Minutes 03-23-2026-Legislative Breakfast

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3 Commissioner Greene said she would bring it up with the organization. Chair Hamilton said even with all the different groups involved, such as Habitat and the Department on Aging, there is not enough funding, especially to do the major repairs required for some of the homes. Representative Price said she thought some funding was funneled through to Central Pines for this purpose. Chair Hamilton said that whenever money is funneled to another entity,there are overhead costs. Commissioner Carter said there is an estimated $2 million in unmet needs for home repairs. Commissioner Bedford said just under $500,000 in HOME funding has been committed to home repairs. She said that they are finding that some of the homes for low-income seniors are more dilapidated than expected. Commissioner McKee gave an example of a home that required more extensive and expensive repairs than providers expected. He said that the availability of funds for any one individual is limited by the total funding. Commissioner Bedford said its overall cheaper to repair a home than to build new. Representative Price said there are ongoing efforts to take power away from municipalities and counties. She encouraged the county to pay attention to regulatory reforms and consider their impacts on local governments. Representative Price asked about the timeline for the crisis diversion facility. Caitlin Fenhagen said the facility will break ground in 2026 and hopefully open in 2027. Representative Price highlighted her collaborative efforts with colleagues such as Zach Hawkins on initiatives concerning individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. She also referenced the governor's task force, which is focused on addressing mental health issues within detention centers. Representative Price said opportunity scholarships put a big burden on public education. Regarding tax and finance,she said that many legislators do not understand the tax system and are having to be educated on how it works. Commissioner Carter said they need to get the message to legislators that if property taxes are a prominent concern, public education is a huge part of that. She said they need the support for public education, so counties can allocate dollars for other mandated services. allocated funding for services more effectively. She said a proposed constitutional amendment is low on specifics but is tapping into the energy felt across the state regarding property taxes. Commissioner Bedford said there is a concern that the county could not meet its mandated functions. Commissioner Carter said there were discussions at the National Association of Counties legislative conference, where state association directors from multiple states discussed a national movement to remove taxing authority from municipalities and counties. The association executive directors strongly encouraged counties to band together and go to their delegations to amplify voices on these concerns. Representative Buansi added that if lawmakers are serious about addressing affordability, property tax is only one piece, and there are other tools the state could provide. He noted that counties and towns have very limited ways to raise revenue, and the state could help by restoring abilities like school impact fees that Orange County previously had. Vice-Chair Fowler noted that property taxes and sales taxes are regressive, while income and corporate taxes are progressive. She said that would naturally assist lower income residents. Chair Hamilton said this part of a broader national debate on the role of government and how services are provided. She said it will be important to educate the public on the services provided by counties. She asked the legislative delegation how the county should get those messages across.