Orange County NC Website
JAMEZE/TABEDFORD, CHAIR Orange County Board of Commissioners �z <br /> EARL MCKEE; 1/ICE-CHAIR AMY FOWLER post Office Box 8181 <br /> JEANHAMILTO 300 West Tryon Street <br /> JEAN HAM/L7'ON <br /> PHYLLIS SCOTT <br /> ANNANNA RICHARDS A Hillsborough , North Carolina 27278 <br /> HARD <br /> October 3 , 2023 <br /> President Mary Jo McGuire <br /> 660 North Capitol Street NW <br /> Suite 400 <br /> Washington, DC 20001 <br /> Dear President McGuire , <br /> On behalf of the Orange County Board of Commissioners , I am writing to express our concerns <br /> regarding the location of the 2024 NACo Annual Conference in Hillsborough County , Florida . <br /> Under the leadership of Governor Ron DeSantis , the State of Florida has pursued and passed <br /> policies that are openly hostile toward African Americans , people of color and LGBTQ+ <br /> individuals . The NAACP , League of United Latin American Citizens , and Equality Florida <br /> have all issued travel advisories outlining the devastating impact of laws that attack accurate <br /> Black history, voting rights , immigrants , diversity and inclusion efforts , women ' s reproductive <br /> rights , freedom of speech, the LGBTQ community , gun safety , and incite racial prejudice . The <br /> Governor and the State of Florida ' s actions encourage a culture of fear, harassment, and <br /> intimidation by public officials , and travel to the state poses a risk for marginalized <br /> communities . <br /> A value of the National Association of Counties is to embrace and respect our diversity of <br /> experience, heritage , and thought . Holding the annual conference in the State of Florida is <br /> antithetical to this value . We strongly request that the conference planning committee analyze <br /> the impact on under- served and marginalized individuals and groups and relocate the event . <br /> Sincerely , <br /> tell <br /> Jamezetta Bedford <br /> Chair, Board of County Commissioners <br /> WWW, ORANGECOUNTYNC. GOV <br /> ORANGE COUNTY, NORTH CAROLINA <br /> (919) 245-2 13 0 <br />