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ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT Meeting Date: March 2, 2006 SUBJECT: Receive Public. Comments on Proposal 5 Along with Related Items for a November 2006 Referendum on District Elections for the Board of County Commissioners Action Agenda Item No. ~] ~_ DEPARTMENT: County Attorney, Planning, County Commissioners & County Manager PUBLIC HEARING (YIN) No ATTACHMENT(S): 1) Citizen Petition Cover Sheet 2) Draft Principles 3) Draft Process/Timetable 4) Copy of N.C. Gen. Stat. § 153A-60 5) Statistical Data and Map for Proposal INFORMATION CONTACT: Geof Gledhill, County Attorney, 732-2196 Greg Wilder, 245-2300 David Hunt, 245-2130 John Link, 245-2300 Brian Carson, 245-2595 Craig Benedict, 245-2592 PURPOSE: To provide 1) an opportunity for public comment on the Board's plan to pursue Proposal 5 along with related items for a November 2006 referendum on district elections for the Board of County Commissioners; 2) to provide the Board with an opportunity to consider the content of a Resolution calling for the referendum; and 3) to give the Board the opportunity to provide comments, questions and any further direction to staff,. BACKGROUND: At the Board's .lanuary 24, 2005 regular meeting, representatives of a group of Orange County residents addressed the Board and submitted a 1200-signature petition to the Board regarding the method by which the members of the Board of Commissioners are elected in Orange County.. The representatives requested that the Board review the current method of election for the members of the Board, which entails all five members of the Board being nominated and elected to staggered four-year terms on an at-large basis. The petition requesting an alternative method and manner by which Orange County Commissioners are elected is attached. The County Manager and County staff reviewed the issue and the petition submitted and provided a report to the Board at the Board's May 5, 2005 work session. The report included information on the following: 1) the legal framework for stn~cture of boards of county commissioners; 2) the various methods of at-large election, district election, and combination of at- large/district election utilized for boards of commissioners in the 99 other North Carolina counties; 3) a history of past discussions by the Orange County Board of Commissioners in regard to Board representation and election;