Agenda - 03-18-2008-6b - Laserfiche WebLink

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ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT Meeting Date: March 18, 2008 Action Agen a . Item No. -~j SUBJECT: Media Consultant for Land Transfer Tax Voter Information Effort DEPARTMENT: County Manager/Budget/ PUBLIC HEARING: (YIN) No Purchasing ATTACHMENT(S): INFORMATION CONTACT: 3/10/08 Request for Proposals (RFP) Laura Blackmon or Rod Visser, Recommended proposal and relafed 919-245-2300 documents to be provided under Donna Coffey, 919-245-2151 separate cover on 3/18/08 Pam Jones, 919-245-2650 PURPOSE: To consider approving a proposal for media consulting services to .assist with the County's planned effort to inform voters about the purposes for, and implications of, the land transfer tax measure that the Orange County Commissioners have placed on the May 6, 2008 ballot. BACKGROUND: At the February 19, 2008 regular meeting, the Board of Commissioners adopted a resolution calling an advisory referendum for May 6, 2008 on the question of whether to levy a land transfer tax. This tax of four-tenths percent (.4%) on eligible real property transactions was provided for in the 2007 Session Laws enacted by the North Carolina General Assembly as a local revenue option available to county governments. The land transfer tax would be implemented only if approved by Orange County voters and subsequently levied (following a 10-day public notice period) by the Board of Commissioners. At the March 6, 2008 regular meeting, the Board reviewed and discussed several proposals for a land transfer tax referendum informational effort, including potential budgets. The Board directed the Manager and staff to solicit proposals from prospective media consultants to conduct voter information efforts at two potential spending levels: 1) up to $75,000; and 2) up to $100,000. Staff prepared and distributed the attached Request for Proposals (RFP) on March 10, 2008 to an initial list of 19 firms. Because of the compressed timeframe available to conduct a voter information effort ahead of the May 6 referendum, responses to the County's RFP for media consulting services were due at noon on Monday, March 17. The Manager and staff plan to evaluate the responses from prospective consultants and bring a recommendation back for the Board's consideration at this March 18 meeting. Staff will prepare an agreement between the County and the selected consultant that reflects the elements of the selected proposal approved by the Board and that fits within the project budget approved by the Board of Commissioners at this March 18 meeting.