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1 <br /> ORANGE COUNTY <br /> BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS <br /> ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT <br /> Meeting Date: June 3, 2025 <br /> Action Agenda <br /> Item No. 8-d <br /> SUBJECT: Approval of Interlocal Agreement with Durham County for Billing and Collection <br /> of Orange County Solid Waste Program Fees for Town of Chapel Hill Properties <br /> Located in Durham County <br /> DEPARTMENT: Solid Waste and Tax Administration <br /> ATTACHMENT(S): INFORMATION CONTACT: <br /> Interlocal Agreement Robert Williams, Solid Waste Director, <br /> (919) 918-4904 <br /> Nancy Freeman, Tax Administrator, <br /> (919) 245-2735 <br /> PURPOSE: To approve an Interlocal Agreement (ILA) between Orange County and Durham <br /> County under which Durham County will administer billing and collection of Orange County's Solid <br /> Waste Program Fee for those properties that are located within the Town of Chapel Hill and also <br /> within the jurisdictional limits of Durham County. <br /> BACKGROUND: Discussions have occurred between Orange County staff and Durham County <br /> staff regarding a collaborative approach to supporting the Orange County Solid Waste Program <br /> Fee billing process. Historically, affected residents have received separate bills from multiple <br /> jurisdictions — Durham County for property taxes, the Town of Chapel Hill for stormwater fees, <br /> and Orange County for solid waste fees — leading to confusion and administrative inefficiencies. <br /> Under the terms of the proposed ILA, Durham County will include the Orange County Solid Waste <br /> Program Fee on its own annual property tax bills for applicable properties and will remit the <br /> collected fees to Orange County. Since Orange County and Durham County are public bodies, <br /> political and corporate, under the laws of the State of North Carolina, each is vested pursuant to <br /> Article 20 of North Carolina General Statutes with the authority to enter into an Interlocal <br /> Agreement as proposed. <br /> This change is expected to improve the customer experience by reducing the number of separate <br /> bills residents receive and clarifying the overall billing process. Additionally, Orange County <br /> anticipates a better collection rate because tax bills are often paid by mortgage lenders through <br /> escrow accounts, and taxpayers generally pay all assessed fees at the time of paying their annual <br /> tax bill. Consolidating the solid waste fee into Durham County's property tax bill should result in <br /> more timely and consistent payments compared to the current system of sending a separate <br /> invoice for only the Orange County Solid Waste Program Fee. <br /> The attached Interlocal Agreement document was approved by the Durham County Board of <br /> Commissioners on May 12, 2025. <br />