HomeMy WebLinkAboutAgenda - 03-06-2008-6bORANGE COUNTY
BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT
Meeting Date: March 6, 2008
Action Agenda
Item No. (o-
SUBJECT: Local Revenue Options Education Effort
DEPARTMENT: County Manager/Budget PUBLIC HEARING: (Y/N) No
ATTACHMENT(S): INFORMATION CONTACT:
Sample Advertising Rates Laura Blackmon or Rod Visser,
Additional materials to be submitted 919-245-2300
under separate cover following 2/28/08 Donna Coffey, 919-245-2151
Meeting of Local Revenue Options
Education Advisory Committee
PURPOSE:. To discuss alternative approaches, and prospective budgets for those alternatives,
regarding the County's planned effort to educate voters about the purposes for and implications
of the land transfer tax measure that the Orange County Commissioners have placed on the
May 6, 2008 ballot.
BACKGROUND: At the February 19, 2008 regular meeting, the Board of Commissioners
adopted a resolution calling an advisory referendum for May 6, 2008 on the question of whether
to levy a land transfer tax. This tax of four-tenths percent (.4%) on eligible real property
transactions was provided for in the 2007 Session Laws enacted by the North Carolina General
Assembly as a local revenue option available to county governments.
In Fall 2007, the Board of Commissioners appointed a Local Revenue Options Education
Advisory Committee comprised of up to twenty members representing various constituencies in
the community. Among the elements of the Committee's charge were the following tasks:
^ Develop appropriate informational materials for the local revenue options
^ Design and implement an educational component to distribute relevant factual
information about the local revenue options to Orange County voters in the most effective
and efficient manner possible
^ Design and implement a process for informational meetings with civic groups, business
organizations, non-profit agencies, neighborhood associations, and other interested
parties in the community
^ Ensure that equal access to factual information is provided to all individuals and groups,
regardless of their position for or against the referendum
^ Encourage all eligible voters to participate in the May 6, 2008 election
At the February 19 meeting, the Board discussed the possibility of an extensive
television/radio/media advertising effort. The Board then directed the Manager, staff, and
Committee to provide the Board at the March 6, 2008 regular meeting with several land transfer
tax referendum educational effort proposals, including proposed budgets. The Committee met
2
on February 28 to begin its work on the educational effort related specifically to the land transfer
tax question on the May 6 ballot. Proposed alternative approaches to this undertaking,
reflecting both Committee and staff input, will be provided under separate cover prior to the
Board's March 6 meeting. Background materials on sample print and radio advertising rates are
included as attachments to this abstract.
The Board has previously discussed the roles of education versus advocacy in the period
leading up to the May 6 referendum. The Committee's role is specifically one of education. The
Committee's collective efforts, and public funds to be spent on the education campaign, will be
directed to presenting factual information that voters can use to make an informed choice on
May 6. Any efforts by private parties or groups to advocate for or against passage of the local
transfer tax revenue option will have to be funded from private sources.
FINANCIAL IMPACT: There was no funding for a public education campaign on local revenue
options included in the original 2007-08 Orange County Budget, as the North Carolina General
Assembly did not enact the enabling legislation until after the County's 2007-08 budget
ordinance was adopted. Funding for whatever level of education effort the Board may decide to
pursue will need to come from an appropriation from fund balance, the reallocation of existing
2007-08 appropriations, or some combination of both.
As points of reference, the County spent $16,625 in FY 2001-02 for the voter education effort
related to the November 2001 bond referenda for school and County capital projects. The
County spent $12,453 in FY 2006-07 for the voter education effort related to the November
2006 election regarding changes to the structure and mefihod for voting for the Orange County
Board of Commissianers.
RECOMMENDATION(S): The Manager recommends that the Board:
1. review and discuss the background materials outlining alternative .approaches to the
voter education campaign related to the land transfer tax referendum;
2. provide direction to the Manager and staff regarding its desired approach to the voter
education campaign;
3. establish snot-to-exceed budget figure for the education campaign within which it wants
the Manager, staff, and Committee to operate; and
4. direct staff to prepare a budget amendment for the Board's approval at the March 18,
2008 regular meeting that will appropriate from fund balance in the General Fund the
money needed to carry out the education campaign approach selected by the Board of
Commissioners.
Advertising Rates
Rate per inch 2 x 8 2 x 4
per column 16
News of Orange $7.80 $124.80 $62.40
News of Orange plus Xtra $9.70 $155.20 _ $77.60
Chapel Hill Herald
Sunday & Wednesday $21.88 $350.08 $175.04
All other days $17.50 $280.00 $140.00
Chapel Hill News '
Wednesday or Sunday $20.33 $325.28. $162.64
Carrboro Citizen
Weekly $8.65 $138.40 $69.20
4 Papers $968.96 $484.48
Mebane Enterprise
Weekly $8.25 $132.00 $66.00
~,p~~.,~,~~s $1,100.96 $550.48
ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
PUBLIC HEARING NOTICE FOR.TUESDAY,
February 6, 2007 AT 7:30 P.M.
A public hearing will be held on Orange County's potential legislative agenda forthe
2007,Narth Carogna General Assembly Session. The pote~rtial items include:
• Medicaid Relief '
• Schoai ConstruCdon Assistance/Fund(ng
• Revenue Opticns for Local Gavemmerrts
• Metdat Health Retarm Support and Assistance
• Employment Aidi-0iscdminagon Legislagan (5latewide) or Local Ordinance
Enabgng Legislation
• State and Local Sates Tax Exemption far Counties, Cities, Schcoi t3oards;
Community Colleges, and Orange Water & Sewer Authority
• North Carolina Housing Trust Wntl Appropriations
• Land icrTomorrow Appropdagans or Band Wnding
• Open Buming/8uming Permits-Remove Prohi6itlan Exemption or Provide
for Local Authority
• Sogd Waste Services and Local Govemmerd Authadty
• Request for Funding for a Feasfbgity Study far a RegicnalValue-Added
Agdculiural Processing Facility
• Request tar Matching Wnds icr a Proposed Orange Counttl Heritage Corder
• Request far Establishment of a Designated Funding Source for Local
Governments to Access to Provide for Aitemagve Modes at Transportation
The Board of Commisslaners welcomes ag comme~s an these and other items as may be
Introduced ar addressed at the public hearing. The meeting is open to the public and will
6e held on Tuesday, February 6, 2007 at the F. Gordon Battle Courtroom in the Now
Courthouse in Higsborough, hoginnfng at 7:30 p.m.
If ycu Head addiitonai information, please call Greg Wilder at 245.2314.
rnC~~
WCAL Advertising
Below are sample rates for advertising on WCHL.
Option 1:
The open rate fora 30-second spot is $38.
(14) 30-second commercials~per week (two per day)
For one week
Total investment: $532
Option 2:
The six month rate fora 30-second spot. is $33.
(14) 30=second commercials per week (two per day)
For one week a month six times per year.
Total monthly investment: $462