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Minutes of the Board of County Commissioners 293
<br />January 7, 1963
<br />The Orange County Board of Commissioners met in regular session on Monday, January 7, 1963,
<br />in the Commissioners mom at the courthouse in Hillsboro, N. C., at 10:00 o'clock a.m.
<br />Members present: Chari.man. Donald Stanford, Commissioners Harvey D. Bennett, Gordon
<br />Cleveland, Carl M. Smith and Henry Walker.
<br />Members absent: None
<br />The minutes of the December meeting were approved after soma corrections were made.
<br />The following road petition was presented, and the Clerk was requested to mail same to the
<br />State Highway Commission.
<br />1. Secondary Road No. 1,111
<br />The following department officials presented reports for the month of December, 1962.
<br />E. M. Lynch, Clerk of Court
<br />Cashe Boggs, Dog Warden
<br />Walter Wrenn, Veterans Service Officer
<br />C. D. Knight, Sheriff
<br />Jim Wight, Welfare Superintendent
<br />Don Matheson, Farm Agent
<br />Sherman Shelton, Farm Agent and
<br />Mrs. Bonnie Davis, Home Demonstration Agent
<br />Mrs. L. C. (Pearl) Barber stated that due to illness and her.present income, which was
<br />derived from an Old Age Assistance grant, she was unable to pay her 1962 tax bill. She requested
<br />the Board to reduce her taxes. Jim Wight, Welfare Sapervisor, was present and the Board discussed
<br />this matter with him. Mr. Wight stated that Mrs. Barber's grant could be increased to cover her tax
<br />bill, but that the increase must be added to the monthly income as it could not be iven in on or payment. Mrs. Barber was assured that she would receive adequate assistance in this matters grant
<br />Mr. Wight agreed to assume the answering of the phone calls which were received on the
<br />direct line from Chapel Hill to the offices in the courthouse. This change, he stated, must wait
<br />until he was allotted additional office space. Mr. Wight then requested that his department be
<br />granted the offices now occupied by the Farm Agent once their move to the new agricultural building
<br />is complete.
<br />Upon motion of Commissioner Walker, seconded by Commissioner Bennett, and unanimously
<br />adopted, the Welfare Department was authorized to occupy the offices now occupied by the Farm Agent's
<br />office once their move to the new agricultural building is complete.
<br />The County Attorney, George Levings, presented the following opinion concerning the matter
<br />of the consolidation of the two school units:
<br />"You asked us to prepare an opinion for the Board meeting to be held January 7, 1963,
<br />relating to steps necessary for the consolidation of the Chapel Hill School District and the
<br />Orange County School District, the administrative units responsible for running the public
<br />school system in Orange County, should such action be desired.
<br />^G.S. 11$-74 provides authority for
<br />city administrative units to consolidate with county
<br />administrative units upon petition of the board of education of the city administrative
<br />unit and the approval of the county board of education and of the state board of education,
<br />with certain provisos relating to fiscal problems that may be involved thereby.
<br />"G. S. 115-116(g) provides for the calling of countywide election after petition for consol-
<br />idation of city and county administrative units for a supplemental tax on a countywide basis.
<br />"The above two provisions provide in general a framework for consolidation of administrative
<br />units within a county. It is difficult to enumerate all of the problems that may be
<br />raised should a consolidation be desired and steps taken toward that end. Special legisla-
<br />tion may be desirable to effect a satisfactory consolidation of the administrative units
<br />within the county. A thorough study and analysis of all of the problems would be required in
<br />order to pinpoint provisions to be desired in special legislation.
<br />"It is understood that the City of Charlotte made their consolidation with the County of
<br />Mecklenburg under the provisions of G. S. 115-7h and 116 by special election had and the
<br />consolidation and the supplemental tax were solved at one and the same time. On the other
<br />hand, Winston-Salem and Forsyth County have been working for a number of years requesting
<br />special legislation as the authority to consolidate and thereafter operate on a basis
<br />tailored to their particular needs. This legislation has not yet been enacted. It is under-
<br />stood that the City of Durham and Durham County failed in their recent efforts to consolidate,
<br />which apparently was hasty action taken by all concerned.
<br />"Consolidation can be accomplished legally in cne or more ways, but the problem appears to be
<br />more of one of economics and standards of education desired. The first step toward consolida-
<br />tion would be efforts on behalf of the two boards to work out a plan whereby the purposes to
<br />be accomplished by consolidation would be feasible, including, of course, the solution of all
<br />the fiscal problems of both the administrative units."
<br />Upon motion of Commissioner Bennett, seconded by Commissioner Smith, and unanimously adopted,
<br />the Clerk was asked to write each School Superintendent stating as to how this question of consolida-
<br />tion arose and stating the interest of the Board in said matter as to the opinions of the Superintendent
<br />concerning said consolidation.,
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