Sour & Seedy - The Musings, Sayings, and Antics of Orange County Commissioner Mike Nelson

Mike Nelson has been the quintessential Orange County politician, long on cumbayah words, short on competence, horrible with municipal finances. In less than a decade he was able to double Carrboro’s taxes WITHOUT noticeably increasing town services.

Mr. Nelson's accomplishments include outrageously overpaying for the future Martin Luther King Park land, claiming credit for saving the Adam’s Tract park, but only after secretly trying to jam a municipal garage facility on the environmentally pristine “crown jewel” of Carrboro parks (“Mike’s Creekside Garage”), and purchasing an asbestos-laden Century Center at a premium price with an expensive environmental clean-up tab paid for by Carrboro taxpayers.

The smart money is reading this abandoning of an election cakewalk as an omen as to how bad next year’s county budget will be. You can’t hide the bad news too long in county budgeting. With Mr. Nelson's penchant for spending, the cornucopia of county government spending will soon provide a progressive tax bill.

Pulpsters, shouldn’t feel too sorry for Mr. Nelson. Read his announcement carefully. He only says that he’s not running for commissioner. He doesn’t say that he won’t seek any OTHER political office.

In Mr. Nelson’s words, “I will not be running for reelection to the Orange County Board of Commissioners. Though the primary is next May, the filing period begins shortly after the first of the year. I’m announcing early to provide sufficient notice to those who have interest in running for the Board.

It takes considerable effort to create a campaign organization, recruit volunteers, raise money and to do all the other things necessary to run a campaign in a county as large and diverse as Orange. I want to make sure interested parties have time to build strong campaigns.

Orange County rich with talent, and I am confident that a number of public service minded candidates will emerge.

I'm grateful that the citizens of Orange County gave me the opporunity to serve. You are passionate, engaged, progressive and dedicated. You insist on quality schools, a clean environment, a social safety net that protects the weakest amongst us, and you believe there is strength in diversity. I have been fortunate to have had the opportunity to serve you.”

Mr. Nelson wanted Senator Ellie Kinnaird’s statehouse seat, and got miffed when she announced she would run again.

Ms. Kinnaird has openly declared that she will only step away if another woman runs for her seat. Apparently, Ms. Kinnaird suffers from “gender binary oppression”.

The wedge of man-made, drastic climate change will be the dominant 21st century social engineering tool used to force behavioral changes throughout the USA. (Just ignore the unrestricted carbon loading of the rapidly growing mega-economies of China and India.)

All “socially progressive” change can be dictated by invoking the faithful dogma of globally warning about “global warming”. Want to reduce vehicle selection? Say “global warming”. Need to densify housing? Say “global warming”. Care to reduce meat consumption? Say “global warming”. Like to tax all consumption? Say “global warming”.

Facts? Religion doesn’t need facts. Just don’t say one thing to the true believers – “population control”.

It should come as no surprise that the faux environmental political forces in Orange County are pushing the latest social engineering tool to eliminate the dreaded and evil pariah – the franchised restaurant chain.

On 2 June 2009, the Commishes considered banning any further drive-thru business operations in Orange County. The proposed legislative ban, spearheaded by Commish Mike Nelson, was countered by a county planning board recommendation that the Commishes NOT vote for the ban, but instead promote an educational campaign about vehicle idling.

The measure was narrowly defeated (3-4), with Commishes Nelson, Alice Gordon, and Bernadette Pelissier voting for the ban. Never fear, Commish Barry Jacobs voted against the ban, but wants to reconsider it AFTER the municipal elections in November.

According to Mr. Nelson, it was a sad day for Orange County. “Last night the Orange County Board of Commissioners had an opportunity to prohibit new drive thru windows. Why would we be interested in banning drive thru windows? Many folks view them as a necessary convenience of early 21st century life.”

Conveniently, Mr. Nelson omits the part of the staff report recommending “'franchise architecture’ shall be strongly discouraged.” In other words, remove the architectural branding that a highly competitive service business needs to differentiate itself. He also omits the part that considered allowing drive-thrus, but charging an annual “carbon impact fee”. Such a move would open the door also to charging residents such a “fee” (aka a tax).

Opining further, Mr. Nelson states, “There are two reasons to consider prohibiting them (an action, by the way, that Carrboro took over a decade ago). First, we talk a good game about walkability; the county's new comprehensive plan calls for building a more walkable, pedestrian-friendly community. Yet,our planning regulations all too often create the exact opposite. Drive thru windows, by any reasonable definition, do not promote the pedestrian-friendly development our comprehensive plan calls for. But the even more important reason to prohibit drive-thru windows is to reduce air pollution and to take our community's first steps towards addressing a global warming. When we're campaigning, we local elected officials make all sorts of promises about the need to address global warming and how we'll do our part. But for the most part the rhetoric hasn't been followed up with action.” (See Nelson’s Pearls of Wisdom.)

Mr. Nelson rarely bothers with non-narcissistic concepts such as acquiring supportable technical backup, taking courses of technical study or training, or reviewing alternative arguments. Thus, he sees no problem either with appearing in a national AAR ad wearing the label “environmental scientist” (a collegiate degree noticeably absent from his resume’) or with quantifying what will actually be saved by the ban.

Mr. Nelson seems to be unaware of a comparative report commissioned by a Canadian coffee shop chain (Tim Hortons). That report found that “ [the] congestion that occurs in the parking lot, together with the start-up emissions and emissions from the extra travel distance to get to and from a space, all contribute to produce somewhat higher (CAC) emissions per vehicle compared to a store that has a drive-thru.” The report is based on actual traffic counts and timings. It may not make Mr. Nelson feel good, but it’s called “scientific methodology”.

Apparently, Mr. Nelson is also oblivious of the fact that auto technology has advanced to the point where engines will automatically shut down if the vehicle stays in one spot for more than a few seconds, and then restart when the throttle is actuated. (See more about "mild hybrid" vehicles.)

Displaying his narcissistic crutch, Mr. Nelson seems to forget that a significant part of the population isn't like him. They can’t walk as he can. He seems to want to impose his lifestyle on those with physical disabilities, a telling demonstration of the empathy he possesses. If he can get out of his car and walk, then you can get out of yours.

Handicapped? Just swing yourself into your wheelchair. It's no big deal. Elderly with bad joints? Get walking.

In most of North Carolina, the relentless upward spiral of local municipal taxation is recognized as being a looming problem for an aging home-owning population. However, Orange County is not like the rest of North Carolina. Here, taxes are the price to support what Commish Mike Nelson calls “the high level of services expected”.

How crippling are local property taxes really? The local media has no local government press releases to regurgitate, so the general itinerant population of southern Orange has no idea. Once again, the Pulp will take on this taxing situation.

Let’s look at what the median household in Orange County faces in an average priced single family house. The household income (2007, U.S. Census) is about $55,028. The average price house sold (at least in the southern half of the county) is about $300,000.

What you pay in ad valorem property taxes depends upon where you live in southern Orange. Here’s a table showing the tax rates for houses within the city school district and the South Orange Fire District if outside a town. The table also shows the annual tax bill.

(To calculate taxes, simply multiply the home value by the tax rate number in the above table.)

Let’s assume that the household is unusual. They plan for the future. They save for retirement costs. How much money does this median Orange household have to save in order to have investment income pay for the property taxes?

To answer that question requires assuming an average rate of return on a nest egg saved just to pay taxes. If one assumes an average rate of about 3% per year, then one can use a simple multiple of 33x. In other words, if you need to pay $1.00 in taxes, then you must save $33.00.

The following table shows how much be saved.

How long will it take for that median Orange household to save this nest egg? That depends. Let’s assume that they save 10% of their pre-tax income every year and hold the dollars at constant CY 2009 dollars. The table below shows how many tithing years it takes to collect the nest egg without compounding interest. So the a few years can be shaved off if compounding is considered.

(Note that tax rates/burdens are halved for low income retirees.)

In essence, our hard working, and gullible median income family must save about 10% of its pre-tax income for most of its entire working career just in order to feed the municipal tax beast.

Orange County redefines the term “sustainable” yet again.

Timing is everything in life.

If a bureaucrat sees an impending disaster on the horizon, retirement is a good option. If a Orange County Commish sees an impending political disaster on the horizon, then delay it until few will pay attention and by the next election cycle it’s “old news”. An excellent example can be found in the latest “shocking” discovery from Orange County, where incompetence rules, and accountability is absent. It’s good to have a one political party system.

Barely one week before the general election in November 2008, the Orange County finance director, Gary Humphreys announces that he has discovered that $15,500,000 is “missing” from county capital project accounts. By missing Mr. Humphreys isn’t talking about embezzlement or theft. No he’s talking about good old fashioned bungling, bad bookkeeping and accounting practices. Apparently, Orange County has booked as “sold” bond monies that have been approved, but haven’t been raised, i.e., sold to the public. In the encouraging words of Mr. Humphreys, “This is like a Chinese puzzle.”

Mr. Humphreys did not explain how $15,500,000 could be “missing” from county bank accounts without anyone noticing it isn’t earning interest or being employed elsewhere.

So when did Mr. Humphreys discover the problem? One month ago? Two months ago? No. He discovered it before the primary election for county commishes. Somehow the news never was made public before current county commishes could waltz to reelection. (Pulpsters know that Orange County is a one-party palocracy where the primary is THE election for local partisan elections.) Could this news have changed the election outcome? You’ll never know, as intended by those in power in Orange County.

Mr. Humphreys somberly reports that all of the discrepancies showed up on the county books before 2003, before he and County Manager Laura Blackmon showed up on the job. Revenues were put in wrong accounts. Anticipated grants were not received. Costs were underestimated. These creative errors occurred under the administration of former County Manager John Link.

Commish response was intense and probing, as befits a governance board made entirely of people who have never created a for profit job or handled a for profit budget. Commish Alice Gordon says “This is all very mysterious the way you have explained it.” Commish chair Barry Jacobs said, “If I were asked to explain it to somebody I might be able to do it. I’m not sure I’d be right. I might be able to sound authoritative, but I’m not sure I’d be right.” Commish Mike Nelson, former pool chemical salesperson and faux environmental scientist, opines, “Now in probably the toughest budget year we’ve had in a decade, we’re going to have to find $5,000,000 to cover these mistakes.”, conveniently ignoring that over $15,000,000 of county net worth doesn’t exist. (See the Chapel Hill News Missing Money Story.)

No one will lose their job. No one will not receive a raise. No one will pay any price. According to your Commishes, that's just like in the real for profit world.

None of the Commishes asked why the discrepancies were hidden for months during the primary election cycle.

None of the Commishes asked why Mr. Link was not asked to attend the bad news presentation.

None of the Commishes asked, how much more than the double digit increase should the ad valorem real property tax rate been raised to fund the “missing” monies?

None of the Commishes commented on their decision to name the new county administration building for Mr. Link upon his retirement.

Timing is everything in life.

The local steno pool has rallied behind the Commishes, extolling them in Republican iconographic terms as being “tough on taxes”. Four of five Orange County commissioners ”unequivocally oppose” increasing the tax rate beyond the $1 per $100 valuation threshold, as opposed to the staff recommendation of $1.038. Thus, the Commishes will accept a 5% tax increase (of the recommended 8.8 cent increase).

Commish Mike Nelson who doubled Carrboro taxes in ten years, is showing newfound fiscal trepidation, saying he's ”not comfortable going to a dollar. My inclination is to not support adding any new positions, because I don't see how we get the tax rate down if we add new positions.”

Rabid local transfer tax and former earnest, on-and-off again, schools and parks supporter Commish Moses Carey (who has overseen a rise in county taxes that is many multiples of the inflation rate over the past two decades )says ”If we're going to take some tough hits, then everybody's going to take some tough hits. I'm not exempting anybody – that includes the educational system. This is a tough year.”

The Commishes discussed saving money by the following dramatic cuts. First eliminate the Gospel Festival - $2000. Second discontinue local artist grants - $23,000.

The Commishes studiously avoided any discussion of increasing impact fees to recover the true capital costs of residential growth that have put the county into the fiscal mess it currently enjoys.

See Herald Sun County Budget Story.

No word on when the stenographers will explain to locals how the current financial mess came to be under the leadership of the sitting Commishes, some of whom have been in power for decades.

No word from any Commishes as to why this tough year wasn’t on the budgetary radar until days after the May 6th local transfer tax vote with every Commish in “strong“ support of schools and parks.

No word on why there was more discussion of the Gospel Festival than approving the brand spanking new $25,000,000 county office complex.

In most communities in North Carolina, elected officials stay on top of critical municipal needs, such as having enough space to dispose of solid waste. However, as Pulpsters know, Orange County isn’t like most of North Carolina.

At way past midnight on the trash transfer station timeline, Chapel Hill mayor Kevin Foy suddenly has a thought about a site for the trash transfer station. How about putting it next to the Chapel Town Operations Center?

The reaction of the local media and other local politicians is as informative as it is entertaining. (See Chapel Hill Herald Epiphany Site Story.)

Rip Van Winkle's Hollow

On Friday, 8 May 2009, Mayor Foy led a select entourage around the 32 acre site off Millhouse Road. In his decisive and immortal words, “The question isn't whether we should put a transfer station there. The question is, is this something worth talking about?” Talk, it's the fragrant and somnambulant lingua orange of Pulpville.

None other than Commish Mike Nelson opines that “It can't be a shock to anyone that a waste transfer station in that location would be very strongly opposed by residents of northern Chapel Hill. It will take an inordinate amount of political will — in a town election year no less — to site the waste transfer station there.”

Dr. Rick Kennedy, a Nelson supporter, a family practice physician, a rural buffer resident, and a critic of those criticizing local government finally found something that he didn’t like about local government. Seems the issue only has to be at his doorstep (he lives within less than ¼ mile from the site) in order for him to “see the light”. In his words, ““People ought to share the things in the community that nobody really wants. Why doesn't that resonate here like it does on Rogers Road?”

“Physician heal thyself” has taken on new meaning. Perhaps Dr. Kennedy hasn’t yet attained the enlightment that comes from a constant flow of smelly trash trucks, the piquant essence of rotten garbage, and the sights of soaring flocks of buzzards.

What’s missing from the local media story of Mayor Foy's epiphany about locating the trash transfer station?

Even Commish Valerie Foushee, the Sphinx of the Orange County board recognizes something is amiss. In her words, the county asked the towns “months ago… and probably more than once” about a transfer station site. “Nothing was forthcoming.”

So what happened? Never fear. The Pulp will reveal a most southern of pastimes is to blame for the sudden awakening of Mayor Foy. He read the local obituary section. Lo and behold, the answer was revealed to him from an end of April 2009 item.

“Mrs. Julia Blackwood, 88, died Easter weekend at her home in Chapel Hill. Julia was born in Clinton, NC to Herman Stewart and Jenny B. Merritt. She came to Chapel Hill as the young bride of Eugene M. Blackwood. Soon after, she went to work as a secretary at the American Tobacco Company in Durham. (See Carrboro Citizen Blackwood Obit.

What does Ms. Blackwood have to do with a trash transfer station? Well kick back and follow how “bidness get dun” in Orange County.

The Blackwood family has owned property around Millhouse Road since 1752, before Chapel Hill was founded. They came under assault from the town in 1996.

After the firestorm surrounding then Chapel Hill Mayor Howard Lee forcing a landfill on to the Rogers Road community in 1972, Chapel Hill went looking for an alternative site for solid waste. It, the county, and Carrboro all thought they had the new site, Ms. Blackwood’s property on Millhouse Road.

The past is prologue in Orange County. As in the present trash crisis, the answer is revealed not at the beginning of the process, but in a surprise move at the end. In 1996, the politicians had a citizen group working diligently on site selection for over a year. Sixteen sites were considered. Then, magically, at the end, a 17th site (OC-17) was added, the Blackwood – Duke Forest site.

None other than Mr. Gayle Wilson denied hanky-panky in the latecomer OC-17 becoming the odds-on favorite back in 1996. Yes, it's the same Gayle Wilson who is surprised in 2009 by Mayor Foy’s magical announcement about the town operations center space, which just happens to be next to – you guessed it – the property of the now deceased Ms. Blackwood. Back in 1996, Mr. Wilson was the town of Chapel Hill’s solid waste administrator. In 2009, he's Orange County's solid waste administrator. (Any wonder the new county solid waste facility has just been built on Eubanks Road?)

Recycling is not left simply to bureaucrats in Orange County. Politicians and pundits are recycled too.

Guess who voted for the OC-17 landfill site? None other than then Chapel Hill Councilman, now Carrboro mayor Mark Chilton. As reported in the N&O in 1996, although Mr. Chilton was a “favorite of the local Sierra Club”, he voted for the OC-17 without any debate by the local enviromentalists. So did Carrboro Alderman Jacquie Gist, So did then Carrboro mayor, now county commish Mike Nelson.

Guess who was in opposition to the county picking any landfill site? None other than then Green Party member, now Democratic Party member and Carrboro Alderman Dan Coleman. In his words, ”the people in the Blackwood Mountain area come across as NIMBYs. I’m particularly troubled by sone of their suggestions that we should ship our waste somewhere else. Why should we take advantage of another community’s poverty?” Strong words for someone with no visible means of occupation, then or now.

Then as now, technical arguments didn’t matter. Who cares if the site was too rocky and had a slave graveyard? What really mattered was raw political power. The county’s mistake was in going after some Duke Forest land. The Commishes can steamroll working African-Americans and land grant farmers. But, they are revealed as eunuchs where it comes to facing up to the Duke power block.

So let’s go back to the present.

Ms. Blackwood dies. Mr. Foy reads the obits. Shazam! We have a new spot for the trash transfer station.

The local media doesn’t ask the searchlight questions.

“So Mr. Foy, where have you been for the past three years in the trash transfer station debate?”

“When did you first think about the town operations spot next to Ms. Blackwood’s property?”

“Did you really wait until she died to screw up the courage to announce the site, while her grave is still fresh?”

Yes, local progressive profiles in courage abound.

Most jurisdictions having the option to charge new residential construction impact fees (for capital costs like upgraded school capacity) would strive to keep those fees current. By doing so, the trust fund containing those fees would grow in anticipation of the next new school occasioned by the residential growth associated with those fees. By doing so, much of the public school capital spending wouldn't come from property tax increases.

However, Orange County isn’t like most places in North Carolina. Having fought to get local authorization for residential impact fees, Orange County Commishes have been lax in keeping those fees set to the maximum allowed by state law. As reported earlier by the Pulp, Commishes have only recently raised impact fees from rates set back in 2001. Moreover, rather than raise them to the maximum, Commishes have settled for a fraction of the permissible rates. Developers have been underpaying impact fees by 77%, paying only 23% of what they could be charged by the county for a city district infrastructure impact fee. For the county, developers have been underpaying impact fees by 68%, paying only 32% of what they could be charged by the county. The difference has been paid by taxpayers, almost $15,000 per house.

How much did the Commish raise the fees?
The commishes approved $7616 for the city school district and $3749 for the county school district. However, the current maximum allowable support impact fee of the city school district is $19,039. For the county district, that fee is $9,372. (Pulp readers should keep in mind that the city school district has built nearly twice as many schools as the county district in the last 20 years.) In other words, even with the increase the Commishes are foregoing $11,423 (or over 150% of the raised city impact fee) in the city school district and are foregoing $5623 (again over 150% of the raised county impact fee).

(Pulpsters should remember the school equity/merger debate of several year ago when Commish Mike Nelson, then Carrboro mayor, spoke about the free ride of city school district residents. With current impact fees, the “free ride ” of city district residences pay almost twice as much in impact fees as county district residents.)

Such developer largesse has its financial consequences.

On 28 April 2009, the Commishes told the board of the city school district some “shocking” news. They don't have enough money to build the 11th elementary school in the city school district, scheduled to be opened in Fall 2011. The projected Northside neighborhood school, home to the Greenbridge gentrification controversy, must be put on hold immediately.

According to city school board chairperson Lisa Stuckey, ”It really does come as a shock tonight that we need to lay off our architect and everyone involved with that project.”

Shock doesn't overcome empty pockets. “None of us want to change the direction in which we were headed for Elementary 11. The county’s ability to do it right now is just uncertain.” (See N&O School Fund Bankrupts.)

How much money left on the table?
If you figure that OWASA has gained 3100 users since 2001 in the city school district area, and that $15,000 has been left on the table for each user, then the total missing moneys from the school construction trust fund is over $46,000,000. That's enough money to pay for about two elementary schools.

According to hundreds of local residents in southern Orange County, the Carrboro electronic library (“Cybrary”) and its attendant free internet service located in the Century Center in the historic business district is worth its weight in gold. It’s a service that mustn’t be cut by Orange County Commishes in tough budgetary times. However, apparently don’t ask these residents to put their money where there mouth is.

Not a single champion of the Cybrary has advocated user fees or contributions. If just 250 Cybraryborgs contribute $1.00 dollar per week to use the services, then the county cost of the Cybrary would be covered. (The Cybrary operational costs are $13,490.)

Commish Mike Nelson, former Carrboro mayor is leading a campaign to save the Cybrary. He’s the administrator of a Facebook page called, “Save the Carrboro Downtown Library.” He has collected hundreds of “friends” to give verbal, non-monetary support to the Cybrary. Other Cybrary supporters have collected signatures on petitions at the Carrboro Farmers Market.

Despite the demonstrative drumbeating, no Cybrary advocate has said they will open their wallet even for a $1.00 weekly user fee.

Take the reported case of Mr. Jakob Thornberry, 18, who lives a few blocks away on Greensboro Street. According to the Chapel Hill Herald, he “stops by nearly every day to check his e-mail, read news articles online and look at postings on Wikipedia, an online encyclopedia. He doesn't have a computer at home and would hate to see the Cybrary close.

‘That would be terrible,’ said Thornberry, who also said he's about ready to move out of state. ‘Theoretically, it would be terrible. Internet access is a very good thing.’”

Terrible, but not terrible enough to be worth $1.00 a week as a user fee.

Orange County Manager Laura Blackmon submitted her resignation notice unexpectedly barely three months before a new fiscal year. It comes right in the middle of a budget cycle. She had taken over from Mr. Link after his retirement some almost three years ago. She had to report missing county moneys although she wasn’t in charge when the bungling occurred.

County commishes have handed Ms. Blackmon “Mission Impossible”. They don’t want to fire any county employee they irresponsibly hired as the good times rolled. (Pulpsters should remember that government has been the growth employer for the past decade in Orange County.) However, from Ms. Blackmon’s resignation statement it appears that this will require large cuts in services.

According to Ms. Blackmon, “Revaluation and neutral tax rate, however, are not the problem in and of themselves. The real problem for the coming year is most of our other revenue sources are declining, we have new facilities opening which means an increase in utilities and general operating costs, we have an increase in demands for services, especially in the human resources departments and the state is beginning to withhold revenue from us because of its budget shortfalls. Things are not looking good for the county or the two school systems, which have already been told they too will see a decrease in funds next year. The Budget Office has estimated the shortfall to be about $8 million, which will be difficult to absorb without cutting services or staff.”

More bad news comes out upon her notice of leaving. Ms. Blackmon reports that the county faces an 8% increase in medical benefits cost next calendar year. The Department of Public Works, the Information Technology Department, and the Parks and Recreation Departments all report increases in the cost of doing business. While the Health Department, the Department of Social Services, and the Emergency Services Department all report increased demand for services.

Meanwhile the Commishes who are responsible for overhiring in times of plenty, despite warnings from the Pulp for years, remain firmly ensconced, enjoying their medical benefits for a part-time job “well done”.

Ms Blackmon’s Resignation Statement
Dear Employees,

By now you have probably heard I gave notice to the BOCC on Friday that my husband and I have decided to leave the area and move to Tennessee. My last day on the job will be June 30, 2009. I know the timing of this announcement is not good, but my employment agreement with the county requires I give 90 day notice and I was running out of time. By the end of June I will have been here over 2 ½ years. This is not as long as I had originally thought I would stay, but life isn't always as we plan it.

I know you understand how difficult a year this will be for the budget. The BOCC has committed itself to a revenue neutral tax rate which means the tax rate will generate the same amount of revenue from property taxes as last year. A lot of residents are upset about the revaluation of their property, but the neutral tax rate should keep their taxes in check unless their property has increased in value above the average of all properties in the county.

Revaluation and neutral tax rate, however, are not the problem in and of themselves. The real problem for the coming year is most of our other revenue sources are declining, we have new facilities opening which means an increase in utilities and general operating costs, we have an increase in demands for services, especially in the human resources departments and the state is beginning to withhold revenue from us because of its budget shortfalls.

Things are not looking good for the county or the two school systems, which have already been told they too will see a decrease in funds next year. The Budget Office has estimated the shortfall to be about $8 million, which will be difficult to absorb without cutting services or staff. The BOCC has emphasized its desire NOT to reduce staff but to seek other ways of cutting expenditures. Those of you who are fully funded from outside sources such as grants, state and/or federal monies are more vulnerable than other employees because it will be hard to absorb the cost of your salary and benefits should those funding sources disappear. Nevertheless the Commissioners and Management are adamant about keeping everyone employed, so we will do our best to make sure no one loses their job.

Having said all that, it is crucial everyone understand and support the difficult decisions being made over the next few months. You have probably already heard there will be no cost of living or merit increases for employees next year. We are also expecting about an 8% increase in the cost of medical benefits next calendar year. These costs can be contained if we work hard to stay healthy and reduce our claims for insurance. Unfortunately that is easier said than done.

The department directors have submitted their budgets with a 10% reduction in operating line items, overtime and temporary employee expenditure requests. I am hoping this 10% cut will be enough given the shortfall we are expecting in revenues. However, some departments are actually seeing an increase in the cost of doing business (Public Works, IT, Parks and Recreation for example) or an increase in service demands (such as Health, DSS, and Emergency Services). In reality, once the final budget is approved some departments will see more cut from their budgets than other departments. I don't see how this can be avoided. Tough decisions will have to be made about whether or not we open new parks or county buildings that are now almost complete, whether we cut operating hours for libraries, the animal shelter, senior centers and other county facilities, or whether we limit the amount of services we provide for those residents in our community most in need of assistance.

I think the bottom line will be for us to reduce, eliminate, or delay those services that are important but not as critical as our core services, which are the services the county provides because it is legally required by statute or because government is the best agency to do so. Such decisions will not be easy and we must do all we can to suggest, inform, recommend and ultimately support the Board of Commissioners who will be tasked with that responsibility.

In closing let me just say thank you for all you do for the residents of Orange County. As public servants we have a unique responsibility to the community and I know you will continue to do the very best job you can despite the difficulties ahead.

(See notices in either the N&O or the Herald Sun.)

Early Warnings Of Unsustainable Taxation
For years the Pulp has had postings beating the drum on how unsustainable it is to expand your local taxes faster than the income of your citizenry. It’s simple economics really. If you double the taxes while citizens increase their median income by half, then you are reaching ever deeper into their pockets. At some point there’s little disposable income left. Their homes are mortgaged to the hilt. However, in a “facts optional” political atmosphere, it’s what you want and how you feel about getting what you want that matters.

None other than Mr. Mike Nelson proclaimed while running for commish in 2006 that people in Orange County “want a high level of services and that requires taxes”. That was back when he had to explain how Carrboro taxes (not tax rates) more than doubled under his mayoral leadership.

Back in the open forum days of the Pulp, the usual crowd of political apologists (Mr. Fred Black, Ms. Terri Buckner, Mr. Joseph Capowski (as “Weaverguy”), Mr. George Entenmann, Mr. Marc Marcoplos, and Ms. Ruby Sinreich) all sung the praises of Mr. Nelson and howled about how Orange County was different. Here people wanted the “high level of services” and knew they must pay more for them. The fact that other counties and towns offer equal or better services at lower tax burdens was assiduously ignored.

Cracks Show As Even UNC Professors Feel Your Pain
The cracks in the Orange tax-and-spend foundation are finally showing. In a recent Chapel Hill News editorial, Mr. John J. Pringle, (C. Knox Massey Professor of Finance (Emeritus) at the Kenan-Flagler Business School at UNC) laid out the case supporting the Pulp’s proposition. Orange County had practiced, and is practicing, unsustainable taxation. Mr. Pringle pointed out that median house prices in the US averaged 2.1 times median income for two decades prior to 2001. Housing prices almost doubled to 4.1 times median family income post 2001. When the housing bubble burst by late 2008, prices had fallen by 25% for the bubble peak, according to a widely used national home price index used by Mr. Pringle.

Mr. Pringle cites his personal experience, “since 1993 when we moved into our house, our property tax has increased 249 percent, while during this same period the consumer inflation index increased 46 percent. Over the 15 years, inflation has averaged 2.5 percent per year, while our property taxes have increased by an average of 8.7 percent per year. In a single year, 2005, our property tax increased 42 percent, and from 2000 to 2008 more than doubled.”

Did income keep pace with this taxflation? No. “During the peak years of the housing bubble, from 2000 to 2006, house prices nationally rose 88 percent, while personal income rose only 30 percent. Social Security income is tied to the Consumer Price Index, which rose 17 percent.”

Orange Tea Party?
Will an “Orange tea party” tax revolt happen, much like what happened in Boston, Massachusetts in 1773? No. Unlike King George III, our local politicians are much more skilled in straddling fences and speaking out of both sides of their mouths.

Most importantly, the local media and political apologists will be sure not to place any responsibility for the present tax mess on incumbent local officials. Without someone connecting the dots, “It just happened”.

Mike Nelson – Archtypical Politician Without Responsibility
Sociopathic behavior is acceptable if exhibited by a politician. Deception, dishonesty, feigned interest may still be repulsive for many in personal interactions, but as a society, we accept such behavior in our politicians. It’s considered “part of the game”. It’s okay to say one thing and do the opposite. It’s okay to pretend to be what you aren’t. It’s okay to say you’re against tax rises while promoting a new tax.

After a decade of doubling the tax burden in Carrboro, in 2006 Mr. Nelson ran for the commish spot as the next rung in his climb for political glory. When questioned about his taxation record, he confidently responded that here people want a “high level of services” and know “they must pay more for them”. In part, his confidence exuded from a reliance that no one in the local media or political establishments would question his statement. The fact that other counties and towns offer equal or better services at lower tax burdens would not be mentioned.

After being elected in the Democratic primary, Orange County having one party rule, in 2007 during his first commish retreat, Mr. Nelson opined ”We need to dig down and find out really why we've had 18 years of tax increases. Eighteen years in a row is a long time.”

Then one year after speaking aloud about 18 years of tax increases, in 2008, Mr. Nelson was advocating for another tax. Mr. Nelson, like his successor as Carrboro mayor, Mr. Chilton, advocated vociferously for the ill-fated and highly rejected local option transfer tax. He even used the case of his retired elderly mother to support taxing home sales even more, claiming he would raise property taxes less, even though the proposed tax wasn't requried to be revenue neutral. Eluding Mr. Nelson’s steel trap financial mind is the fact he has raised the county tax burden more than the funds the transfer tax would've yielded. (See Carrboro Citizen Nelson Transfer Tax editorial.) Quite an accomplishment Mr. Nelson has achieved in less than one term in office as commish.

Retreats must be especially insightful times for Mr. Nelson. For in 2009, one year after asking for the transfer tax increase, Mr. Nelson again felt bad about county taxes. He noticed that the county is spending faster that county property taxes are rising. (Mr. Nelson ignored the fact that property taxes are rising faster than median income.) He was concerned that county spending would rise 5.8% annually over the next five years while property values were projected to rise just 3.9%.

In Mr. Nelson’s immortal words, ”I have a fundamental, philosophical, ideological problem with the way this organization had done budgeting. It's brought about tax increases.” This revelation comes from the person who oversaw a doubling of the Carrboro tax burden, far outpacing both median incomes AND property values in Carrboro. (See N & O Nelson Philosophy Story.)

A Hope For Change - Coming Campaign Converting The Image of Tax-and-Spenders Into Fiscal Conservatives
With 2009 bringing about a confluence of a local municipal election and a severe recession sliding into a depression, Pulpsters should be alert in looking for the coming campaign to remake the image of local incumbents. Local media and political apologists will create a wave of disinformation portraying incumbents as “holding the line”, “showing a tight fist”, and the ever popular “making the painful cuts” with regards to local budgets, and thus, local taxes. That these incumbents used the good times to build a bureaucratic infrastructure unsustainable even in the good times, much less the bad times, is irrelevant. That they raised your taxes way beyond increases in your income even in the good times is, likewise, irrelevant.

Pulpsters should not expect to hear cogent explanations as to why taxes have risen so in the last decade, except, of course, here at the fiercely non-partisan Pulp.

Almost two years ago Orange County Commishes were told by Mr. Gayle Wilson (Orange County Solid Waste) that the county landfill was running out of space by 2010. (See the Carrboro Citizen Trash Transfer Series.) Time had run out. A decision had to be made “RIGHT NOW”, said Commishes Moses Carey and Mike Nelson. With much public hand-wringing they voted unanimously to place a county trash transfer station on Eubanks Road.

Only a few stood up against the Commishes. Neither the Chapel Hill nor the Carrboro town governance boards stood up against a Eubanks Road trash transfer station. They showed their political courage by remaining mute, even though Commish Moses Carey asked them in writing for their opinion. Grassroots anti-ANY-trash transfer station groups didn’t exist. As long as the same old working class African-American Rogers Road community was being dumped on, the local media remained mute.

Then the trash hit the fan.

A formal complaint of environmental racism was filed against Orange County with the US Department of Justice by Rogers Road residents. The Commishes hadn’t followed federal government guidelines for locating the proposed transfer station. How rude. It was hard to keep the environmental racism garbage from clinging.

Public shame was followed by political challengers having the nerve to run in local elections. They actually attempted to make the trash transfer station process an issue.

The local media responded to these charges of environmental racism by waiting until AFTER those elections to pound their chest. Ensuring that only the “right people”” are elected takes progressive precedence over outing local environmental racism.

The local chapter of the Sierra Club remained mute as well. One Carrboro municipal challenger walked out on their political forum to dramatize the failure of the local chapter to get involved. The chapter president declared “foul” because Rogers Road environmental racism was ”one of their issues”. The reward for these faux environmentalists making like a herd of ostriches was support by the local Orange Progressive political groups behind their chapter president Ms. Bernadette Pelissier. She was handily elected to a county commish spot in 2008 without once speaking out against the environmental racism practiced by local government. (Bootlicking remains the favored mode of progressing politically in Orange County.)

Fast forward two years and consider the new found distaste of local Orange Progressives for employing what two years ago was proclaimed to be state-of-the-art, clean, attractive technology, a distaste that wasn't expressed at that meeting in 2007. Once alternative trash transfer station sites were considered, alternatives that aren’t not located near an African-American working class community, the shine came off the trash transfer station ”shinola”.

The town of Hillsborough was considered as a site. The mayor said, “thanks, but no thanks”.

Grassroots groups (such as the “not-near-my-farmette” Orange County Voice) sprung up to protest the use of a solid waste trash transfer station once it was to be moved off of Eubanks Road.

Finally, on 22 January 2009, with about one year to go to closure and the political heat on, a miracle happened. The dump wouldn’t close at least for another year, not until 2011, said Mr. Wilson. Although two years ago, the Commishes “had to vote now” and build that station, miraculously the Commishes could now vote to “examine alternatives to building a solid waste transfer station”.

In the words of Commish and nearby Hillsborough resident Barry Jacobs,”The basic assumption that a transfer station is the best alternative may be too narrow… There's no reason to not get a good answer to a question if you have time. After a certain point, you're out of options. We're not out of time and we're not out of options.” (See Chapel Hill News Landfill Miracle Story.)

Now that a non-African American working class community isn’t involved there’s time for the Commishes and local Orange Progressives to be thoughtful. Time they didn’t have two years ago. Time they have now.

In more words of caring from Commish Jacobs, ”We want to satisfy that we've looked at all reasonable alternatives. We want to be sure that we're taking an approach that is thoughtful and, within the realm of solid waste management, progressive. Within the philosophy of trying to reduce waste, are we making the best choices in how to dispose of waste? Those are the questions.” (See Herald Sun Plenty Of Time Story.)

No word on when the Vatican will send representatives to visit the landfill to witness the site of the miracle.

In most North Carolina counties, eyebrows would be raised if a county commissioner spent dental insurance moneys outside their county, much less spent those moneys outside their country. The eyebrows would raise even higher if the dental insurance moneys spent are provided by taxpayers. That isn’t so in Orange County, home to hypocrisy in all its diverse forms.

Instead, Commish Mike Nelson openly extols the virtue of him using your local tax dollars to get dental care in Tijuana, Mexico over Hillsborough, North Carolina. All is dutifully transcribed without comment by the local stenographers. Yes, everyone should deduct foreign dental care travels from their income tax returns!

Most people in Orange County don’t have comprehensive dental insurance. (Over 15% of the county population doesn’t even have any health care insurance.)

Most people in Orange County get their teeth fixed in Orange County, or perhaps a neighboring county.

Most people in Orange County don’t travel outside the USA, much less deduct their foreign travel from their personal income taxes.

“Leading from the left”, Commish Nelson doesn’t behave like most people, even in Orange County.

In 2008 Mr. Nelson made three trips of undisclosed length to Tijuana, Mexico. His purpose? He was searching to get his cavities filled, his nerve endings cleaned out, and his gaps bridged. According to Mr. Nelson, the best Orange County estimate for having two crowns and one root canal performed is $5000. (Perhaps, Mr. Nelson needed to do a more exhaustive search for local dental care. Too bad he didn’t check out the low cost dental care offered at the UNC Dental School clinics.) However, in Tijuana, he found oral bliss at the cost of only $2600 ($800 courtesy of you).

“Leading from the left”, Mr. Nelson isn’t ashamed of spending your money (his free county dental insurance money) not just outside his county, but outside his country. In his words, “If you have medical or dental needs you can’t afford in the US, I highly recommend looking abroad. It’s not for everyone, but it worked for me.”

“Leading from the left”, Mr. Nelson isn’t ashamed of asking others to spend more of their money in Orange County where the cost of doing business is inflated (to offset the county tax revenue disaster he helped create over the past fifteen years of holding political office), while he spends your taxpayer money in Mexico, where everything is cheaper and easier.

For the record (which is not published at the county website), Mr. Nelson earns about $21,000 for his part-time commish work. Assuming that his political lobbying job in Raleigh pays only about $36,000 annually, Mr. Nelson is a single, non-family householder bringing in about $57,000 a year. That’s 80% more than the median CY 2007 Orange County income of $31,387 for male non-family households.

No word on whether county employees will follow their leading from the left leader in abandoning high cost dental care in Orange County.

No word on how much of the $2600 Mr. Nelson spent in flying, Tijuana hotel rooms, fine dining, and dental visits will be deducted from Mr. Nelson’s income tax returns as healthcare deductions.

No word on Mr. Nelson’s savings due to the lack of stringent environmental regulations in Mexico, as opposed to those in Orange County.

No word on Mr. Nelson’s savings due to the lack of labor health & safety regulations in Mexico, as opposed to those in Orange County.

No word on Mr. Nelson’s savings due to the lack of medical care health & safety regulations in Mexico, as opposed to those in Orange County.

Orange County tourism woes will be solved by political junketeering. County Commish Mike Nelson is coming to the rescue with another junket, this time to hunky Vancouver, British Columbia. Pulp readers may remember previous Commish Nelson junkets, such as his visit to South Beach in Miami to free Elian Gonzales from the reaches of his father.

Although tourist spending was up 7% in CY 2007 ($147,550,000), it’s down in Orange County for CY 2008. For the first time in five years, southern Orange lodgings weren’t booked at graduation time, according to Ms. Laurie Paolicelli, executive director of the Chapel Hill/Orange County Visitors Bureau.

For Pulp readers familiar with the economic theorems of supply and demand, the growth in available rooms may be part of the reason. But that hasn’t seemed to occur to Ms. Paolicelli. She and Commish Nelson are eyeing the gay and lesbian tourism market to save local tourism. They will attend at taxpayer expense the International Conference on Gay and Lesbian Tourism in Vancouver to promote the Chapel Hill/Orange County area as a place to visit and hold meetings. In Ms. Paolicelli’s words, who worked for the Palm Springs Visitor's Bureau, ”It saved Palm Springs' tourism industry, and Sonny Bono was very supportive of it”. (See Chapel Hill Nelson Junket Story.)

Neither Ms. Paolicelli nor Commish Nelson has provided any look at a thought out program for Chapel Hill successfully promoting itself as a “gayborhood“ worth visiting. Chapel Hill must compete with the likes of the Florida gayborhood powerhouses of Key West, Ft. Lauderdale, and South Beach as well as the California powerhouses of Santa Monica, Palm Springs, and San Francisco. Apparently they are unaware of the three steps to successful GLBT marketing, namely, getting in depth knowledge, positioning and preparing oneself, and finally reaching out. (GLBT Marketing Advice.) The bottom line is that GLBT marketing doesn’t come cheap and requires a constant pumping and flow of public tourism funds.

Chapel Hill has a long way to go in order to become a destination gayborhood. It’s not even on the gay college town “B” list where it might have a chance to reach around onto the gay “A” list. According to OutTraveler, the top ten college towns for gay travel are: Austin, Texas; Columbus, Ohio; Madison, Wisconsin; Iowa City, Iowa; Ann Arbor, Michigan; Bloomington Indiana; Lawrence, Kansas; Columbia, Missouri; Champaign Urbana, Illinois; and Lincoln, Nebraska. (See Top Ten Gay Travel College Towns.)

No word on whether or not another Gay Pride parade will be sponsored by the town of Carrboro akin to the 1995 butt cheeks and chaps sashay display.

While southern Orange progressives (OPies) like to dream of being on the political avant garde, once again a more grounded appraisal reveals the proclivity for these avant gardes to reinvent what has already been shown to be problematic elsewhere.

The local Orange Chatham chapter of the Sierra Club Foundation labors under the delusion that it promotes “environmentally sound” policy decisions by supporting dense growth, applauding rapid population growth from illegal immigrants, ignoring deals between the national Sierra Club and toxic chemical manufacturers (see Pulp Clorox Sierra Club Tie-in Story), and remaining silent about local surface water carrying capacity. Proud of this record, the local chapter works diligently to get into and sustain in local political office such “environmentalists” as Mr. Mike Nelson (of the faux “environmental scientitst” and the Adams Tract creekside Carrboro public works “never happened” garage fame) and Ms. Bernadette Pelissier (of Orange County solid waste environmental injustice ostrich fame).

However, the derring dos of these staunch defenders of the local environment pale in comparison to the “environmental” achievements of Mr. Harry Reid, the Democrats’ Senate leader.

Back in Nevada, Mr. Reid is an enabler for developers and pit miners. He almost singlehandedly is enabling the raping of a desert ecosystem. His runaway growth environmental policy is unchallenged by the Sierra Club. While Lake Mead (Las Vegas’s surface water reservoir) is drying up (48% capacity), “sustainable”, “smart growth”, and “master planned” communities of 16,000 homes continue to bulldoze the desert ecosystem.

Sound familiar Pulp readers?

In the middle of a record western drought, Senator Reid co-sponsored a law granting the Southern Nevada Water Authority (the Las Vegas OWASA) a free right-of-way on federal land to pipe groundwater into Las Vegas from central Nevada, hundreds of miles away. The $3,000,000,000 plumbing plan would tap the Great Basin aquifer, a vast underground sink that runs from Death Valley, California, across central Nevada, into western Utah. As the Great Basin's groundwater is drained, desert springs and seeps will dry up. Native desert plants and wildlife will die off.

Mr. Reid, the enabler, is a darling of East and West Coasts environmentalists. The influential League of Conservation Voters gave him a perfect score in FY 2005 for his voting record on environmental issues. The national Sierra Club praised him for his opposition to a laundry list of things such as coal-fired power plants and oil drilling in Alaska's Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.

So what was the official Sierra Club response to the Great Basin “Drainage” bill? Not a word. What about selling off large tracts of government land in the Las Vegas Valley to developers? Not a word. Senator Reid hobnobs with none other than Mr. Carl Pope, executive director of the Sierra Club Foundation.

It’s not as if the Sierra Club didn’t know about the bill. Senator Reid personally briefed Mr. Pope. According to him, Mr. Reid said “Look, it's important to me that we deal with our water supply problems in Clark County. This appears to be the best way.” That’s all it takes for friends to do friends a favor.

Sound familiar Pulp readers?

The Sierra Club’s excuse? It focuses on broad issues such as climate change and doesn't make regional water disputes a high priority.

According to Ms. Janine Blaeloch, founder of Western Lands Project, a Seattle nonprofit that closely monitors Mr. Reid’s sell-off of government land for Las Vegas growth, ”What's so dismaying is that he gets away with it, because the big environmental groups are bought in.” No supportive response from the Sierra Club.

The Pacific Institute, in Oakland, California recently co-authored a study of Las Vegas, growth and water use. It found that through more conservation Las Vegas could save nearly as much water as Reid’s Great Basin drainage is designed to take. No supportive response from the Sierra CLub

Sound familiar Pulp readers?

Just like Orange County, Clark County, Nevada, is even more hooked on growth. Are there other similarities between Las Vegas and southern Orange?

Consider both locations have transient populations that don’t pay attention to the development costs and local politics. Both have about a 10% voter participation in local elections. Both have developer friends on the municipal governance boards. Both have a controlling economic engine that is a palocracy. Both have a growth and extraction culture, (one minerals and growth, the other students and growth).

Sound familiar Pulp readers?

Mr. Reid has acknowledged that population explosion and drought are posing “difficult choices” for Nevada. Southern Nevada's water managers say there's nothing to worry about with the pipeline. ”This organization is about as environmentally friendly as you'll ever find a water agency, But we'll never know what the precise impacts are until we stress the system.”, according to Southern Nevada Water Authority's deputy general manager.

Sound familiar Pulp readers?

See Portfolio Reid Pipeline Story.

Even gangstas know, sooner or later you have to pay the piper.

First the commishes (aka county commissioners) pulled back on school maintenance for existing school buildings in order to pay for new sewer lines for developer friends. Next, they pulled back on soccer fields where people live to pay for fields in the middle of nowhere, but nearby where their developer friends want people to live. Now, after pimping out new county office digs with friendly landlords and home-grown bling, the commishes have got to reach deeper into your pockets.

The trouble is the commishes don’t want to admit that their financial generosity has led to an increase in your county property (ad valorem) tax rate. And the state legislature isn’t playing along. If the commishes want to impose a local county sales tax rate increase and/or a brand-spankin’ new local county transfer tax, they have to get your permission in a referendum.

So the commishes “commished” a telephone poll to feel out voter sentiment (see Survey Says…), a poll conducted, at least in part, before the commishes met this week. The preliminary data mining of the poll results mustn’t have been good, because the commishes issued a “gangsta warning” in their 12 February 2008 meeting – they will raise property taxes or stop county construction projects if they don’t get those taxes from you.

State Senate candidate, retired, tax-exempt publicly funded organization executive, real estate investor, solid waste site expert, school merger advocate, and county commissioner Moses Carey is quoted as saying ”People understand 'Pay me now or pay me later' ”. Mr. Carey maintains Sphinx-like silence in informing you that the proposed county taxes are a financial band-aid. He neglects to tell you that the county land development system transfers part of municipal service costs from new residential construction onto existing residents through increased property taxes. The system allows local developers to escape the true cost of the demand for municipal services created by their profiteering.

In a move to get the new tax gold, former travel agent, former pool supply salesman, former state lobbyist, former Carrboro mayor, former school merger advocate, current county/city school “equity” advocate, false rhetoric expert, swastika art connoisseur, and county commissioner Mike Nelson shows a tremulous bravado saying ”I think we need to say we're going to spend it on the schools”. Mr. Nelson’s turnabout is quite remarkable in view of his often stated position that city schools get too much money in Orange County, the foundation for his continuing efforts over many years to merge the two county school systems.

An accomplished political straddler and self-proclaimed savior of Carrboro’s Adams tract as a nature park (completely ignoring his duplicitous role in trying to turn it into a public works facility), Mr. Nelson has made a career of spending other people’s money, showing little ability to make money in a for-profit business environment.

Mr. Nelson is pondering delaying the tax referendum from May 2008 until November 2008 to give the county more time to “educate voters”, using your money, of course, to educate you. Please note that these selfless county actions will not be “advocacy” (an illegal activity), but merely “education”. Demonstrating keen political probity, Mr. Nelson wishes to educate you, the voter. You should allow him to collect more tax money from you. He will then subsidize more net county revenue negative local development. End result – he gets to dig himself deeper into a hole.

No word from local political analysts if the voters will react in a Pavlovian fashion to commish “promises” to spend the new taxes on schools.

No word from the commishes on why the school capital and operating costs haven’t been fully funded by them as budgeted and approved by the two school boards in the county for over six years.

No word from the commishes on any developer related county project that will stop if the taxes aren’t approved by the voters.

See N&O BOCC Gangsta Warning Story.

In keeping with Carrboro’s policy of financially supporting land developers and UNC, the BOA dedicated a new sewer line to OWASA. Built with Carrboro taxpayer money, the line runs up Bolin Creek, north of Homestead Road, servicing UNC’s “Carolina Commons” project and the private “Colleton Crossing” project. The BOA provided no final cost figures for the line. Local media didn't ask.

The ostensible reason for having to build the line was the annexation of the Northeast Area, although none of the residents in that area want to pay for the OWASA estimated hookup charges to that line of about $40,000 per home.

No official statements were issued tying the act of the BOA providing the sewer line free to the act of UNC submitting to a voluntary municipal annexation of its land to the BOA four years ago. That out-of-the blue voluntary annexation petition allowed the BOA not only to absorb the Winmore so-called “mixed use village” project (thereby avoiding the joint planning scrutiny by Orange County), it also allowed the BOA (under former Mayor Mike Nelson) to plan secretly the involuntary annexation of the Northeast Area.