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ORANGE COUNTY <br />BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS <br />ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT <br />Meeting Date: June 26, 2007 <br />Action Agen~a <br />Item No. _ e~~- <br />SUBJECT: Potential Policy Regarding a Requirement that County Department Heads <br />Reside Within the County <br />DEPARTMENT: County Commissioners PUBLIC HEARING: (Y/N) No <br />ATTACHMENT(S): <br />Other NC Counties and Towns in <br />Orange County -Department Heads <br />Residency Information <br />INFORMATION CONTACT: <br />County Commissioners Office, 245- <br />2130 <br />PURPOSE: To consider providing direction to the County Manager regarding the development <br />of a potential policy requiring newly-hired County department heads to reside within the County. <br />BACKGROUND: There has been recent discussion by some Board members and staff <br />regarding a potential County policy requiring all newly-hired department heads to reside within <br />Orange County. <br />As background for this discussion, the Manager's Office has included the attached information. <br />The attached materials detail information from other counties on department head residency <br />requirements as well as information on residency requirements for the three towns in the <br />County. <br />Sixteen of the 26 current County department heads (including Assistant County Managers) live <br />in the County. Ten department heads do not live in the County. (It should be noted that the <br />recently hired Assistant County Manager has expressed a desire to move to Orange County.) It <br />is also worth noting that four of the non-resident department heads are among the longest <br />tenured of all department heads. <br />The Manager is requesting direction from the Board regarding the development of a potential <br />policy. Issues that need to be addressed include: <br />• Timeframes for residency compliance in a potential policy <br />• Potential affordability issues for newly-hired department heads, including single <br />parent/income families, unable to qualify to purchase a home in the County based on <br />income qualification ratios and the average home sales price in the County <br />• Potential negative impacts on recruitment for vacancies, especially with candidates from <br />adjoining counties <br />