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Attachment 6 <br /> 1 <br /> 1 DRAFT MINUTES <br /> 2 ORANGE COUNTY <br /> 3 BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS <br /> 4 BUSINESS MEETING <br /> 5 June 17, 2025 <br /> 6 7:00 p.m. <br /> 7 <br /> 8 The Orange County Board of Commissioners met for a Business Meeting on Tuesday, June 17, <br /> 9 2025, at 7:00 p.m. at the Southern Human Services Center in Chapel Hill, NC. <br /> 10 <br /> 11 COUNTY COMMISSIONERS PRESENT: Chair Jamezetta Bedford, Vice-Chair Jean Hamilton, <br /> 12 and Commissioners Marilyn Carter, Amy Fowler, Sally Greene, Earl McKee, and Phyllis Portie- <br /> 13 Ascott <br /> 14 COUNTY COMMISSIONERS ABSENT: <br /> 15 COUNTYATTORNEYS PRESENT: John Roberts <br /> 16 COUNTY STAFF PRESENT: County Manager Travis Myren and Clerk to the Board Laura <br /> 17 Jensen (All other staff members will be identified appropriately below). <br /> 18 <br /> 19 Chair Bedford called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m.All commissioners were present. <br /> 20 <br /> 21 1. Additions or Changes to the Agenda <br /> 22 A motion was made by Chair Bedford, seconded by Vice-Chair Hamilton, to remove item <br /> 23 6-c from tonight's agenda. <br /> 24 <br /> 25 VOTE: UNANIMOUS <br /> 26 <br /> 27 Chair Bedford read the public charge and explained the process for making public <br /> 28 comments. <br /> 29 <br /> 30 2. Public Comments (Limited to One Hour) <br /> 31 a. Matters not on the Printed Agenda <br /> 32 George Barrett said he is part of the Orange County Property Tax Justice Coalition. He <br /> 33 said the group is made up of residents who care about the recent inequitable property tax <br /> 34 revaluations in neighborhoods. He said that they have seen dramatic increases that outpace <br /> 35 market realities. He said the increases are not felt equitably. He said that many are elders or on <br /> 36 a fixed incomes and represent historically underrepresented groups. He said they face <br /> 37 possibility of being priced out of homes that they have spent generations building and <br /> 38 protecting. He said that in those neighborhoods, they are seeing between 25-80% increase in <br /> 39 property taxes totaling over $2 million in total increases. He said that other wealthier <br /> 40 neighborhoods in the county are seeing a million dollar decrease even after seeing a whopping <br /> 41 increase in property values over the last four years. He said that 270 people in the community <br /> 42 have signed onto a petition saying that the property tax values need to be addressed <br /> 43 systemically. He said they have six clear concerns and asks for the county (noted the first three <br /> 44 are urgent and could not wait): 1) Work with the Orange County Property Tax Justice Coalition <br /> 45 to present the identified neighborhood inequities to the BOER and that it be considered as <br /> 46 evidence for adjustments; 2) Undertake a fair reassessment of the neighborhoods named in the <br /> 47 letter to make adjustments and address inequities in land values; 3) Correct undervalued luxury <br /> 48 apartment buildings so they carry their fair-share of the tax burden; 4) Integrate well- <br /> 49 documented mass-assessment tools for future evaluations to seek and ensure virtual equity and <br /> 50 fairness in valuations that could help prevent regressivity; 5) Improve the fairness of land values <br /> 51 by working with the UNC School of Government and the NC Housing Coalition; 6) work with <br />