Orange County NC Website
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S <br />Statistical Summary <br />■ Orange County population 120,881 <br />■ Chapel Hill population 49,438 <br />■ Carrboro population 17,585 <br />■ Hillsborough population 5,541 <br />■ 1/3 of the registered voters live in the Orange County School District <br />■ 2/3 of the registered voters live in the Chapel Hill / Carrboro District <br />■ Orange County increased from 3 to 5 commissioners in 1954 <br />■ 60% of the counties in NC elect 5 commissioners <br />■ 25% of the counties in NC elect 7 commissioners <br />Geof Gledhill presented some additional information. He said that if the Board consists <br />of County Commissioners with two -year terms and four -year terms, all of the members of the <br />Board must be nominated and elected by the voters of the entire County, with the Board Chair <br />elected by and from the members of the Board. <br />There are four modes of election that are authorized. When an electoral district mode is <br />used, the districts must apportion the Board members so that the number of Commissioners <br />apportioned in each district, divided by the population of the district, is as nearly equal as <br />practicable for all of the districts. The four modes of election are: <br />a) The qualified voters of the entire County nominate all candidates for and elect <br />all members of the Board. This is the method now used by Orange County <br />b) The qualified voters of each district nominate candidates and elect members <br />who reside in the district for seats apportioned to that district; and the qualified <br />voters of the entire County nominate candidates and elect members <br />apportioned to the County at large. The citizen petition presented to the Board <br />this year requests that the Board pursue this mode. House Bill 913 also <br />would, if approved by the voters of the County, create this type of election <br />system. Chapter 136 of the 1991 Session Laws, which expanded and <br />redistricted the Guilford County Board of Commissioners, is an example of the <br />creation of a board structure using this mode. <br />C) The qualified voters of each district nominate candidates who reside in the <br />district and the qualified voters of the entire County nominate candidates for <br />seats apportioned to the County at large, if any; and the qualified voters of the <br />entire County elect all the members of the Board. <br />d) The qualified voters of the entire County nominate candidates and elect <br />members; candidates and members reside in apportioned districts. Chapter <br />43 of the 1981 Session Laws, involving Randolph County, is an example. <br />If the district mode of election is chosen, the Board of Commissioners divides the County <br />into districts according to the apportionment plan adopted and delineates the districts, If a <br />district mode is chosen, no more than half the Board may be apportioned to the County at- large. <br />North Carolina General Statute 153A -60 provides that the Board of Commissioners <br />initiates any alteration of Board stricture by resolution. The alteration of Board structure is then <br />accomplished or not following a referendum conducted by the County Board of Elections. <br />