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APPROVED 3/27/2007 <br />MINUTES <br />ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS <br />WORK SESSION <br />March 1, 2007 <br />7:30 p.m. <br />The Orange County Board of Commissioners met for a Work Session on Thursday, March 1, <br />2007 at 7:30 p.m. at the Link Government Services Center in Hillsborough, North Carolina. <br />COUNTY COMMISSIONERS PRESENT: Chair Moses Carey, Jr., and Commissioner <br />Alice M. Gordon, Barry Jacobs, and Mike Nelson <br />COUNTY COMMISSIONERS ABSENT: Valerie P. Faushee <br />COUNTY ATTORNEYS PRESENT: Geof Gledhill and Brian Ferrell <br />COUNTY STAFF PRESENT: County Manager Laura Blackmon, Assistant County <br />Manager Gwen Harvey, and Clerk to the Board Donna Baker (All other staff members will be <br />identified appropriately below) <br />NOTE: ALL DOCUMENTS REFERRED TO IN THESE MINUTES ARE IN THE PERMANENT <br />AGENDA FILE IN THE CLERK'S OFFICE. ALL RECORDINGS OF THE MEETING WILL BE <br />KEPT FOR 5 YEARS. <br />Chair Carey said that he drafted a letter (melon sheet) to the U. S. Regulatory <br />Commission. He said that the County Commissioners were contacted by the Mayors of Chapel <br />Hill and Carrboro regarding the public forum with Progress Energy that was cancelled last <br />month. In view of the fact that it was cancelled, Senator Ellie Kinnaird has requested a local <br />hearing and has asked the County Commissioners to support this. He supports this request <br />and he asked for any changes to the letter before tomorrow morning. <br />There was also some information from Budget Director Donna Coffey related to an issue <br />that is likely to come up in the legislature (hot pink sheet}. <br />The blue sheet is an email from the Chair of CHCCS related to Elementary #10. <br />Chair Carey said that the County Commissioners' work sessions are designed for <br />comment and dialogue among the Commissioners and public input is not taken, unless <br />requested. <br />Donna Coffey said that she attended a special meeting yesterday of the North Carolina <br />Association of County Commissioners Taxation and Finance Steering Committee. The purpose <br />of the meeting was to alert county representatives and officials on property tax relief options that <br />the General Assembly is contemplating in the upcoming session. She said that, regardless of <br />what population is excluded from the property tax, it will have a negative impact on the 2008-09 <br />Orange County budget. One of the options is the blanket approach, which means that the first <br />20°~ of everyone's valuation will be excluded from property tax. This means a loss of $11 <br />million in property tax revenue in Orange County. She said that this is a very hot topic and once <br />the bill starts to roll, it will move quickly and will mast likely pass. <br />Commissioner Jacobs asked about local revenue options to make up for the loss. <br />Donna Coffey said that the State is offering the land transfer tax and Medicaid relief, but <br />she said to be cautious with this. <br />Commissioner Gordon suggested talking about this as tax assistance instead of tax <br />relief. Tax assistance is a more neutral term. <br />