Orange County NC Website
z <br />4) some limited boundaries and statistical information showing the population distribution as <br />it may relate to the consideration/formulation of district representation for Orange County. <br />The report was intended to provide an initial framework of information upon which the Board of <br />Commissioners could deliberate and determine as appropriate any further steps in evaluating <br />this issue and responding to the request and petition submitted. <br />The Board then pursued a series of meetings over the past nine months, Those meetings <br />included two public hearings, one on August 24 and the other on August 31, 2005, to receive <br />input from the public on this issue, The Board then discussed, at an October 17, 2005 work <br />session, five initial draft maps/plans, an introductory preamble, a draft set of Principles, and a <br />draft Process/Timetable, From that meeting, the Board scheduled and conducted a public <br />hearing at its November 2, 2005 regular meeting on three of the initial draft maps/plans, <br />The next discussion occurred at the Board's November 15, 2005 regular meeting, At that <br />meeting, the Board determined that it would like to invest more time at a work session far <br />specific discussion of the issues and possibilities associated with the district election of <br />commissioners, The Board did approve a motion at the meeting ".,.[to] pursue a district election <br />system and have a referendum in the general election of 2006 on the map that the Board of <br />Commissioners adopt." <br />The Board also briefly discussed district elections at the January 20, 2006 BOCC Retreat as <br />part of the "Priorities' review, and members of the Board indicated an interest in reaching a <br />conclusion on district elections discussions with two additional meetings, if possible. <br />The most recent discussion occurred at a February 16, 2006 work session, during which the <br />Board decided: <br />1) there would be a total of 5 members on the Board in a district plan submitted to the <br />voters; <br />2) the district map/plan would be the one designated as "Proposal 5", with one member from <br />District 1 (all of the County except Chapel Hill Township); two members from District 2 <br />(encompassing Chapel Hill Township); and two At-t_arge members; <br />3) members elected from District 1 and District 2 must reside in their respective District, but <br />the qualified voters of the entire County would nominate all candidates for and elect all <br />members of the Board; <br />4) confirmed that a referendum on "Proposal 5" along with related items would occur in <br />November 2006 (As noted above, the Board, at its November 75, 2005 regular meeting, <br />had already determined to have "a referendum in the general election of 20Qti on the map <br />and plan that the Board of Commissioners adopt'; <br />5) confirmed that implementation of the district election plan for the Board of County <br />Commissioners, with the approval of County voters in November 2006, would begin with <br />the 2008 Primary Election. <br />Tonight's meeting provides the opportunity far public comment on the February 16, 2006 <br />decision of the Board and on district elections for the Board of County Commissioners. <br />To initiate an alteration in the structure of the Board, the Board must adopt a Resolution as <br />prescribed by N,C. Gen.. Stat. § 153A-60.. The Resolution must: <br />1) briefly but completely describe the proposed alterations; <br />2) prescribe the manner of transition from the existing structure to the altered structure; <br />