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Business Meeting

Orange County · Board of County Commissioners
Tuesday, October 6, 2026

Regular meeting Fees and utility ratesGrants and outside fundingTransitFire and EMSAppointments and personnelArts and public artHealth and human servicesCivil rights and nondiscriminationContracts and procurementData centers and large loadsFarmland and open spaceHistoric preservationHomelessness and shelterHousing and affordabilityIntergovernmental agreementsPolice and public safetyPublic facilitiesSchools and educationStormwater and floodingTax rate and revaluation

Agenda document Watch

What's on this agenda

Orange County commissioners receive the final report Tuesday night from GAR Associates, the firm hired in May to audit the 2025 property revaluation after residents and board members questioned it. GAR finds the values meet the minimum statistical standards but that several office practices do not. It recommends a true sales-comparison approach for homes, a new land valuation strategy and a statistical appraisal specialist on staff. The only public hearing is on fiscal 2028 transit grant applications seeking $515,928.

The 23-item consent agenda carries $251,517 in property tax refunds, new agreements with eight rural fire departments, and a $135,000 salary for Register of Deeds Amy McLamb. It also awards the county's federal HOME-ARP rental assistance money to Housing for New Hope, the only applicant, and endorses the Andrews House, a 1950s Modernist home, for the National Register. Information memos set out a schedule for data center rules, with a hearing expected in March 2027, and report bus ridership up 52% to 137% under the fare-free pilot.

Summarized from the published agenda. Read the agenda itself before acting on it.

Speaking at this meeting

Orange County's own rules for public comment — check them before you rely on anything here.

Jump to an item (37 on this agenda)
  1. 1Additions or Changes to the Agenda
  2. 2.aPublic Comments: Matters not on the Printed Agenda
  3. 2.bPublic Comments: Matters on the Printed Agenda
  4. 3Announcements, Petitions and Comments by Board Members
  5. 4.aProclamation Designating October 2026 as Arts and Humanities Month
  6. 4.bOrange County Arts Commission 2026-27 Annual Grant Recipients
  7. 5.a5310, 5310 Mobility Manager and 5339 Combined Capital Formula Grant A…
  8. 6.aFinal Report from GAR Associates on the Statistical and Operational A…
  9. 8.aMinutes for September 1, 2026 and September 10, 2026
  10. 8.bMotor Vehicle Property Tax Releases/Refunds
  11. 8.cProperty Tax Releases/Refunds
  12. 8.dLate Applications for Property Tax Exemption/Exclusion
  13. 8.eDisability Employment Awareness Month Proclamation
  14. 8.fDomestic Violence Awareness Month Proclamation
  15. 8.gFire Prevention Week Proclamation
  16. 8.h4-H Week Proclamation
  17. 8.iHunter Syndrome Awareness Week Proclamation
  18. 8.jMOU between Hillsborough and Orange County for Soil Erosion and Sedim…
  19. 8.kEnhanced Voluntary and Voluntary Agricultural District Designation -…
  20. 8.lNational Register Recommendation for Troy and Roberta Andrews House
  21. 8.mApproval of Orange County Transportation Services Title VI Plan Update
  22. 8.nApproval of FY27 Public Transportation NCDOT Grant Agreements
  23. 8.oPurchase of Vehicles for Emergency Services Department
  24. 8.pApproval of Health Department Fee Changes
  25. 8.qApproval of Outside Agency Contract with Habitat for Humanity of Oran…
  26. 8.rResolution Awarding HOME-ARP Federal Funds to Housing for New Hope
  27. 8.sApproval of Fire Protection and Emergency Services Agreements with Vo…
  28. 8.tApproval of Application to Release NC Lottery Proceeds for Chapel Hil…
  29. 8.uResolution Establishing the Salary of the Register of Deeds Position
  30. 8.vApproval of Board of Commissioners Meeting Calendar for Year 2027
  31. 8.wBoards and Commissions - Appointments
  32. 9County Manager's Report
  33. 10County Attorney's Report
  34. 11Appointments
  35. 12Information Items
  36. 13Closed Session
  37. 14Adjournment

Agenda items (37)

Consent agenda · 12Proclamation or recognition · 6Procedural · 5Staff or committee report · 4Contract or award · 2Appointment · 2Presentation · 1Public hearing · 1Minutes approval · 1Resolution · 1Personnel · 1Closed session · 1
  1. 1 Additions or Changes to the Agenda
    Procedural
  2. 2.a Public Comments: Matters not on the Printed Agenda
    Procedural
    Up to an hour of public comment, three minutes per speaker.
  3. 2.b Public Comments: Matters on the Printed Agenda
    Procedural
  4. 3 Announcements, Petitions and Comments by Board Members
    Procedural
  5. 4.a Proclamation Designating October 2026 as Arts and Humanities Month
    Proclamation or recognition Arts and public art
  6. 4.b Orange County Arts Commission 2026-27 Annual Grant Recipients
    Presentation Arts and public artGrants and outside funding
    The Arts Commission recognizes 38 grant recipients, 79% of 48 applicants, sharing $106,959.50 in state Grassroots Arts and county funds against $189,843 requested.
  7. 5.a 5310, 5310 Mobility Manager and 5339 Combined Capital Formula Grant Applications for FY 2028
    Public hearing Grants and outside fundingTransit
    A hearing on Orange County Transportation Services' applications for $515,928 in federal and state transit money for fiscal 2028, on a $764,366 program. It covers demand-response operations for seniors and people with disabilities, a mobility manager, and two 25-foot light transit vehicles.
  8. 6.a Final Report from GAR Associates on the Statistical and Operational Audit of the 2025 Revaluation of Real Property
    Staff or committee report Tax rate and revaluation
    GAR Associates, hired in May 2026 after complaints about the 2025 revaluation, finds the values generally meet IAAO minimum statistical standards but cites several operational practices that do not. It recommends a true sales-comparison approach for homes, a new land valuation strategy, better data quality and sales qualification, and two new skill sets including a statistical mass appraisal specialist.
  9. 8.a Minutes for September 1, 2026 and September 10, 2026
    Minutes approval
  1. 8.e Disability Employment Awareness Month Proclamation
    Proclamation or recognition
  2. 8.f Domestic Violence Awareness Month Proclamation
    Proclamation or recognition Police and public safety
  3. 8.g Fire Prevention Week Proclamation
    Proclamation or recognition Fire and EMS
  4. 8.h 4-H Week Proclamation
    Proclamation or recognition
  5. 8.i Hunter Syndrome Awareness Week Proclamation
    Proclamation or recognition Health and human services
  6. 8.q Approval of Outside Agency Contract with Habitat for Humanity of Orange County
    Contract or award Housing and affordability
    The annual $107,500 contract with Habitat for Humanity, already budgeted.
  7. 8.r Resolution Awarding HOME-ARP Federal Funds to Housing for New Hope
    Resolution Grants and outside fundingHomelessness and shelter
    Awards the county's HOME-ARP money, of which $1,275,403 was set aside in May for rental assistance and supportive services, to Housing for New Hope, the only applicant.
  8. 8.s Approval of Fire Protection and Emergency Services Agreements with Volunteer Fire Departments
    Contract or award Fire and EMS
    New master agreements with eight rural fire departments, adding background checks, line-of-duty death language and audit reimbursement of up to $10,000 per department.
  9. 8.u Resolution Establishing the Salary of the Register of Deeds Position
    Personnel
    Sets the salary of Amy McLamb, appointed Register of Deeds on 1 September, at $135,000 a year.
  10. 8.w Boards and Commissions - Appointments
    Appointment Appointments and personnel
  11. 9 County Manager's Report
    Staff or committee report
  12. 10 County Attorney's Report
    Staff or committee report
  13. 11 Appointments
    Appointment Appointments and personnel
  14. 12 Information Items
    Staff or committee report Data centers and large loadsTransit
    Includes a schedule for data center rules under the one-year moratorium adopted in April, with a public hearing expected in March 2027, and a fare-free bus pilot update reporting ridership up 52% to 137% over prior years.
  15. 13 Closed Session
    Closed session
  16. 14 Adjournment
    Procedural

Agenda changes

What moved between published versions of this agenda. Item numbers shift constantly as things are inserted, so only genuine additions and removals are listed.

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