Orange County NC Website
Browse       Search
1 <br /> APPROVED 8126/25 <br /> MINUTES <br /> ORANGE COUNTY <br /> BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS <br /> BUSINESS MEETING <br /> June 17, 2025 <br /> 7:00 p.m. <br /> The Orange County Board of Commissioners met for a Business Meeting on Tuesday, June 17, <br /> 2025, at 7:00 p.m. at the Southern Human Services Center in Chapel Hill, NC. <br /> COUNTY COMMISSIONERS PRESENT. Chair Jamezetta Bedford, Vice-Chair Jean Hamilton, <br /> and Commissioners Marilyn Carter, Amy Fowler, Sally Greene, Earl McKee, and Phyllis Portie- <br /> Ascott <br /> COUNTY COMMISSIONERS ABSENT: <br /> COUNTY ATTORNEYS PRESENT. John Roberts <br /> COUNTY STAFF PRESENT: County Manager Travis Myren and Clerk to the Board Laura Jensen <br /> (All other staff members will be identified appropriately below). <br /> Chair Bedford called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m. All commissioners were present. <br /> 1. Additions or Changes to the Agenda <br /> A motion was made by Chair Bedford, seconded by Vice-Chair Hamilton, to remove item <br /> 6-c from tonight's agenda. <br /> VOTE: UNANIMOUS <br /> Chair Bedford read the public charge and explained the process for making public <br /> comments. <br /> 2. Public Comments (Limited to One Hour) <br /> a. Matters not on the Printed Agenda <br /> George Barrett said he is part of the Orange County Property Tax Justice Coalition. He <br /> said the group is made up of residents who care about the recent inequitable property tax <br /> revaluations in neighborhoods. He said that they have seen dramatic increases that outpace <br /> market realities. He said the increases are not felt equitably. He said that many are elders or on <br /> a fixed incomes and represent historically underrepresented groups. He said they face possibility <br /> of being priced out of homes that they have spent generations building and protecting. He said <br /> that in those neighborhoods, they are seeing between 25-80% increase in property taxes totaling <br /> over $2 million in total increases. He said that other wealthier neighborhoods in the county are <br /> seeing a million dollar decrease even after seeing a whopping increase in property values over <br /> the last four years. He said that 270 people in the community have signed onto a petition saying <br /> that the property tax values need to be addressed systemically. He said they have six clear <br /> concerns and asks for the county (noted the first three are urgent and could not wait): 1) Work <br /> with the Orange County Property Tax Justice Coalition to present the identified neighborhood <br /> inequities to the BOER and that it be considered as evidence for adjustments; 2) Undertake a fair <br /> reassessment of the neighborhoods named in the letter to make adjustments and address <br /> inequities in land values; 3) Correct undervalued luxury apartment buildings so they carry their <br /> fair-share of the tax burden; 4) Integrate well-documented mass-assessment tools for future <br /> evaluations to seek and ensure virtual equity and fairness in valuations that could help prevent <br /> regressivity; 5) Improve the fairness of land values by working with the UNC School of <br />