Government
The Orange County Board of Commissioners will place a 1/4 cent sales tax on the ballot this November. Revenues generated from the tax, which is expected to raise $2.3M annually, will be allocated for economic development (42.5%), repairing older school buildings (42.5%), public safety (15%). The tax will not be applied to food or pharmaceuticals.
Of the $977,500 expected to be raised for economic development, the county manager has proposed that 30% ($293,500) go to building infrastructure within the economic development zones and 15% ($146,625) go to a small business loan fund such as the one Carrboro initiated many years ago. I haven't seen anything designating the use for the remaining $439,875 (55%) other than a report in the CH Herald about the need to offer incentives.
When we go to polls in November, we will not be voting just for the new sales tax, but also for this allocation plan. Can you support it? Does this plan signal a new day to you?
Questions that I'm interested in having discussed are is 30% enough to build the needed infrastructure in less than 10 years? How should the other 55% be spent (I am totally opposed to incentives)?
According to this morning's Herald-Sun, the Orange County "Board of Commissioners is one of the first government bodies in the nation to seek to define social justice and make it a backdrop for its decisions." The Human Relations Advisory Board presented a draft of their document to the BoCC on May 13. The full document is available at: http://www.co.orange.nc.us/OCCLERKS/1005131.pdf
For those who don't have time to read the full document, here's the bare bones.
In working to seek social justice, Orange County shall perform government duties including policy-making and budgeting with the express objectives of:
1. Striving for the elimination of oppression and inequity by creating an environment of equal opportunity in which no groups are targeted for harassment, exclusion, intimidation or violence.
A blog entry on the NC senate race may be a bit outside the scope for the OP but I have been so encouraged by the recent polling data showing both Marshall and Cunningham in statistical ties with Burr and with low approval rating for Burr thatI was inspired to write this entry. The title is just vision for a newspaper headline on an enjoyable Wednesday morning next November.
I personally have been supporting Elain Marshall since the day she announced and think she will be a great senator for NC. I recently recieved an e-mail from her campaign lamenting that Cal Cunningham did not drop out. I think there may be an upside from the run off in that it will generate extra local and national press coverage. It reminds me a bit of the discussion of the Clinton-Obama primary contest. Many people were calling for Clinton to drop out so that Obama could focus on November. However, the primary contest generated a lot of interest and in the end, Obama won.
However wins the run-off next month I hope you will all join me in GOTV efforts next fall. We have a really strong change to put NC firmly in the blue with to democratic senators.
Date:
Thursday, May 27, 2010 - 3:00pm to 5:00pm
Location:
Southern Human Services Center, Homestead Rd
2nd of 2 public hearings on the 2010-11 Orange County budget
Date:
Tuesday, May 25, 2010 - 3:00pm to 5:00pm
Location:
Southern Human Services Center, Homestead Rd
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