Agenda - 06-23-2005-7b - Laserfiche WebLink

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ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT Meeting Date: .June 23, 2005 Action Agenda Item No. ~~__. SUBJECT: Initial Report on Orange County Schools District Tax/Countywide Schools Tax Referendum DEPARTMENT: Manager/Attorney/Elections ATTACHMENT(S): 6/21/05 County Attorney Letter w/attachments 6/15/05 Elections Director Memo 6/17/05 OCS District Tax Questions PUBLIC HEARING: (Y/N) No INFORMATION CONTACT: Rod Visser, ext 2300 Geof Gledhill, 732-2196 Carolyn Thomas, ext 2350 TELEPHONE NUMBERS: Hillsborough 732-8181 Chapel Hill 968-4501 Durham 688-7331 Mebane 336-227-2031 PURPOSE: To receive a report on issues related to possible referenda on an Orange Ccunty Schools (OCS) supplemental district tax or a countywide supplemental schools tax, BACKGROUND: During the regular meeting on June 7, 2005, County Commissioners discussed the possibility of calling a referendum during the scheduled November 8, 2005 election on the implementation of either a supplemental school tax applicable within the Orange County Schools district, or a countywide supplemental schools tax. The Board asked the Manager, Attorney, and staff to return before the summer hiatus with a preliminary report on the timing, authority, and other parameters that would be associated with pursuing one referendum or the other, The County Attorney has prepared a letter outlining the major considerations associated with supplemental school tax referenda, That letter, along with previous relevant correspondence between the Attorney and BOCC, is attached as background information. With regard to timing of specific actions related to a possible November 8 referendum, the attached memo from the Director of Elections indicates that ballot language would need to be received by the Board of Elections no later than September 1 to provide adequate lead time for ballots to be printed and distributed so they are available within statutorily specified timeframes. In light of the BOCC's established 2005 meeting schedule, the Board must take, at its August 16, 2005 regular meeting, whatever action it intends to take regarding calling a November 8 referendum, If the Board indicates on June 23 its inclination to hold one referendum or the other, staff will develop draft ballot language far the BOCC to review at its August 16 meeting, Staff and the Attorney would take the time between August 16 and September 1 to carry out whatever legal review and administrative steps might be needed so that ballot language could be provided to the Board of Elections on or before September 1, 2005.