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ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS 103 Action Agenda Item No SX A ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT Meeting Date: August 20, 1996 SUBJECT: ELECTION OF ORANGE COUNTY COMMISSIONERS IN DISTRICT ELECTIONS --------------- ------------ - - - - -- ------ --- ------- -------- -- - - - -- DEPARTMENT County Commissioners PUBLIC HEARING YES NO x BUDGET AMENDMENT: _YES NO ATTACHMENT (S) NO INFORMATION CONTACT Moses Carey TELEPHONE NUMBER Hillsborough 732 -81.81 Chapel Hill 968 -4501 Mebane 227 -2031 Durham 688 -7331 PURPOSE: To consider the future election of orange County Commissioners in District Elections. BACKGROUND: The members of the Orange County Board of Commissioners are currently elected At -Large in partisan primary and general elections. Upon election, they serve in staggered four year terms which require two or three to run for re- election every two years. Two members are elected in Presidential election years and three members are elected in Non - Presidential years. Citizens in rural areas of the county have indicated a desire to have commissioners elected by district to insure that they will have a voice in county policy making. While district elections of commissioners will not in fact guarantee any particular group a voice in policy making, this system of electing commissioners could provide for geographical balance within Orange County among the elected county policy makers. This geographical balance could positively impact the perception of representativeness in policy making in Orange County. The proposal is that the County Commissioners be elected in the future by Residential District by countywide vote of the electorate. The current staggered terms will continue to apply. The current partisan nature of the election will continue to apply. The County will be subdivided into five Residential Districts. Each Residential District will be represented by one seat on the Board. All registered voters in the county will be eligible to vote on all candidates from a Residential District in the years they represent their party in the General election. Only voters in the particular party may vote on the candidates in their party in Primary elections. RECOMMENDATION: That the Board of County Commissioners adopt the above indicated Residential District Election Plan in principle and instruct the County Attorney and County Manager to gather information and produce a report which details a plan to implement this Residential District Election Plan as soon as possible. The report should include, but not be limited to, the legal authority of the county to take this action, any state or electorate approval needed, costs associated with implementation, and a proposed process for establishing district lines.