referendum

The Transit Referendum: Support and Opposition

For better or for worse, our local media works hard to give equal air time to both sides of the story. Some may fault them as giving too much voice to an opinion which represents a small minority of residents, others may thank them for giving life to a discussion. Regardless of what you think, it's sometimes difficult to cut through the noise. So where does the community stand on the whole?

Durham's big margin for transit -- Orange to vote in 2012?

Durham's 60% to 40% margin for the 1/2 percent transit sales tax eclipsed Mecklenburg's 58-42 margin on its initial vote on the same issue in 1998. In 2012, the two allowed dates for a similar referendum are the primary (currently scheduled for May) and the November general election. Putting the issue on the ballot will involve approval by the Orange County Commissioners, the Durham-Chapel Hill Carrboro MPO, the Burlington-Alamance MPO, and the Triangle Transit Board.

Quarter-Cent Sales Tax Referendum Gets a Second Chance

A committee to help pass the sales tax referendum has been created with representatives of the Orange County Board of Commissioners, the Chapel Hill Town Council, the Carrboro Board of Alderspersons, the Chapel Hill-Carrboro Schools Board of Education, Chapel Hill-Carrboro Chamber of Commerce, The Partnership for Children, the Hillsborough/Orange County Chamber of Commerce, the Orange County Schools Board of Education, the Greater Chapel Hill Association of Realtor, and Orange County Justice United.

I am serving on the Campaign for Jobs and Schools committee as a representative from Orange County Justice United. Justice United discussed the referendum at one of it’s full meetings and voted to endorse it. We are supporting the sales tax because funds raised in this way will reduce the exorbitant sewer and water rates for our lower income neighbors in the north of the county and will also reduce the tax burden on county homeowners, while supporting our schools.

OC Sales Tax Committee met for 1st time Tuesday to discuss work to pass the sales tax referendum in Nov. More to come...

Farewell Forever Old Road to Durham?

Have you ever wondered why there is no rail line between Chapel Hill and Durham? Do you want to know how we can ever create one? Do you want to know how you can help? Let me tell you . . .

Public hearing on 1/4-cent sales tax proposal

Via e-mail from the County:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Release Date: March 1, 2011
Contact: Frank Clifton, Orange County Manager, (919) 245-2300 or Michael Talbert, Deputy Financial Services Director, (919) 245-2153
Orange County Public Hearing on 1/4 Cent Sales Tax
HILLSBOROUGH, NC –The Orange County Board of Commissioners will hold a Public Hearing on Tuesday, March 15, 2011 during its regularly scheduled meeting at the Southern Human Services Center, 2501 Homestead Road in Chapel Hill. The meeting starts at 7:00 p.m.
The Public Hearing will provide an opportunity for the public to comment on a potential November 8, 2011 referendum on a one-quarter cent (1/4¢) additional sales tax in Orange County.
During the 2007 legislative session, the North Carolina General Assembly granted county boards of commissioners the authority to levy, subject to voter approval, an additional one-quarter cent county sales and use tax.
It is projected the one-quarter cent county sales and use tax would generate approximately $2,500,000 for Orange County on an annual basis. If the voters approved the referendum on November 8, 2011 implementation would not start until April 1, 2012 generating approximately $625,000 for the remainder of FY 2011-12.
Donna S. Baker, CMC
Clerk to the Board
P.O. Box 8181
200 South Cameron Street
Hillsborough, N.C. 27278
Phone: (919) 245-2130
Fax: (919) 644-0246
email: dbaker@co.orange.nc.us

Date:

Tuesday, March 15, 2011 - 7:00pm

Location:

2501 Homestead Road, Chapel Hill

Government

Push poll anyone?

[Cross-posting a good story about push-polling on the Transfer Tax (which the commissioners discuss tonight)at BlueNC by Greg Flynn.]

Orange County residents have been on the receiving end of dubious push poll telephone calls recently, described by one recipient as:

...what may very well be the most egregious violation of research ethics I have every experienced. The questions were all about transfer tax in Orange County and it was sleazy. The company was named TDM Research in Birmingham

TDM Research, associated with Democratic political consulting firm The Tyson Organization, whose clients include Bob Etheridge, has been responsible for other dubious push polls in Florida and Virginia in the past.

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