Agenda - 04-18-2017 - 8-a - Minutes

Browse Search

15 1 • Three seats on the Board are filled, with staggered four-year terms, by individuals 2 residing in District 1 and nominated by the voters in District 1 during the primary 3 election. 4 These district-nominated candidates are then elected by all the voters in the entire 5 County during the general election. 6 • Two seats on the Board are filled, with staggered four-year terms, by individuals residing 7 in District 2 and nominated by the voters in District 2 during the primary election. These 8 district-nominated candidates are then elected by all the voters in the entire County 9 during the general election. 10 • The other two other seats on the Board are filled, with staggered four-year terms, by 11 individuals residing anywhere in the County and nominated by all voters in the County 12 during the primary election. These "at large" candidates are then elected by all the 13 voters in the entire County during the general election. 14 15 In summary, five district seats on the Board are filled based on district residency and district 16 nomination during the primary election, followed by countywide election in the general election. 17 The two at large seats are filled based on countywide nomination and countywide election. 18 19 REVIEW OF DISTRICT ELECTIONS MAP BASED ON 2010 CENSUS 20 Final numbers for the 2010 Census were published in 2011 providing new population numbers 21 for Orange County as a whole as well as for the two current electoral districts. North Carolina 22 General Statute 153A-22 states, "If a county is divided into electoral districts for the purpose of 23 nominating or electing persons to the board of commissioners, the board of commissioners may 24 find as a fact whether there is substantial inequality of population among the districts." 25 Population growth or decline in districts can lead to significant deviations in the numbers of 26 residents between districts, thereby compromising the integrity of the districts and the election 27 plan as a whole. Therefore the Board may, but is not required to, review the impact of the new 28 Census numbers to determine if there is substantial inequality. 29 30 Attachment C is a map showing the current electoral districts along with the population 31 numbers based on the 2010 census. In the 2006 adopted plan (Attachments A and B), Orange 32 County met its goal of keeping the population deviations within five percent of the exact 33 population totals for each district, less than a total of ten percent deviation (referred to nationally 34 as the Ten Percent Rule). Attachment C shows that Districts 1 and 2 were still within the Ten 35 Percent Rule deviation criteria based on the 2010 Census data. Since the Districts were, 36 combined, within the ten percent deviation allowed by law, there can be no finding of substantial 37 inequality. 38 39 Attachment D is the resolution adopted by the Board on June 2011 acknowledging there is no 40 substantial inequality revealed by the 2010 census results. 41 In recent months members of the Board of Commissioners have expressed an interest in 42 discussing and possibly amending the current election method for seats on the Board of 43 Commissioners. Several related issues have been voiced regarding potentially amending the 44 method. Staff has addressed some of those topics below. 45 46 If the Board chose to move forward with proposing an amendment to the current 47 election method, when could voter referendum occur? 48 • The North Carolina General Statutes require that counties schedule special voter 49 referenda only in even years when all the voting precincts in the County will be open.