Orange County NC Website
Tom of Chapel Hill Fax:919-967-8406 May 16 '95 11:27 P.01/05 <br /> SUMMARY OF AN ASSEMBLY 01' GOVERNMENTS MEETING, THURSDAY, <br /> SEPTEMBER 29, 1994 AT 6:30 P.M. , ORANGE COUNTY *HOMESTEAD CENTER <br /> Orange County Commission Chair Moses Carey called the meeting to <br /> order. Elected officials in attendance were Carrboro Mayor Eleanor <br /> Kinnaird, Carrboro Alderpersons Hank Anderson, Jay Bryan, Jackie <br /> Gist, Randy Marshall and Frances Shetley, Chapel Hill Mayor Kenneth <br /> Broun, Chapel Hill Council Members ,Joyce Brown, Joe Capowski, Mark , <br /> Chilton, Pat Evans, Barbara Powell, Jim Protzman and Rosemary , <br /> Waldorf, Hillsborough Mayor Horace Johnson and Board Member Evelyn <br /> Lloyd, and Orange County Commissioners Alice Gordon and Verla <br /> Insko, Also in attendance was Institute of Government Professor <br /> Jake Wicker, Carrboro Town Manager Bob Morgan, Chapel Hill Town <br /> Manager Cal Horton, chapel Hill Finance Director James Baker, <br /> Chapel Hill Assistant to the Manager Greg Feller, Hillsborough <br /> Administrator Eric Swanson and Orange County Manager John Link. <br /> Commissioner Carey inquired whether there were any questions about <br /> the report from elected officials. Alderman Gist said she wanted <br /> to talk about larger equity issue matters at some ,point in the <br /> future. Alderman Gist also said she wanted to discuss <br /> ' philosophical matters about effects on landowners in the future. <br /> Institute of ,Government Professor Jake Wicker stated that Multiple <br /> levels of government added to the complexity of dealing with equity . <br /> matters. Mr. Wicker said he had examined any inequities between <br /> levels of government solely in terms of taxes and had not attempted ' <br /> to, decide whether any particular type of. taxes were good or fair <br /> ones. He also noted that it was fairly common for persons living <br /> in cities or towns to believe that they were doubly taxed, paying <br /> county and Municipal taxes. Mr. Wicker Added that some citizens <br /> also. felt that they were not fully rewarded for County property <br /> taxes. <br /> Mr. Wicker stated that although most revenues were raised by state . , <br /> and federal government agencies, the majority 'of these funds 'were <br /> expended at the local level. He briefly reviewed an exhibit <br /> concerning the distribution of local sales tax proceeds, stating <br /> that his analysis found that Town residents-tended to receive more <br /> return for their per . capita tax dollars than residents of <br /> ' unincorporated areas in Orange County. Mr. Wicker said' another <br /> complicating factor in determining tax equity matters vas ' the ' <br /> overlap of jurisdictions. He noted that both the Orange County <br /> . Commissioners and the Chapel' Hill Town council , represented the <br /> interests of the Town's residents. Mr. 'Wicker emphasized the. <br /> important role of local elected officials in canting up with fair <br /> methods to treat all citizens in- a fair manner. ' Stating that no <br /> adversarial positions .between local government levels , were <br /> appropriate, he said that any concerns about matters of CoUnty <br /> equity should be addressed to the County COmMissioners,, rather than <br /> local councils: <br /> Mayor Kinnaird asked whether the Town of Hillsborough paid Orange <br /> County for inspection services,. Mayor Johnson stated that these <br />