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4 <br />to study this issue. <br />Dan Coleman, a Chapel Hill Township resident, thanked the Task <br />Force members for their willingness to serve. He stated that he is <br />a member of the Electoral Action Group of the US Green Party <br />Platform. As a result of his membership, he has become quite <br />knowledgeable on this issue. In looking at the issue of fair <br />representation there are limits to how much information can be <br />gathered at Public Hearings. Many people may be concerned but not <br />willing to come to a Public Hearing. He suggested that Hog Day <br />would be a perfect opportunity to gather information from citizens. <br />Dennis Gavin, a Chapel Hill resident and business owner, commented <br />that looking at how elections are handled once every 40 years is <br />certainly not too often. He stated that it seems unfair and <br />cynical to have all 5 Commissioners residing in Chapel Hill <br />Township in a County this large. <br />Joel Sipress, a member of the History Department at UNC and a <br />Carrboro resident, stated that it was only in the early 1900's that <br />a move toward at. -large representation stated. The impetus of this <br />move was to reduce the political influence of working class people. <br />At the same time, the State of North Carolina was instituting <br />literacy requirements to further limit voting rights. He believes <br />that Orange County has a number of groups who historically have <br />felt disenfranchised. The most recent of those groups are the <br />rural citizens. Eliminating our at -large system would guarantee <br />that rural citizens were represented. The Board of Commissioners <br />needs additional members and they need to represent districts. <br />Many people who are advocating this proposal are conservative and <br />Republican and they happen to be right. Of all the forms of <br />representation that exist, the current one is the most undemocratic <br />and least responsive. The single district representation which <br />requires candidates to be elected by the citizens in their district <br />would more fairly represent the citizens of those districts. <br />Keith Cook indicated that he believes that the Task Force needs to <br />make an attempt to complete the .job in the time given. If it is not <br />possible, he will go to the Board and let them know that more time <br />will be required. <br />The Public Hearing was adjourned. The next meeting of this Task <br />Force will be held on June 17, 1993 at 7:00 p.m. in the new County <br />Courthouse, Superior Court Room, Hillsborough, North Carolina. <br />Respectfully submitted, <br />Kathleen Baker, Deputy Clerk <br />