HomeMy WebLinkAboutAgenda - 06-15-2021; 6-f - Board of Commissioners Vacancy (added at the beginning of the meeting) ORANGE COUNTY
BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT
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Meeting Date : June 15 , 2021
Action Agenda
Item No .
SUBJECT : Board of Commissioners Vacancy r
DEPARTMENT : Board of Commissioners {
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ATTACHMENT ( S ) : INFORMATION CONTACT :
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Renee Price , Chair j
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PURPOSE : To consider the process by which the July 31 BOCC vacancy will be filled .
BACKGROUND : Commissioner Mark Dorosin recently notified the BOCC he will be resigning his
position effective July 31 , 2021 . Orange County is subject to North Carolina General Statute NCGS
153A-27 , which provides that in Orange County a vacancy is filled by the Board of Commissioners
subject to several pre- requisites for filling a vacancy . The nominee must be a member of the same I
political party as that of the member being replaced and a resident of the same district . Before filling the
vacancy the Board of Commissioners must consult the appropriate political party , but is not bound by the
party' s recommendation .
The Board of Commissioners must fill the vacancy within 60 days of the date ( 7131 ) the vacancy
becomes effective . In this situation the deadline to fill the vacancy will be September 29 , 2021 . If not
filled by that date the Clerk of Superior Court must fill the vacancy . The appointee will serve in the
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position until the first Monday in December following the 2022 general election . The remainder of the
unexpired term will be served by the winner of the seat in the November 2022 general election . The last
vacancy on the BOCC in 1981 was filled through an open process in which the Orange County
Democratic Party presented three applicants to the BOCC for consideration . A twist in this vacancy is
that the district may require adjustment to its boundaries once census numbers are received .
The Orange County Democratic Party proposes to begin the application process in July . It will create an
application , including questions from the BOCC ; it will accept applications through July and potentially
some part of August ; it will host an open public meeting and advertise that meeting to the public ; and will
nominate three candidates to the BOCC in time for the first BOCC meeting in September. The party
requests that : 1 ) the BOCC inform them of how the BOCC will fill the position , whether through motion
and vote , or nomination and ballot , 2) the BOCC refer all interested applicants to the party to participate
in the process , and 3 ) the BOCC , if it so desires , provide questions to include in the application form , by
forwarding those questions to the BOCC Chair who will send them to the Party by July 10 .
FINANCIAL IMPACT : There is no financial impact associated with this action .
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT : There is no environmental impact associated with this action .
SOCIAL JUSTICE IMPACT : There is no social justice impact associated with this action .
RECOMMENDATION ( S ) : The Chair recommends the BOCC discuss the options .