Orange County NC Website
42 <br /> Chair Price said the balance is roughly $250,000. <br /> Bonnie Hammersley said there is about $180,000 remaining in the fund. <br /> Chair Price said she is hesitant moving forward with recommendation #1. She said it is <br /> unclear whom the program is trying to assist. She said they do not know what people's living <br /> situations are and people may be cost burdened for other reasons. She said this is a systemic <br /> issue; people did not just become burdened due to the revaluation. She said that is only one <br /> part of it. She said the county must find a way to better evaluate homes in various <br /> neighborhoods. She said she wanted to determine how they could really help the families that <br /> need assistance. She said she needed more information. <br /> Commissioner Bedford said she mostly agreed with Chair Price's comments. She said <br /> $300 makes it worth people's time to complete application. <br /> Commissioner Bedford petitioned for a report on people who meet these parameters of <br /> 80%, 60%, etc., and owe back taxes and interest. She would like to be more informed. <br /> Commissioner Bedford said they should at least do item a on recommendation #1. <br /> Chair Price said she was really looking at the caps. <br /> Commissioner Fowler asked for staff proposal for item e on recommendation #1, with <br /> the program covering half of the county's tax portion rather than the total tax bill. She said she <br /> would also like staff to include information on the impacts of reducing the award amounts to <br /> $500, $750, and $1000. She said staff should assume 50% increase, as well as the impacts of <br /> a 100% increase in participation. <br /> Nancy Freeman said they could look at the income of the applicants to determine an <br /> estimate. <br /> Corey Root said they could look at the county as a whole. <br /> Chair Price said if staff only looks at the applications received in the previous year, they <br /> would not have information about all of the people who should have applied. <br /> Commissioner Hamilton asked for clarification on what the Board was leaning towards <br /> on recommendation #1. <br /> Chair Price said they are considering several items. She said they are looking at item a <br /> on recommendation #1, which was to institute a baseline award of $300. She said <br /> Commissioner Fowler is looking at 1 e, looking at the schedule of awards to cover half of the <br /> county tax bill. <br /> Commissioner Hamilton recommended that the Board not make a decision on <br /> recommendation #1, and that staff come back with information on the requests for more <br /> information. She said the county should assume there will be more applicants. She said she <br /> wants the program, but wants it to be sustainable. <br /> Corey Root clarified that the Board could do both a and a in recommendation #1. <br /> Commissioner Hamilton said she would like to know the costs of a combination of the <br /> items. <br /> Chair Price said they should work in collaboration with community organizations. <br /> Commissioner McKee asked for a date when the item would come back to make sure <br /> that staff have time to revamp the program and get information in the tax bills. <br /> Chair Price said the next business meeting will be on May 24, 2022. <br /> Corey Root said that they could bring the information back by May 24, 2022. <br /> Commissioner McKee said he just did not want to wait until June. <br /> Commissioner Richards said staff could begin working on some of the <br /> recommendations that were already approved. <br /> tn <br /> Chair Price asked that staff bring back information on May 24 <br />