Name as it appears on the ballot: Amy Fowler

Age: 56

Party affiliation: Democrat

Campaign website: amyfowlerfororange.com

Occupation & employer: Pediatrician, Chapel Hill Children’s Clinic and current County Commissioner for Orange County

1. In your view, what are the three most pressing issues facing Orange County? If elected, what will you do to address these issues?

The three most pressing issues facing Orange County are 1) Upgrading our Aging School Facilities, 2) Supporting Affordable Housing, and 3) Addressing Mental Health more productively. In terms of school facilities needs, the average age of schools in both school districts is around 40 years. There are several schools across both districts that have reached the end of their lifespan. The BOCC approved a study by Woolpert that revealed over $1 billion in school facility needs. Based on our budget and debt models, the BOCC approved a request for a general school bond referendum for $300 million, which was the most we could responsibly afford without substantial tax increases or diminished bond ratings.

Regarding housing, the BOCC addresses affordable housing through allocating funds through our HOME collaborative to nonprofits to increase the supply of affordable housing. We allocated $5 million in 2023 and have committed to provide two more tranches of $5 million over the next 10 years.  Our housing department also works with individuals to prevent evictions and to provide housing vouchers. Finally, the BOCC also created a Long Term Homeowners Tax Mitigation Program a few years ago to lower the tax burden for lower income long time homeowners. 

In the past 10-15 years, mental health struggles have increased in Orange County and led to folks spending days in the Emergency Department or becoming involved with Law Enforcement. The BOCC has allocated funds for the design and development phase of a Behavioral Health Diversion Facility so that these individuals can instead receive the appropriate care they need.

2. What in your view are the most pressing needs for Orange County Schools? What about Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools? 

As mentioned in question 1, there are overwhelming capital improvement needs in both districts. This is the most pressing issue for the County at the moment. The schools could always use increased operation support even though the county provides near the highest supplement in the state. Ideally, the state should provide teachers the appropriate salaries they deserve..

3. How can Orange County leaders work more closely with the boards of both school districts on areas such as staffing, new construction, renovation and facilities maintenance, salaries, and other issues?

I believe that the BOCC has done a good job collaborating with the school districts over my first term, in many ways thanks to my colleague Jean Hamilton who petitioned for a school safety task force and subsequently a school facilities work group. This collaboration led to the formal study of school facility needs and the ultimate recommendation for school improvements.

4. Orange County is the sole owner of 60 acres, and a joint owner of 100 acres of land known as the Greene Tract in the western part of the county, and the creation of a long-term plan to guide development and preservation of the land is underway. What is your vision for the Greene Tract? How should the county work with the towns of Carrboro and Chapel Hill to achieve this vision and develop and/or preserve the land equitably and sustainably?

The county is currently collaborating with the towns of Chapel Hill and Carrboro. Together we contracted to have a Master Plan developed that was informed by prior local stakeholder visioning and through updated community meetings and focus groups. This plan maintains a preserve, space for a future school/recreation area, and could include between 450 – 650 new housing units. The housing will likely include a mix of single homes, townhomes, and apartments with a few scattered retail amenities. We have currently commissioned the UNC School of Government to do a feasibility study of this Master Plan. This shall inform what the county and towns can afford. We will then need to decide if that aligns with our original goal of providing affordable housing and maintaining a preserve that would be accessible to the community.

5. What is your vision for how Orange County should grow economically? What policies would you like to see implemented to enhance economic development in Orange County?

The county has an Economic Development Department, led by Steve Brantley, that has done a good job attracting businesses to Orange County that align with our goals of providing a living wage and that are environmentally sustainable. We are currently reviewing our Comprehensive Land Use Plan to consider ways to enhance development where feasible. We currently have a policy that allows us to offer incentives to businesses that align with county goals. We have a Water and Sewer Boundary Agreement that has helped to prevent urban sprawl. As the region has developed over time, I believe it is reasonable to make minor amendments to the boundary, as we (the BOCC) did this past year in the area just south of Chapel Hill to the Chatham County line.

6. What steps should the county take to address challenges related to growth and development, such as sprawl and transportation? In your opinion, what have been the county’s successes in managing this growth in recent years? What about its failures? What would you do differently?

In the past, prior BOCC members collaborated with Chapel Hill, Carrboro, and Hillsborough to create the Water and Sewer Boundary Agreement that has been fairly successful in  limiting sprawl. At the same time, this agreement has limited economic development. I support periodically reviewing the boundary and considering amendments in certain areas that make sense for development. We are currently reviewing our Comprehensive Land Use Plan and looking for ways that allow development, yet preserve as much farm and forest land as possible.

7. Similarly, what should be the county’s role in addressing issues of economic inequality? Do you believe the current board is doing enough to prevent current residents from being priced out?

As mentioned previously, the BOCC did create a Long Time Homeowners Program that mitigates property taxes for lower income long time homeowners. This helps them remain in their homes. Similarly, we provide funds for repair and maintenance for lower income homeowners. The county has also collaborated with local groups such as the Jackson Center in Chapel Hill to evaluate how fairly various neighborhoods were assessed and look for legal ways to address inequities (such as subdividing neighborhoods to separate new large student housing from older longtime houses).

8. There is a lack of affordable housing in Orange County. What steps do you think the Board of Commissioners could take to address this problem and to help facilitate home ownership?

The Orange County BOCC approved $15 million in bonds for affordable housing. The first $5 million was allocated in 2023 to a variety of housing nonprofits to provide a variety of housing options. The remainder will be allocated in $5 million tranches over the next 10 years. The county has also been reviewing our Comprehensive Land Use Plan to evaluate different options for increasing housing while also maintaining our prized forest and farm land. We also co-own land with Chapel Hill and Carrboro, called the Greene Tract where we have created a Master Plan for developing a mix of affordable and market-rate housing. We have currently contracted with the UNC School of Government for a feasibility study to determine how much affordable housing can be developed.

9. What initiatives can Orange County take to address residents’ mental health? What public health care programs are in place elsewhere in the country that you would like to see implemented here?

As mentioned previously, Orange County is in the design and development phase of a Behavioral Health Diversion Facility  to divert individuals with mental health and substance use needs from Emergency Departments and Law Enforcement involvement. We have also instituted a Post Overdose Response Team to help quickly connect those individuals to appropriate supports and treatments. Our Board of Health has created a Behavioral Health subcommittee on which I serve. We are evaluating the effects of social media and screen time on the mental health of young people and considering policy options (e.g. school policies to limit cell phone use during school hours) to propose to the appropriate governing bodies.

10. Are there any issues not included in this questionnaire that you would like to address?

One final issue that the BOCC has also prioritized  is Climate Mitigation. In the past year, the BOCC passed our first ever Climate Action Plan that integrates sustainability into every aspect of county government. We followed that up with significant investments during our 2024/2025 fiscal budget that are targeted to sustainability (e.g. solar, increasing electric vehicles in the county fleet). I am happy to be running unopposed for re-election, but welcome the opportunity to discuss county government.