Name as it appears on the ballot: Jean Hamilton

Age: 64

Party affiliation: Democrat

Campaign website: jeanhamilton.org

Occupation & employer: licensed clinical social worker, Jean Hamilton Counseling PLLC 

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

One of the pressing issues facing Orange County is how to continue to provide the services that reflect our values and keep taxes as low as possible. To address this issue the Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) needs to keep the Orange County Strategic Plan in mind and follow a process where priorities are clear and all major needs are reviewed at the same time. This process took place last fiscal year with capital spending and helped moved the school bond forward. 

A second pressing issue is how to have housing at all affordability levels so that we maintain an economically diverse population. More affordable housing may allow people who work in Orange County and want to live in Orange County to live here. The County committed $15 million to affordable housing over ten years and must continue to foster collaborations with housing non-profits to leverage that money into affordable housing for low-income residents. With the 2050 Land Use Plan, the County can use zoning and land use policies to promote affordable housing in an environmentally responsible way. 

A third pressing issue is how to support our public schools in the face of declining state support. The $300 million school bond is a crucial step to modernize and improve the efficiency and educational adequacy our public school facilities to meet the needs of 21st century learners.  On the operational side the BOCC should continue to work with the school boards to understand the needs of the schools and cooperate in how to fund those needs.

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

The most pressing needs for Orange County Schools and Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools are similar. These needs include improving the educational adequacy and operational efficiency of older school building, providing improved services for children with special needs, and addressing the mental and emotional health needs of children. In addition, especially since the Covid-19 crisis, our public schools have to focus on the recruitment and retention of teachers and staff and ensuring a welcoming and effective learning environment so all students can obtain the skills to reach their potential.  

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?

Orange County leaders meet regular with school boards and school staff. There are quarterly school collaboration meetings with the BOCC chair and vice-chair, the school boards chair and vice-chair, as well as county and school staff.  The county manager invites the school superintendents to meet monthly. The School Capital Needs Work Group (county and school staff and elected officials) has been meeting every other month. The BOCC and school boards have joint meetings at least twice per year. 

For new construction, renovations, and facilities maintenance the work of the School Capital Needs Work Group (work group) led to the hiring of a consultant to review the capital needs of both school districts that led to the current school bond referendum. The work group also catalyzed the process to update county policies around school facilities and funding and may lead to putting in place a monthly meeting of county and school staff to review major facility construction projects.  On the operational side, the school boards are responsible for determining salaries, staffing, and programs. The BOCC and school boards can work more closely by understanding and following joint policies so decisions are made that prioritize the educational needs of students in a fiscally responsible manner. 

  1. 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?

My vision for the Greene Tract is in line with the Master Plan presented to the BOCC on October 1. I attended all the public input sessions leading up to the Master Plan and believe the Master Plan reflects the guiding principles that include preserving open space, increasing affordable housing, improving connectivity between communities, and preserving neighborhood character and history. In my four years as a county commissioner, I have seen the county and the towns of Carrboro and Chapel Hill work effectively on this project. The next phase of doing a financial feasibility study with the Development Finance Initiative of the UNC School of Government is key in providing an objective and realistic understanding of the options to move the project forward and achieve the aim of developing the land in an equitable and sustainable way. 

  1. 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?

I would like to see Orange County grow economically in a more balanced way.  When reviewing the third quarter 2023 data on employment and wages, it is clear that employment in our county is heavily dominated by education and healthcare. One positive aspect of those industries is that they tend to be less sensitive to business cycles. Recent business expansions have been in manufacturing and warehousing.  Those expansions were facilitated by county tax incentives and county investments in water and sewer infrastructure. We should continue investing in those industries that provide jobs with decent wages for workers who may not be college-educated and diversify our tax base. In addition, I would like to see Orange County’s Economic Development department focus on industries like information, finance and insurance, and professional and technical services that may provide higher wages and can tap into our large college-educated workforce.  Another way to support economic development is to review and revise policies and regulations via the 2050 Land Use Plan and in line with the Orange County Strategic Plan that decrease unnecessary barriers to businesses and are consistent with our environmental goals. 

  1. 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?

With the Orange County Strategic Plan, the Orange County Transit Plan, and the Climate Action Plan, and land use policies, the county reflects the importance of promoting development and transportation to minimize the use of automobiles and promote denser housing developments. With the recent change to the Water and Sewer Management, Planning and Boundary Agreement to extend water and sewer service down 15-501, one of the justifications was that is would support development along an existing major transportation corridor. The BOCC has been presented with and supported housing development with denser housing and more open space. BOCC has turned down projects that would stress the transportation infrastructure. The one thing I would do differently is to make sure that we communicate well with all residents and recognize that our policies may have differential impacts on groups. 

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?

The county’s role in addressing issues of economic equality is limited by the fact that as an arm of the state, it is authorized to only exercise the powers that have been granted by the state including its taxing authority. However, the county does what it can. The county has a policy to pay county workers a living wage and encourages vendors to pay a living wage. The county supports the public schools in the face of declining state support. It has a skills development center to assist residents in seeking and obtaining employment and contributes funding to Durham Tech. The county provides social services, criminal justice services, and clinical health services directly and through its support of non-profits. Orange County cannot control larger economic factors that are driving the demand and supply for housing and pricing residents out. However, please see my answer to question 8 about what the county is doing to increase affordable housing. Also, I believe that improvements are needed in our housing department to better inform residents of their rights, work more effectively with residents to prevent evictions, and work with rental property owners. Also, the BOCC should expand the Longtime Homeowner’s Assistance Program. 

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?

In my opinion, the increase in demand for housing and the increase in housing prices depend on larger economic factors than Orange County can control. However, the county should focus what it can do. For example the BOCC can effectively use the remaining $10 million of $15 million in staggered funding over the coming years for private-non-profit-public partnerships that provide housing for low-income people. The development of the Greene Tract is using public land to provide more housing with some being affordable. The aim of the 2050 Land Use Plan includes updating zoning and land use policies to promote more affordable housing and protect the environment. To help maintain home ownership, the BOCC should expand the Longtime Homeowner’s Assistance program.  To help facilitate new home ownership, the BOCC may look for ways to support county and public school workers who want to live and own a home in Orange County. 

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?

I support the initiative to build a behavioral health crisis diversion facility that would offer behavioral health urgent care for people 4 years and older experiencing a mental health and/or substance use disorder crisis. This facility is addressing a major deficit in Orange County’s continuum of care for behavioral health issues and should help divert people from the criminal justice system and from hospital emergency departments. In addition, I would like to consider integrating our public health and department of social services to have a consolidated human services agency. I envision an agency that could provide more integrated physical and mental health care and work with Alliance Health to address the needs of our most vulnerable residents. In addition, we may be able to deploy social workers in a more flexible way to meet the needs of residents who do not qualify for federal or state benefits and need county support. 

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