Government

The DTH reports that the volunteer committee to review the Chapel Hill budget has gotten underway. I'm often impressed by the graphics in the DTH and this story is no exception. But even with that nice visual aid, I stink at budgets. Basically what I can tell is this: the new Town Operation Center will cost a fortune. It's probably worth the expense to do it right in long run (and we don't have much choice), hopefully there's a little fat to be trimmed there.

One committee member suggests a temporary Town hiring freeze, but I don't see how that helps anyone. If we are to avert this tax increase (not just postpone it), we need systemic financial changes, not a quick purge. Since most of us are unlikely to get up at 7:30 on Monday morning to attend this committee meetings, let's discuss here. How would you cut the Town of Chapel Hill's budget? Or would you?

Today's Herald reported that a group from rural Orange County led by farmer Bob Strayhorn and state Rep. Bill Faison is pushing the BOCC to consider district representation. They point out that a large segment of Orange County voters feels that they are not represented under the current system. A petition to that effect with 1252 signatures was delivered to the commissioners.

This has been raised before but the commissioners were unwilling to act. My own thinking is that we should provide voting and representation systems that allow maximum representation of points of view while maintaining one-person/one-vote and effective government.

Cumulative voting could be another option to attain the same ends. Cumulative voting would allow a variety of constituencies to identify themselves and seek better representation. But there are problems with it.

Chapel Hill Herald, Saturday, January 22, 2005

Two weeks ago, I wrote of the importance of valuing, using and protecting our local water supply. Although the OWASA system provides an abundance of fresh, high-quality water, its vulnerability was apparent during the drought of 2002 when water supplies fell to a harrowing 30 percent of reservoir capacity.

Spurred in part by that experience, OWASA and UNC last year began planning for a water reuse system to meet a significant part of the university's nonpotable water needs. This will involve the reclamation and reuse of highly treated wastewater from the Mason Farm Wastewater Treatment Plant. Much of that water will be channeled toward the university's chiller plants and perhaps ultimately to the cogeneration plant.

When the project comes online in 2007, it will initially reduce water demand by 10 percent. At build-out, the reduction will be 15 percent. This is equivalent to expanding the water supply that much.