Orange County NC Website
1 <br /> ORANGE COUNTY <br /> BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS <br /> ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT <br /> Meeting Date: May 5, 2020 <br /> Action Agenda <br /> Item No. 6-b <br /> SUBJECT: Discussion Regarding Election Method for Members of the Orange County <br /> Board of Commissioners <br /> DEPARTMENT: County Attorney & County <br /> Manager <br /> ATTACHMENT(S): INFORMATION CONTACT: <br /> John Roberts, County Attorney, 245- <br /> 1) Current Electoral Districts along with 2318 <br /> Population Numbers Based on the Greg Wilder, County Manager's Office, <br /> 2010 Census 245-2300 <br /> 2) Information from Commissioner Mark <br /> Dorosin <br /> PURPOSE: To discuss the election method for members of the Orange County Board of <br /> Commissioners. <br /> BACKGROUND: At the Board's April 7, 2020 Business meeting, a petition was voiced that the <br /> Board discuss and potentially change a portion of the process under which some or all Board <br /> members are elected. A summary of historical information, along with some current applicable <br /> information, is provided below as a basis for Board discussion on this topic. <br /> HISTORY <br /> 2005-2008 <br /> At the Board of Commissioners' January 24, 2005 regular (now Business) meeting, <br /> representatives of a group of Orange County residents addressed the Board and submitted a <br /> 1,200-signature petition to the Board regarding the method by which the members of the Board <br /> of Commissioners were elected in Orange County. The representatives requested that the <br /> Board review the then current method of election for the members of the Board, which entailed <br /> all five members of the Board being nominated and elected to staggered four-year terms on an <br /> at-large basis. <br /> At the Board's direction, the County Manager and County staff reviewed the issue and the <br /> petition submitted and provided a report to the Board at the May 5, 2005 work session. The <br /> report provided an initial framework of information upon which the Board of Commissioners <br /> could deliberate and determine as appropriate any further steps in evaluating the issue and <br /> responding to the request and petition submitted. <br />