Orange County NC Website
Browse       Search
Page 2 of 3 Matthew Edwards <br />Other Comments: <br />Boards/Commissions appointments: <br />Orange County Planning Board (REQUIRES DISCLOSURE STATEMENT) <br />Please list the work/volunteer experience/qualifications that would add to your expertise <br />for this board. <br />Other than training as an attorney, I do not have any particular qualifications. <br />What do you see as the responsibilities of this board, and what do you hope to <br />accomplish if appointed? <br />From an outsider s perspective, it seems that the responsibility of this board is to recommend <br />measures that will allow the county to grow and develop in a way that is in step with the general <br />desires and beliefs of the county s residents. For example, Orange County prides itself on <br />preserving nature, environmental concerns, etc and this board should help in the development <br />and recommendation of plans to the BOCC that are in step with those beliefs. <br />If appointed, I hope to contribue to the development and recommendation of just such plans, <br />ones that balance the County s need for growth with the values that we all have as residents. <br />What role should the Planning Board take in guiding and regulating growth? <br />I think that the Planning Board should keep as it s guiding principle the reasons that people <br />choose to live in Orang County. If we all wanted to live in highly developed, commercial and <br />industrial areas, we would live in Wake or Durham county. But we do not, and in fact, many of us <br />have moved from those counties to escape those types of areas. I think the Planning Board <br />needs to consider the values and desires of residents in the communities near to any proposed <br />developments. <br />What unique perspective can you bring to the Orange County Planning Board? <br />Sometimes the most helpful perspective to bring is one unfettered by previous experience. I do <br />not have any preconceptions about how things should be done and I have experienced the <br />power of this position in my work as an IP/Patent attorney. Oftentimes, because I do not have <br />the same level of technical background as my clients, I am more willing to ask questions as I am <br />not afraid of looking stupid . This fosters a discussion that in turn can lead to alternative paths <br />that may not have been visited if I had known or thought I knew the answers. <br />What do you consider to be be the most important issues facing Orange County related <br />to growth? <br />I think the most important issue facing Orang County and its growth is that many, many people <br />move to this county from our Triangle neighbors to live in a place that is more peaceful. Most of <br />us enjoy nature and like to live in communities that are not a stonesthrow from commercial <br />entities. The problem with this is that because we as residents tend to not like <br />industry/commerce in our backyards, the residents have higher property taxes than the <br />surrounding counties. I understand that the work of the Economid Development board is to try <br />and develop our economy by increasing the commercial prescence, which will ultimately take <br />some of the pressure off of residential property taxes. But this will be a difficult line to walk, as <br />while no one likes to pay higher taxes, many residents also want to maintain the setting we <br />have in Orange County. <br />How would you, as a member of the Planning Board, contribute to the implementation of <br />the Board of Commissioners' adopted Goals and Priorities? <br />Unfortunately, the linked filed is from 2009, so I do not believe the goals and priorities stated therein are the same as <br />those for the current year. <br />20