ordinance adopted. A narrow interpretation of which contracts would be <br /> affected might allow the function to be absorbed by existing departments, with some additional <br /> resources or a re-prioritization of goals. A more broad interpretation applied to many contracts <br /> would necessitate examination of a new function area as well as additional staff and resources. <br /> Impact On Orange Countv <br /> The impact on local government is impossible to assess completely until the scope of a potential <br /> ordinance is determined. The Preamble Center for Public Policy, an independent research and <br /> public education organization based in Washington, D.C., has completed an analysis of the fiscal <br /> and economic costs of Baltimore's ordinance in the first year. Baltimore's Bureau of <br /> Management and Budget Research determined the total value of contracts affected by the <br />