Minutes 05-19-2026-Business Meeting

Browse Search

3 the Board of Social Services met yesterday and reported that the implementation of a new child case management system is going well. She said Orange County is the last of eleven counties to go live but the first to use the system for child case management.She said the Continuum of Care group also met virtually to review the charter, which had been or is being posted for public comment. She said she also attended the Climate Council meeting and noted that two items from the Heat Awareness Week proclamation on the consent agenda stood out to her. First, certain medications can affect how the body responds to heat, and second,older adults are more vulnerable.She said the guiding mantra for summer heat safety is water, rest, and shade. Commissioner Carter said she also attended the Tax Assessment Work Group meeting and is pleased that the consultant's review of tax operations is underway,that the process for hiring a permanent tax administrator has begun, and that positive changes are being made under the Interim Tax Administrator. She called attention to the Emergency Medical Services Week proclamation on the consent agenda, marking the 52"d celebration since President Gerald Ford established it in the 1970s.She said first responders save lives every day through rapid response, expert decision-making, and compassion, and that they deserve recognition. She said that as budget discussions proceed, it is important to remember that counties are mandated by state law to provide certain services, including administering Medicaid, SNAP, housing programs, and public education, and that the federal government and state have been pushing unfunded mandates downward. She said she would be advocating for a budget amendment to reinstate step plan pay increases for emergency services professionals. She said she remains committed to engaging with the National Association of Counties and the North Carolina Association of County Commissioners to ensure that Orange County's voice is heard alongside other counties. She said the tensions arising from these pressures can divide communities but can also unite them through mutual understanding and collaboration, and that she looks forward to Orange County choosing unity. Chair Hamilton said she also attended the Pauli Murray Awards and congratulated the student contest winners and the Pauli Murray Award winners. She said the youth award was presented to Nitya Sharma, the adult award went to Molly Luby, and the business award was given to E3 Camp's Anissa McClendon. She said keynote speaker Jesse Huddleston gave a strong presentation and thanked the One Human Family Choir and county staff for putting together the event. She said she attended the Advisory Council on Aging at Central Pines Regional Council today and noted that senior Tar Heel Legislators for the region will be holding an advocacy day at the General Assembly tomorrow. She said she appreciated her colleagues' comments about the tension inherent in this budget season and said the Board will continue to share the realities of balancing tax rates with service delivery. She then offered a petition to the Board to consider having the Tax Administrator, who is appointed by the Board of County Commissioners, be exempt from the county's personnel ordinance and subject to a review process by both the Board and the County Manager. 4. Proclamations/ Resolutions/Special Presentations a. Impact of Property Tax Changes Video This item was added at the beginning of the meeting. The Board watched a video from the North Carolina Association of County Commissioners (NCACC) explaining the impact of state property tax changes. The video is available at the following link: https://www.facebook.com/reel/1527932805417932. In the video, Kevin Leonard explained the concept of a property tax levy limit. He said a levy limit caps the total amount of property tax revenue a local government can collect each year but does not account for the actual cost of providing services. He said county governments face the same inflationary pressures as individual households—paying more for patrol cars, bulletproof vests, ambulances, school buildings,jails,and the operations that support them—and that most of those expenditures are mandated