Agenda - 04-18-2006-9a - Laserfiche WebLink

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3 5) confirmed that implementation of the district election plan for the Board of County Commissioners, with the approval of County voters in November 2006, would begin with the 2008 Primary Election. The next BOCC consideration of this matter occurred at the March 2, 2006 regular meeting when the Board received public comments on Proposal 5 and other items related to district elections. At the next regular meeting on March 21, 2006, the BOCC further discussed district elections and approved the following motion (currently in draft form pending BOCC approval of the meeting minutes): "Staff to prepare a resolution, a map and a transition plan to be sent to referendum in November 2006, for a 7- member Board of County Commissioners, with 2 members from residential districts in rural Orange County, and at least two members and not more than three members from a residential district in Chapel Hill Township, with the remainder being at -large members. These 7 commissioners would be nominated and elected at- large. This proposal is reflected in Proposal 3, but need not be limited exactly to the district designs in Proposal 3." Based on the reference to Proposal 3 in the adopted motion, a copy of the map /plan and statistical data for Proposal 3 is attached to this abstract for reference purposes. Based on the Board's action at the March 21s` meeting, the Chair and Vice Chair have worked with staff to develop additional sets of maps /plans, statistical data, and draft transitions plans. These documents, which are attached to this abstract, detail potential seven - member configurations for the Board of Commissioners. At the request of the Commissioner Moses Carey, staff has also provided a map /plan, statistical data, and transition plan for a seven - member variation of the Proposal 5 as previously considered by the Board. (Proposal 5, a 5- member proposal, was one of the original district election maps /plans reviewed by the BOCC and the public during this process. Proposal 5 was also one of the three plans presented for public hearing at the Board's November 2, 2005 meeting and was a subject of follow -up discussion by the Board, specifically at the Board's February 16, 2006 work session as noted above.) The new seven member variation of Proposal 5, noted as "Commissioner Carey's Proposal ", proposes 4 members from a district encompassing Chapel Hill Township, two members for a district encompassing the rest of the County, and one at -large member. To initiate an alteration in the structure of the Board, the Board must adopt a Resolution as prescribed by N.C. Gen. Stat. § 153A -60. Following BOCC review and approval of a map /plan and discussion of a draft transition plan, the County Attorney will develop a draft Resolution, including a transition plan, for consideration and approval at an upcoming BOCC meeting. Approval of a Resolution would formally move forward the process for a November 2006 referendum. The Resolution must: 1) briefly but completely describe the proposed alterations; 2) prescribe the manner of transition from the existing structure to the altered structure; 3) define the electoral districts, if any, and apportion the members among the districts; 4) call a special referendum on the question of adoption of the alterations. The referendum shall be held and conducted by the county board of elections. The referendum may be held at the same time as any other state, county or municipal primary, election, special election or referendum, or on any date set by the board of county commissioners, provided, that