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3 <br /> 1 individual property owner, but it is revenue neutral for the county. She said that revaluation is <br /> 2 mandated by the state, and it redistributes the tax burden across the county and properties. She <br /> 3 said she received a question about why the Board was focusing on a Tax Assessment Work <br /> 4 Group. She gave an example of how the revaluation and a revenue neutral tax rate would affect <br /> 5 a property owner, and demonstrated how an individual's increase in property taxes might be more <br /> 6 impacted by the revaluation rather than the property tax rate. She followed up on Commissioner <br /> 7 Fowler' comments and said mental health providers will also see the impact of Medicaid rate <br /> 8 reductions. <br /> 9 Commissioner Portie-Ascott said there was interest in renewing House Bill 118, which <br /> 10 would increase the Homestead Exemption for disabled veterans from $45,000 to $61,000. She <br /> 11 said that in Orange County, it would affect 209 accounts. She said she reached out to NCACC <br /> 12 with that information so they could indicate support for the bill. She said she attended the Orange <br /> 13 County Partnership for Drug Free Youth. She said she will attend the final session of fifth cohort <br /> 14 of the Hunt Institute,where they will focus on support for high school to post-secondary education. <br /> 15 Commissioner McKee spoke about the Lumos contract and his desire to ensure that the <br /> 16 original terms of the contract are met. He emphasized his commitment to Orange County <br /> 17 residents and in keeping promises. <br /> 18 <br /> 19 4. Proclamations/ Resolutions/ Special Presentations <br /> 20 a. Orange County Preparedness Month Proclamation <br /> 21 The Board approved a proclamation declaring September 2025 as"Orange County Preparedness <br /> 22 Month." <br /> 23 <br /> 24 BACKGROUND: National Preparedness Month is recognized each September to promote family <br /> 25 and community disaster planning now and throughout the year. North Carolina continues to <br /> 26 experience a high volume of disasters, to include the severe weather, flooding events, and <br /> 27 extreme temperatures. So far this year, Orange County has experienced multiple watches and <br /> 28 warnings issued by the National Weather Service for severe weather and flooding. <br /> 29 <br /> 30 The most devastating disaster this year so far is Tropical Storm Chantal. On July 6th, Tropical <br /> 31 Storm Chantal brought over ten (10) inches of rain in a short period of time to the Orange County <br /> 32 community. This caused widespread flooding that resulted in over 70 water rescues, nearly 8,000 <br /> 33 calls to 9-1-1, and the tragic death of one (1) person as she was travelling to work. Initial damage <br /> 34 estimates of the storm include 448 homes with damage, an estimated $26 million in commercial <br /> 35 damages, and over $24 million in damages to public infrastructure. <br /> 36 <br /> 37 It is critical that everyone works together as a community to ensure that people are connected <br /> 38 and prepared to remain resilient in the face of future disasters.All residents of Orange County are <br /> 39 encouraged to take the month of September to build a disaster kit for their families, make an <br /> 40 emergency plan, and get connected with OC Alerts (Orange County's emergency <br /> 41 notification/information system) to stay informed during emergencies. <br /> 42 <br /> 43 Sarah Pickhardt, Emergency Management Division Chief, introduced the item. <br /> 44 Commissioners read the following proclamation in turn: <br /> 45 <br /> 46 <br />