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5 <br /> Slide #8 <br /> F 02. - 4 RECOMMENDED BUDGET <br /> MISSION STATEMENT <br /> Orange County exists to prn-ide governmental servic-esneededbyour <br /> Residents or mandated by the State of North Carolina. <br /> To provide these qualityseni<,,es efficiently,v4emust, <br /> ❑ Serve the Residents of Oninge Count} —Our Residents Come First; <br /> ❑ Depend on the energy,skills, and dedication of all our employees and <br /> volunteera; <br /> ❑ Trey all our Residents and Employees with fairness,respect,and <br /> understanding. <br /> Qzw,!m Coun(r Residents Come First <br /> ORANGE COUNTY <br /> ?40FM I CAPOLINh <br /> 3. Public Comments <br /> The board held a public hearing to receive comments on the FY24 recommended budget. <br /> A motion was made by Commissioner Greene and seconded by Commissioner Fowler to <br /> open the public hearing. <br /> VOTE: UNANIMOUS <br /> PUBLIC COMMENTS: <br /> Patrick Mitchell, the music teacher at River Park Elementary School, said he is the robotics <br /> teacher for Team 587. He said that he has seen an increase in the number of children at River <br /> Park Elementary interested in STEAM and joining the robotics team. He said there are growing <br /> interests but those that do not have transportation after school find it difficult to impossible and <br /> the other problem is that there are not enough seats in the program to fit all the interest. He asked <br /> the Board to consider funding a full-time robotics teacher in the FY24 budget. He said it would <br /> help all children participate and significantly improve their overall education. <br /> Commissioner Hamilton arrived at 7:20 p.m. <br /> Erick Castro is a student and on the River Park Elementary afterschool robotics team. He <br /> asked the Board to fund a STEM teacher at River Park so his friends could have an opportunity <br /> to participate in the team. <br /> Rosalia Panek is the captain of a robotics team and student at River Park. She said the <br /> involvement in robotics allows children to be challenged to think of a problem in the world and try <br /> to solve it. She said it also brings students together and helps them find more people interested <br /> in the same things as them. She said that hiring a STEM teacher at River Park would allow more <br /> students the chance to explore STEM and encourage more creativity. <br />