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BOCC/JLink <br /> Living Wage Ordinance <br /> September 15, 1997 <br /> Page 2 <br /> 1. What do you want to cover? <br /> Purchases - Orange County processes 3,000 purchase orders annually, ranging from $100 to <br /> millions of dollars from businesses ranging in size from the very small to large national firms.. <br /> If the Living Wage is enacted for the purchases of goods, how can the County impact the <br /> policies of the companies with thousands of customers who may be unwilling to modify their <br /> policies? How do we ensure that the County's ability to buy goods at the lowest possible cost is <br /> not unduly negatively impacted? (Examples: Walmart, Office Depot, Lowe's) <br /> Legal and Accounting - Should the ordinance apply to legal or accounting contracts,two of the <br /> largest service contracts which Orange County has currently? It is generally believed that all <br /> permanent employees are likely to meet our minimum wage requirements. However, interns, <br /> apprenticeships,which are integral to the training process in each of these areas,may not meet <br /> the wage requirement. <br /> Non-Profits- Should contracts with non-profit agencies be included? Many non-profit agencies <br /> traditionally pay lower wages and may be unable to afford a living wage while still providing the <br /> same level of service. Others, such as the Triangle Residential Options for Substance Abusers <br /> program, use unpaid or partially paid client labor. <br /> UNC-CH/UNC Hospitals - The University of North Carolina at Chapel is considered separately <br /> from other non-profits since its involvement in County programs is so extensive. Most of the <br /> programs in the Health Department are supported by professional staff through UNC or UNC <br /> Hospitals. Similarly,the County's emergency medical system relies almost exclusively on the <br /> Hospital or the School of Medicine for medical professional support(Medical Director, Medical <br /> Affairs Officer). Should the University or the Hospital be included? <br /> 2. At what financial level should a contract be covered? <br /> Some communities considering living wage ordinances have proposed considering only those <br /> contracts above a certain level such as $25,000 or$50,000. Orange County executes hundreds of <br /> small contracts annually. At your May meeting $5,000 was suggested as a minimum. <br /> 3. Should any local ordinance apply to companies receiving local subsidies? <br /> Although Orange County may not supply tax abatements, it has participated in two water and <br /> sewer expansions for specific companies over the past 10 years. Orange County's current policy <br /> requires that the company's average wage be above the local average wage, but does not set <br />