Orange County announces closings for Good Friday

Orange County Government administrative offices will be closed Friday, April 2, in recognition of the Good Friday holiday, with some exceptions. Normal operations will resume on Monday, April 5.

Solid Waste and Recycling will collect curbside recycling as normal on Friday. The Waste and Recycling Centers will be open as normal on Saturday.

The COVID-19 vaccination hotline will be closed Friday, Saturday and Sunday. The center will resume operations on Monday, April 5, at 8:30 a.m. COVID-19 testing centers at the Whitted parking lot and the RR lot in Chapel Hill will also be closed for Easter.

Orange County Public Transportation administrative and dispatch offices will be closed and no fixed routes will operate on Friday.

All adults eligible for COVID-19 Vaccine beginning April 7

All adults will become eligible to receive a COVID vaccine on April 7. Orange County Health Department offers online registration at https://redcap.link/OCHDvax. Individuals who can’t access the Internet or need assistance filling out the form can register by calling (919) 913-8088 seven days a week, from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Spanish and other languages are available. The call center is closed April 2-4 for the Easter weekend.

“You Can Be A Mars-chitect” Family Program | Friday, April 9, 7-8 pm | Zoom | Best for families with children 6 and up
Would you like to live on Mars some day? We will be Mars-chitects for the evening and try to imagine living in a colony on Mars. We will learn about a woman who is the first ever Mars-chitect. Gather your recyclables, tape/glue, paper and a pencil to construct what you think life on Mars would look like. Register online or call 919.245.2525. Only one registration per household needed.

Economic Development provides almost $1M in assistance to small businesses, farmers during pandemic

Orange County Economic Development awarded 188 grants totaling almost $1 million to local businesses and farmers from various financial assistance programs during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Several county agencies and staff collaborated in this year-long effort (BOCC, Information Technology, Legal, Finance, Community Relations, Tax, Register of Deeds, Manager’s Office, Visitors Bureau, Economic Development).

Exemplary effort was especially provided by Economic Development’s staff members Amanda Garner, Lindsey Hirni and Mike Ortosky. In addition, members of the Orange County Economic Development advisory board, and from individuals representing the Towns of Hillsborough, Carrboro and Chapel Hill also gave assistance with these programs.

Total grant activity from all financial assistance programs in support of Orange County's small business and farms (4Q2019-4Q2020)

Grant applications received: 509
Grants awarded: 188
Women-owned grants awarded: 94
Value of grants awarded: $954,759.58
Minority-owned grants awarded: 27
Women & minority-owned grants awarded: 19

Click here for more information.

Tax Office has completed the 2021 Revaluation

Property Value Notices have been mailed and should be received by March 31, 2021, and reflect the value of your property as of Jan. 1, 2021. If you have not received your Revaluation Notice by the 31^st, contact our office for a duplicate copy.

A revaluation is required by NC statutes at least every eight years, and as many counties do, Orange County follows a four-year schedule. The last revaluation in Orange County was effective Jan. 1, 2017. The purpose is to redistribute the tax burden based on current market data and maintain equitable and uniform property values among property owners throughout the county. As time elapses between revaluations, properties may increase or decrease in market value at different rates.

If you believe that the Jan. 1, 2021, value of your property is not correct, you may file an appeal. An informal appeal form is included with your revaluation notice. Appeals may be mailed, put in the drop box at the front door to our office in Hillsborough, emailed or submitted online. To appeal online use our Online Appeals Tool at: https://appeals.spatialest.com/nc-orange.

Review property information at the Property Record Card Search: https://property.spatialest.com/nc/orange/#/.
Review sales in your area at the Orange Public Comper: https://nc-orange-citizen.comper.info/template.aspx.

Due to the pandemic, the Tax Office is restricting entrance to our office. Yet we are working and able to assist you via phone, email, mail, and chat online at https://www.orangecountync.gov/842/Chat.

We are able to make appointments for assistance in person as needed. Masks must be worn. Contact our office for an appointment. Call (919) 245-2100 option 2 or at reval@orangecountync.gov.

Housing and Community Development Recognizes Community Partners for collaboration

The Orange County Housing and Community Development Department (OCHCD) hosted a virtual information session about the Emergency Housing Assistance Program (EHA) for community agencies on Tuesday, March 30, from 2-3 p.m. EST.
OCHCD staff led a discussion on:

The Impact of the Emergency Housing Assistance Program (EHA): In 2020, the EHA and HOPE Programs assisted 1,245 Orange County households and provided over $4 million in financial assistance, preventing eviction and homelessness and ensuring that residents had stable housing during the Covid-19 pandemic. This achievement was made possible by services such as the Housing Helpline, administered by the Orange County Partnership to End Homelessness, which connects residents to community resources, and collaboration with community partner agencies, who advocate for Orange County residents, spread the word about resources, and assist applicants with applying to programs and services. OCHCD thanked community partners for their collaboration and outstanding service to the community.
Emergency Housing Assistance Program Updates: OCHCD has (re)expanded eligibility for the EHA program. Due to funding shortages at the end of 2020, EHA was limited to households facing imminent eviction and/or utility disconnections or currently experiencing homelessness. However, OCHCD has received approval from the State to begin disbursing CDBG-CV funds that were awarded in December through the EHA program. Now, any household that meets income eligibility criteria and is facing housing instability is eligible to apply for EHA. The program assists Orange County residents with rent, mortgage, utility bills, security deposits, and other emergency housing-related expenses.
EHA eligibility information, including income limits, and instruction for how to apply is available online: www.orangecountync.gov/HousingAssistance Interested residents may also contact the Housing Helpline at (919) 245-2655 or HousingHelp@orangecountync.gov.

Donating to the Emergency Housing Assistance (EHA) Fund

If you would like to support the County’s work to prevent evictions and homelessness, please visit the Community Giving website to donate to EHA. Upon making your donation, please indicate that the funds should go towards the “Emergency Housing Assistance Fund” operated by the Orange County Department of Housing and Community Development.

“Orange County’s partnership with trusted community organizations is invaluable to ensuring that residents can access programs and services such as the EHA program, the Housing Helpline and beyond.” Said OCHCD Director Emila Sutton. “We look forward to continuing our work with community partner agencies to provide Orange County’s residents with housing at a time when stable housing is so vital to the health and wellness of residents and families.”

www.orangecountync.gov