Orange County NC Website
3s <br />MINUTES <br />TASK FORCE ON THE ELECTION PROCESS <br />JUNE 17, 1993 <br />The Public Hearing to solicit citizen comment on this issue <br />was held on June 17, 1993, at 7:00 p.m. in the new County <br />Courthouse, Superior Court Room, Hillsborough, North Carolina. <br />MEMBERS PRESENT: Chair Keith Cook, and members Gloria Williams, <br />Rachel Lynch -Gaya, Sharon Worthington, Linda Carver, Robert <br />Ferguson, Richard Hammer and Patrick Mulkey. <br />STAFF PRESENT: Kathleen Baker, Deputy Clerk <br />The meeting was called to order by Chair Cook. He welcomed the <br />citizens in the audience and articulated the Charge given to this <br />Task Force by the Board of County Commissioners. They are charged <br />with determining if the current process is fair or unfair, and if <br />it is unfair, to whom is it unfair. Each member of the Task Force <br />introduced themselves and which organizations they were <br />representing on the Task Force. <br />THE PUBLIC HEARING WAS OPENED FOR CITIZEN COMMENT: <br />Earl Davis stated that he is an Orange County citizen and he does <br />not feel represented by the current Board of Commissioners. A <br />feeling of "us" vs. "them" exists between Chapel Hill /Carrboro and <br />the rural Orange County citizens. The citizens of northern Orange <br />County will never feel fairly represented in an election under the <br />present system. <br />Madeline Levine asked that the Task Force carefully consider this <br />issue and that they take enough time to do a thorough job. <br />George Chockly, a resident of Cedar Grove, stated that he is tired <br />of coming to the Courthouse to fight for his rights. He stated <br />that there are residents throughout the county who do not feel <br />represented. He has been in the courthouse when it was packed with <br />rural people voicing opposition to action that the Commissioners <br />want to take. The farmers need to be represented on the Board. <br />Armetta McPherson, a Hillsborough resident, indicated that she has <br />lived here all her life and believes that residency is not the <br />primary issue. She votes for the ideology, not the residency, of <br />the candidate. She feels that she has the opportunity to be fairly <br />represented under the current system. <br />Madeline Levine, a rural Chapel Hill Township resident, suggested <br />that the Task Force enter into dialogue with citizens. A meeting <br />specifically for this purpose could be held. <br />Mark Marcoplos indicated that the Courtroom was filled for meetings <br />on this issue last year. Citizens thought they were coming to a <br />