Orange County Government will be closed Monday, July 4, in observance of Independence Day. All county administrative offices will reopen Tuesday, July 5.

Please note the following highlights, including a new schedule for recycling collections:

• Recycling pick-ups for the week of July 4-8 will be delayed by one day. If your recycling is normally picked up on Monday, it will be collected on Tuesday (Tuesday will be collected Wednesday, Wednesday will be collected Thursday, Thursday will be collected Friday and Friday will be collected Saturday). 
• The Orange County Health Department’s COVID vaccine clinic at Southern Human Services Center in Chapel Hill and both testing sites will be closed on Monday. To schedule an appointment for a vaccine, visit takemyshot.nc.gov/.
• Any animal control emergency issues, such as animal bites to humans or exposure to rabies, should be reported to 9-1-1.

The Orange County Board of Commissioners adopted the FY 2022-23 budget at its June 21 business meeting. The budget sets the property tax rate at 83.12 cents per $100 assessed valuation, an increase of 1.25 cents.

The property tax increase was needed to cover increased debt service payments and to provide additional funding to Orange County and Chapel Hill-Carrboro school systems, said manager Bonnie Hammersley. One penny of the tax increase will go to the schools, while 0.25 cents will be used to pay for increased debt service payments, she said.
The budget sets Current Expense funding for the two school districts at $93.5 million, or $4,808 per pupil. The per pupil increase of $441 per student is the largest increase in county history.

In addition, the budget includes $25.5 million in additional education funding for school-related debt service and for a school nurse in every elementary, middle and high school and School Resource Officers in every middle and high school.

Other budget highlights include:

• Provided funding to restore Sunday operating hours at the Orange County Main Library in Hillsborough.
• 3% wage increase for all permanent employees, effective July 1, 2022
• Increasing the living wage for permanent employees to $15.85 and recognizing the 3% wage adjustment
• Implements a county-funded short-term disability program for eligible county employees
• Exceeded target of 1.2% of general fund (minus school expenditures) expenses on outside agency funding to 1.35%.
• Added $100,000 to the Capital Investment Plan for FY 22-23 to build a mini-park for the Perry Hills community
• Created 35.9 new FTEs, including 15 detention officers for the Sheriff’s Office

The Orange County Board of Commissioners has reauthorized the Longtime Homeowners Assistance Program, a 2021 pilot program that provided grants to homeowners for assistance in paying property taxes.

“I’m pleased to see this is continuing,” said Renee Price, Chair of the Orange County Board of Commissioners. “The immediate concern is how we keep people in their homes. How do we preserve our neighborhoods, especially our historic neighborhoods? We want to keep those neighborhoods together.”

The program started as a way to help lower-income property owners whose properties increased because of the 2020 revaluation that saw values in some areas rise significantly. For FY 2021-22, the board designated $250,000 of ARPA funds, but the program received only 91 successful applications and awarded $16,364 of relief.

The revised program will be based on the homeowners’ income and age and will no longer be restricted to properties that saw a tax increase due to the revaluation. The board again designated $250,000 for the program in FY 22-23 and directed staff to develop a policy that prioritizes applicants based on age, length of time lived in the home and the homeowner’s tax burden (percentage of annual income needed to pay property tax bill) should demand exceed available funds.

The board approved several changes to boost participation, including reducing the requirement to have owned and lived in the home from 10 years to five years. According to data compiled by the Orange County Tax Office and the Orange County Housing Department, this would potentially increase the number of eligible properties by more than double.

Orange County Department on Aging and the community group, Senior Health Advocacy and Resource Partners of Orange County (SHARP), will host the eighth annual SHARP Direct Care Worker Awards.

Nominations will be accepted from June 15 – Sept. 15, 2022. A recognition ceremony will be held for award winners on Thursday, Nov. 3.

This event is in honor of Direct Care Workers (nurse aides, personal care aides, companion caregivers, etc.) who affect their clients’ lives on a daily basis and make a difference in the Orange County community.

“Direct care workers provide crucial hands-on care to our older adults. They are frontline heroes quietly meeting the daily needs of their clients,” said Janice Tyler, director of Orange County Department on Aging. “We want them to know that they are valued and essential to our community; deserving of our support and praise.”

In recognition of the outstanding service provided by direct care workers, the Department on Aging and SHARP will present awards in the following categories: Client Impact, Longevity, Leadership, Going the Extra Mile, and Rising Star. One person will be chosen as the “Direct Care Worker of the Year.”

To be eligible, direct care workers must have served clients in Orange County within the past year. Each person may be nominated in two categories. Nominees must have provided direct care to clients and have at least six consecutive months of service in the past year.

For more information about the awards and to nominate a direct care worker, please complete the online or downloadable nomination form at: www.orangecountync.gov/SHARPAwards.