HomeMy WebLinkAboutAgenda - 02-16-1999 - 10cM
ORANGE COUNTY
BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT
Meeting Date: February 16, 1999
Action Agenda
Item No. to —c—
SUBJECT: 1999 Legislative Goals
DEPARTMENT: Manager /Attorney PUBLIC HEARING: (Y/1)
BUDGET AMENDMENT: (Y/N)
ATTACHMENT(S):
As outlined in Background section
(under separate cover)
INFORMATION CONTACT:
Rod Visser, ext 2300
Geof Gledhill, 732 -2196
TELEPHONE NUMBERS:
Hillsborougb 732 -8181
Chapel Hill 968 -4501
Durham 688 -7331
Mebane 336- 227 -2031
PURPOSE: To undertake preliminary discussions regarding proposed legislation the Board may wish to
submit to the Orange County legislative delegation for consideration during the North Carolina General
Assembly's 1999 Long Session.
BACKGROUND: The North Carolina General Assembly convened for its 1999 Long Session on
January 27, 1999. Deadlines for local legislation to be requested by counties and cities have not yet been
established. During the 1997 Long Session, that deadline was March 27.
The County Commissioners submitted legislative requests to Orange County's legislative delegation in
1997 and 1998. The County Attorney will briefly review the elements of those legislative packets and
report on the status of each request.
Staff have compiled a range of reference material for the Board to consider as they contemplate the
development of a legislative agenda to be submitted to the General Assembly for 1999. Attachments
include:
• List of potential topics for local or statewide legislation in 1999
• January 20, 1999 Agricultural Districts Advisory Board resolution
• 1997 Orange County legislation packet (under separate cover)
• 1998 Orange County legislation packet (under separate cover)
• 1999 legislative goals adopted by the North Carolina Association of County Commissioners
( NCACC) (under separate cover)
• October 6, 1998 Board of Commissioners resolution submitted to the NCACC regarding potential
1999 legislation of statewide applicability (under separate cover)
2
The Manager recommends that the Board pursue a meeting during the next few weeks with the members
of the Orange County legislative delegation. This would afford the Board an opportunity to discuss with
the legislators items that are under preliminary consideration by the Board for inclusion in their 1999
legislative agenda. The Board could also receive an assessment from the legislators of likely rules,
timetables, and deadlines for the 1999 Session, and of the climate within the General Assembly that
would have a bearing on the chances for passage of various County legislative requests.
This item has been carried forward from the January 19, 1999 and February 2, 1999 regular meeting
agendas.
RECOMMENDATION(S): The Manager recommends that the Board discuss possible topics for 1999
legislation in the General Assembly, consider arranging a meeting with the Orange County legislative
delegation, and provide appropriate direction to the Manager and Attorney.
POSSIBLE 1999 ORANGE COUNTY LEGISLATIVE TOPICS
2/11/99
The following potential topics for 1999 legislation in the North Carolina General Assembly have been identified
by Commissioners, staff, advisory boards /commissions, and/or citizens. To assist the Commissioners with their
discussion, these topics have been organized into two categories — those issues that are revenue related, and those
that address all other issues. Within those two categories, the topics have been further subdivided into those that
would require local legislation (pertinent to Orange County only); those that could be either local to Orange
County or Statewide in their applicability; and those that would likely be Statewide in their application.
Should the Board encounter time constraints in discussing this agenda item at the February 16 meeting, the
Manager recommends that the Board focus its attention first on those items that would be specific to Orange
County, and second to those topics that could be applicable either locally or Statewide. Many of the topics that
would be applicable Statewide are being tracked by the North Carolina Association of Commissioners, so the
Board's immediate attention to those topics is not as critical as the matters that would pertain to Orange County
only.
I. REVENUE ISSUES
a) Local Legislation
1. School impact tax, to replace school impact fee
2. Entertainment tax
b) Local/Statewide
1. County authority to levy land transfer taxes
2. Authority for counties to levy additional sales taxes
3. Additional one cent sales tax that might be allocated to school capital
4. Addition of Orange County to list of counties authorized to garnish/levy /attach for payment of
EMS fees
5. Payment in lieu of taxation for UNC properties
6. Require other jurisdictions to reimburse Sheriff s Department for providing transport for
involuntary commitment of mental health patients (from UNC Hospitals) residing in those other
jurisdictions
7. Deferral of accrued taxes when agricultural property changes hands from farmer to farmer
8. Allowing farms enrolled in Voluntary Agricultural Districts to defer 50% of their property taxes
9. Exempting farms in Voluntary Agricultural Districts with land in conservation easements from
property taxes on that land
10. Exempting farms enrolled in Voluntary Agricultural Districts from property taxes on farm
buildings, machinery and equipment
c) Statewide
1. Expanded menu of county revenue sources
2. Increased State role in paying the costs of Medicaid
3. Restoring growth in reimbursements for lost local property tax revenue
4. State funding for increased school utility costs
5. Local government exemption from State sales taxes (to supplant current reimbursement approach)
6. Increased court fees to provide counties with revenue for court facilities
7. Increased Medicare reimbursements for County EMS bills
8. Opposition to measures to restrict annual increase in the valuation of real property to 2%
9. Prevent tax base erosion that would occur from property tax exemption for non - profit retirement
facilities
10. Amendment of Machinery Act to clarify that a measurement error is a basis for refund
II. ALL OTHER ISSUES
a) Local Legislation
1. Authority to include sexual preference /orientation as a class protected against discrimination
2. Incorporation of proposed Town of Hebron
b) Local/Statewide
1. Streamline the design and bidding processes for new school construction
2. Transportation initiatives that could require legislative assistance, including planning for rail
stations in Orange County and funding more bicycle lanes
3. Authorization for County to assign road names and street numbers for private roads
4. Expand Work First flexibility
5. Annexation reform
6. Transfer of development rights
7. County authority parallel to city authority to regulate burning
8. Local authority to regulate pesticides under land use regulations
9. Creation of on- campus voting precincts
C) Statewide
1. Require utility providers to gain county approval for utility route selections
2. Campaign finance reform
3. Increased accountability from charter schools
4. Amend seized vehicle revised legislation that requires schools to still pay for towed vehicles
5. Repeal statute establishing requirement for a County Review Officer to certify all plats, maps, etc.
prior to recording
6. Strengthen adult protective services law
7. DOT reform
Orange County Agricultural Districts Advisory Board 5
Orange County Agricultural Districts Advisory Board
A Resolution Requesting Action on Recommendations to Revise
the Voluntary Agricultural Districts Program
WHEREAS, the citizens of Orange County derive a multitude of benefits from the
preservation of farmland including clean water and air, plant and animal habitat, fresh
fruits, vegetables, meat and dairy products, and scenic rural vistas;
WHEREAS, Orange County has an existing Voluntary Agricultural Districts Program
that can provide these benefits to County citizens through the voluntary preservation of
farmland;
WHEREAS, the Agricultural Districts Advisory Board has forwarded recommendations
to the Board of Commissioners to enhance the Voluntary Agricultural Districts Program
and create greater incentives for participation by Orange County farmers;
WHEREAS, the recommendations will require enabling Legislation to allow Orange
County to provide additional tax incentives to participants in the Voluntary Agricultural
Districts Program,
AND WHEREAS, the Orange County Board of Commissioners will discuss its
Legislative Agenda at an upcoming meeting,
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED
that the Orange County Agricultural Districts Advisory Board requests that the Board of
Commissioners act swiftly on the Voluntary Agricultural Districts Program
recommendations to garner the support of the Orange County Legislative Delegation
during the 1999 Session of the General Assembly.
RESOLVED, this, the 20th day of January, 1999.
Trudy Matheny, Chair
Agricultural Districts Advisory Board
Witness
Donald Belk, Planner, StafTperson to the
Agricultural Districts Advisory Board
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