Agenda - 01-29-2019 Abstract - Assembly of Governments Discussion Items

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9 The Durham-Orange Light Rail project continues to pursue a full funding grant agreement from the Federal Transit Administration (FTA). Due to the limitations imposed on State funding, engineering changes, and other FTA requirements, both the cost share agreement between Durham and Orange counties and the Orange County Transit Plan will need to be amended. The Board of Orange County Commissioners is scheduled to learn initially discuss the proposed changes on February 5, 2019 and may consider those changes on February 19, 2019. Staff will provide any other information at the meeting, and the governing boards can discuss issues and provide feedback to staff related to this item as necessary. No Attachments 3. Intergovernmental Cooperation Opportunities a) Shared Funding on Projects Brief Historical Overview As a brief review of Article 46's origin in late 2011 and the intended outcomes for Orange County, recall the economic environment at that time, both nationally and at the state and local levels, which was entering a deep economic recession causing severe budget shortfalls, rising unemployment and stagnant business growth. At the Orange County level, leadership recognized an immediate need to assist our residential homeowners, who have traditionally shouldered the largest portion of the County's annual revenue contribution, by finding ways to diversify the local tax base toward greater non-residential revenue sources (such as increased retail sales taxes, and attracting the presence of more large scale commercial and light industrial property taxpaying generators). The strong recession at that time also presented real threats to Orange County's current and future educational funding commitments for public schools, and so Article 46 was also proposed to assist that area to maintain our community's strong level of annual financial support for our local school systems. New ideas began to emerge about how to stimulate entrepreneurial, home-grown technologies, further support the local agriculture and food systems character of our region, support our many small businesses, and, encourage the growth and attraction of larger corporate taxpayers. The County's long-standing economic development districts, which had existed dormant for over 25 years, without the aid of appropriate zoning, water and sewer utilities, recruitment incentives or marketing to actually aid our economy, were determined to be critical assets that should finally receive capital support and help make them become more productive drivers for the County's long-range economic vitality. A focus to finally emphasize those economic development districts and commercial transition nodes, which are all located along the rural interstate highways, became a main envisioned use of Article 46 funding to be allocated for the County's economic development program.