Well, well, well. Orange County commissioners have voted to put the 1/4 cent sales tax hike referendum on the ballot — again — following last November’s defeat in which rural districts opposed the hike by 2 to 1.
And guess what? They’ve scheduled the referendum for November’s municipal election ballot.
Voters who live outside the liberal municipalities of Chapel Hill, Carrboro, and Hillsborough will have no candidates on the ballot, which means a rural voter must go to the polling place to say “yes” or “no” on just one question: the tax hike.
According to the Herald-Sun, commissioners made the timing decision, despite being told by the county elections director that turnout for next May’s primary election — a presidential primary — could be substantially higher and up to twice the November turnout — as high as 40 percent. It is important to note that when the tax hike was defeated last November, Orange turnout was about 45 percent.
Only two commissioners wanted to put the tax hike on the May 2012 ballot so that more voters would have a say in the outcome. Shame on the rest of them, who prevailed.
What’s more, writes the Herald-Sun, commissioners were told that their choice of this November over next May will cost the county an additional $58,000.
Now we know for sure what Orange commissioners think of constituents who live outside the liberal enclaves of Chapel Hill, Carrboro, and Hillsborough.
Pathetic.
