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January 24, 2005 <br />Petition Cover Sheet <br />M• <br />Fair and Equal District Representation <br />on the Orange County Board of Commissioners <br />Orange County is a diverse area comprised of identifiable communities <br />which reflect the diversity of the county including farmers, blue collar <br />workers, white collar workers, academics, professionals, and students, all of <br />diverse racial and ethnic self identifications. <br />It is important in our democracy that the diversity of the community be <br />reflected in its chosen representatives. For this reason North Carolina Law <br />permits the voters of counties to choose commissioners by electoral districts <br />with each district being as nearly equal in population as practicable. Further, <br />North Carolina Law permits the qualified voters of each district to nominate <br />candidates and elect members who reside in the district for seats apportioned <br />to that district. It is also permissible to have some commissioners allocated <br />to the county as a whole, whom the qualified voters of the entire county <br />nominate and elect. (NCGS § 153- 58(3)b) <br />Currently all Orange County Commissioners are elected countywide. This <br />the large city and urban population in and around Chapel Hill and Carrboro <br />control the electoral process while the more rural areas of the county lack the <br />population to elect someone from their areas who would be able to represent <br />their views in the deliberations and decisions of the Orange County <br />Commissioners. <br />The undersigned residents of Orange County petition the Orange County <br />Board of Commissioners to alter the method and manner by which Orange <br />County Commissioners are elected to afford equal and fair representation to <br />the residents of the county by adopting NCGS §153•- 58(3)b, permitting the <br />voters of Orange County to choose commissioners by electoral districts with <br />each district being as nearly equal in population as practicable. Further, that <br />the qualified voters of each district nominate candidates and elect members <br />who reside in the district for seats apportioned to that district and that some <br />commissioners, but not more than half of the board, be allocated to the <br />county as a whole, to be nominated and voted upon by the qualified voters of <br />the entire county, <br />