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12 <br /> residents to age in place and can make a difference. He encouraged the Board to support funds <br /> to continue these repairs. <br /> Erin Kent said her children attend schools in CHCCS. She said families move to the <br /> county for its high-quality public schools. She said her family moved to Orange County eight <br /> years ago for that reason. She said that as a parent, she sees the benefits that public schools <br /> provide. She said that she is a faculty member at UNC, and she can see the impact of public <br /> schools every day. She said that currently, the state pays one of the lowers teacher salaries in <br /> the nation. She said that they have a democratic process that passed a bond package to improve <br /> the schools. She said that failing to uphold that investment, will widen divides and threaten the <br /> education infrastructure that this county is known for. She said that investing in schools is <br /> investing in the county's future. She said that she understands that there is a tax increase <br /> associated with this investment, but the voters overwhelmingly said "yes." <br /> Rebecca Paul said she is proud of the schools and feels that public schools are under <br /> attack. She said that local governments need to fund it more than ever. She asked the Board to <br /> expand the budget and allow for the needs to be met. She said she voted for the bond and asked <br /> that the Board fully fund it. <br /> Elizabeth Young said she is in favor of extending the Rogers Road sewer program. She <br /> said that many of the septic systems are failing and leaking into the water table. She said that <br /> the Church of the Advocate has applied for a grant with other local churches, and they hope to <br /> be able to use the grant funds, with matching funds from the county, to be able to finish the 23 <br /> houses that remain needing sewer hookup. She said that Rogers Road is being hit by property <br /> taxes doubling and tripling. She said that to avoid displacement due to the catastrophic property <br /> tax increases, the commissioners should look into the tax increase. She asked the Board to have <br /> concern for the Rogers Road community. <br /> Kenzie Patrick said she is a kindergarten teacher at Scroggs Elementary and she asked <br /> for the Board to approve the expansion budgets that will help fund much needed teacher pay <br /> programs. <br /> Sasha Harrison asked the Board to fully fund the CHCCS continuation budget and some <br /> of the expansion budget request. She said she works at Scroggs Elementary asked the Board to <br /> fund the budget in a way that benefits the schools. She said that restoring masters level pay would <br /> be game-changing for the districts and teacher recruitment. She said that students deserve more <br /> than another year of cuts. <br /> Leslie Fernandez said she is a parent of children in the schools and asked the Board to <br /> fund the expansion budget. She noted the previous support of the Board for education. She said <br /> asked the Board to restore pay-go capital funding. She asked the Board to lead with courage and <br /> show that in Orange County, we show up for our kids. <br /> Marci Hansen said she is a parent of two children in CHCCS schools. She asked the <br /> Board to fully fund the continuation budget for the schools. She said that they have lost electives, <br /> teacher assistants, and bus drivers. She said the proposal to remove pay-go funding from the <br /> capital funding is not what the county voted for and that as a taxpayer and voter, it feels like a <br /> slap in the face. <br /> Amanda Hanig said she is a parent of children in the public school system. She said she <br /> believes in the value of public schools. She said her family moved to Chapel Hill due to the <br /> reputation of the school system. <br /> Johnny Randall spoke in favor of the Lands Legacy program. He said this is one of the <br /> most successful land stewardship programs in the state. He said he was speaking on the Triangle <br /> Connectivity Collaborative. He spoke about the Triangle connectivity plan. He said he served for <br /> 8 years on the Orange County Commission on the Environment and on the Orange County <br /> planning board. He said he was the director of conservation for 25 years at the NC Botanical <br /> Garden. He said that Orange County has been a leader in land preservation. He said he is an <br /> Orange County appointee to the OWASA Board. He said that Orange County is working on a land <br />