Priorities

For more detail on Jamezetta Bedford’s priorities for Orange County NC, click on the “Read More” links below.

• Education  Read More
  Public education faces many challenges from pre-K through college. Orange County is committed to providing excellent schools for all students. I have served on the CHCCS Board of Education for twelve years, including three as Chair and three as Vice-Chair and I am very aware of the challenges facing our two school districts. Given the negative changes in education policy, cuts in funding, and pitiful teacher pay from the majority party in the General Assembly, the commissioners need to re-think school funding. My extensive knowledge of the schools and experience with budgeting will help with that process.I believe the county and state need to provide a quality education for all of our students. I also support the CHCCS district tax which has existed since 1909. In order to have schools of equity and excellence, there must be sufficient funding for both operating and capital needs.Here’s one example of a change that I would support: The division of capital funding for schools and county projects should no longer be set at 60:40, as adopted in 2005. County funds for capital projects like HVAC replacement is divided so that the two school districts receive 60% and the county 40%. Funding for capital maintenance and repairs should be based on quantifiable criteria such as square footage, hours of operation, numbers of people/students/employees served daily, age of facilities, etc. I will advocate for a new analysis of this practice to determine if a different ratio is best policy or if another practice would be better policy. School facilities have deteriorated under the current ratio to the point a significant bond package will address less than half of the need.Pre-school and quality childcare combine as significant and proven strategies to close the achievement gap. I support the use of county capital dollars when constructing and renovating schools to add pre-K classrooms. I support funding to add to the limited state and federal funds for pre-school and also for childcare. In fact, the gap exists at age 3 and we must begin to look at interventions and strategies from pre-conception to age 3, focusing on models of prevention which cost less and are more educationally effective than remediation. A good example of the programming we need to develop and expand is the county Family Success Alliance which partners with other organizations to tackle poverty “to improve children’s chances for educational and economic opportunities by serving a defined geographic area (a zone) and its children with a seamless ‘pipeline’ of evidence-based programs, service, and supports from cradle to career.”I can talk with you for hours about education and children. I’d like your vote to advocate and serve at the county level. As the grandmother of two young children, I am committed to public education and especially motivated to continue this work. 

• Fiscal Planning and Economic Development Read More
  We need long-term fiscal planning to ensure the health of our residents, education system, economy and environment now and in the future. As a CPA, I have expertise in cash flow analysis, budgeting, and forecasting. I have over 12 years of experience working with local small businesses, non-profits and individuals. I understand audits (having worked on several), the ever-changing tax code and governmental accounting, all of which will help with policy decision-making and anticipating the real impacts on people in our community. During this recession, the commissioners have carefully limited tax increases. The county needs to diversify the tax base from an over-reliance on residential real estate to smart economic development that creates jobs and does not harm the environment. This is essential so that we can pay for the services we need and the quality of life we desire. The county budget needs to prioritize the goals and needs of the residents, using comprehensive strategic planning.

• Social Services and Equity Read More
  As the mother of an adult with autism, I am very familiar with the lack of social services and safety net for people with disabilities and their families. This same scarcity exists for residents across the county who need access to housing, mental health services, food, childcare, senior care and services, health and dental care, etc. These services benefit children and adults so they have better, healthier lives.For example, the CHCCS Board of Education and administrators recognized long ago that mental health needs are increasing in our school population and in order for children to learn better, those needs must be met. The same is true for food scarcity across all ages. As the commissioners heard in the recent bond public hearings, affordable housing helps all ages including school children. Senior services need expansion. I am a strong supporter of residents, nonprofits, universities and government partnering together to meet these needs.The county is taking a proactive approach with criminal justice hiring the county’s first criminal justice resource manager. Despite funding cuts from the state, the county is spending local funds to prevent higher expense later and to improve outcomes for citizens. Most people would not include parks and recreation under the umbrella of social services, but I think it fits here. More and more research indicates that exercise, being out-doors, and managing stress improves health. Our parks provide a place for all of of this to happen and provides social contacts and fun! Community centers similarly provide a place for these services to happen. Transportation is another critical element to enable residents to access services and jobs. Social services and resources available to all residents enriches our lives. We must support those most in need and provide opportunities for all of us to flourish.

• Sustainability & Environment Read More
  Here are my responses to the Sierra Club Candidate Questionnaire regarding sustainability and the environment:

  How do you plan to win the election, and what resources do you have available to your campaign?
  I am running on my accomplishments of the past seven years as an Orange County commissioner. The key is communicating my record to the public. I started the campaign with over $3,500 in the campaign account and will raise additional funds to buy additional media exposure. I also have a full slate of talented volunteers enthusiastically supporting me.

  Describe situations in the last five years in which you showed environmental leadership. What did you do? How were you effective?
  In 2020, to prepare for the environmental oversight role of the BOCC, I completed Environmental Science 100 at NC State to complement my membership in Climate Reality. The course involved many hours of reading, watching class lectures, projects, quizzes and exams. But the time and cash investment (I paid personally) has been invaluable.

  • I advocated with the BOCC to develop a Climate Action Plan that sets the target goals for reducing greenhouse emissions in 2030 by 50% and 100% by 2050. The Plan was unanimously adopted in 2023.  https://www.orangecountync.gov/3096/Climate-Action-Plan  We also significantly increased the recurring funding for the Plan from previous $50,000 budgets.

  • In partnership with then-Commissioner Anna Richardson, I led the board to reject the Solid Waste Department’s proposal to expand the Eubanks Road collection compound. The majority of the BOCC supported our rejection of the environmental racism of imposing further encroachment into the Rogers Road/Eubanks community.
  • Last year, as the BOCC representative to the Co-Gen Rail Transformation Project and BOCC Chair, I led the Board in writing and adopting a Resolution opposing the proposed pellet fuel at UNC after attending the NC DEQ public hearing along with other commissioners. We acted quickly and effectively. 

  
  On which environmental challenges should your county prioritize action during your term?

  Orange County should prioritize the following actions:

  • Continuing support for the climate action plan, especially:
    • Increasing transit options to decrease vehicle emissions, 
    • Reducing waste by expanding residential composting, and  
    • Supporting capital funding for climate resilience centers throughout the community.
  • Protecting water quality in Orange County’s two major watersheds (Upper Neuse and Jordan Lake). 

  
  How will you address environmental justice concerns throughout your county, in particular with regards to land use?

  • In addition to not supporting the expansion of the Eubanks Road as stated above, under my leadership as Board chair, the County continues to offer forgivable loans to low-income residents in the Rogers Road/Eubanks community to pay for connection to OWASA water and/or sewer. 
  • The county is working very closely with the RENA community on a plan for the Greene Tract and affordable housing. A consultant from the UNC School of Government is doing a feasibility study now on various mixes of affordable and market rate housing and costs. 
  • In 2023, we revised the UDO to increase support for affordable housing, including relaxation of the ADU rules.
  • An ongoing, serious issue we have within the mostly rural portions of the county is the expense of failing, end-of-useful-life septic systems. We do not yet have a plan in place, but we continue to work toward an equitable support program.
  • Ensure our farm preservation efforts include Black farmers.
  • I have served for two years as the BOCC representative on the Co-Gen Rail Transformation Project Policy Steering Committee. We are exploring the feasibility of a rails-to-trails project along that route, including the housing and economic development that might be considered when UNC stops using coal. We looked at light rail, but there is insufficient population to justify the cost. This is likely to proceed over the next 10-20 years, but there are significant advantages to planning in advance. This is an environmental justice problem for the historically Black neighborhoods surrounding the Cameron Avenue plant. 
  • Our Land Use Plan 2050 community outreach efforts include focus groups with minority communities. We paid an extra $20,000 for a statistically valid survey for our strategic planning that incorporated Land Use questions. We are reaching out to those who rarely engage with county government. 

  
  What is your vision for environmentally-responsible development in your county? Where and how should growth occur?

  Last spring our Land Use Plan 2050 consultant brought forward feedback from another round of public engagement. Based on that presentation, the BOCC developed a long list of issues that we needed to learn more about in order to make informed decisions. We devoted many more hours at work sessions and mini-retreats to hear speakers, learn more about our ordinances and state laws, etc. The work will continue throughout this upcoming term. Previous commissioners were truly visionary in land use planning, introducing the rural buffer, water protections, joint planning, and expanded riparian buffers. Our responsibility is to continue that environmental legacy while updating it with 21st century science and best practices.

  One of the most significant challenges in this UDO update is the conflict between protecting environmental treasures, the rights of private land owners, and the community’s need for increased housing supply. The General Assembly ties our hands in many ways. Given the high demand and high cost for housing in Orange County, the only way to increase housing for those earning 30% to 60% AMI is to subsidize development through public-private partnerships. We can further subsidize that development by building near transit for residents to save on transportation expenses and limit vehicle miles.

  But transit corridors are often located close to or through areas that need more environmental protections. For example, one of the most difficult decisions I’ve had to make as a commissioner was to change the water and sewer boundary along south 15-501 to the Chatham line as requested by the town of Chapel Hill. I voted in support with great hesitation. This expansion will eventually connect northern Chatham to UNC via BRT. But it also puts growth pressures on the University Lake watershed and several historic farmlands.

  We wrestle with sprawl. Should we have single family homes spread across the county? I went to high school in Northern Virginia where there is now sprawl all the way to Fredericksburg. The option to focus housing density within towns creates the sprawl of 5 or 10 acre lots with its own environmental, economic, and social challenges. Focused growth in existing urbanized areas makes the most sense to me. But that doesn’t ensure the new housing will be affordable.

  Reports from public engagement for the Comprehensive Plan 2050 shows that residents want it all. They want more housing, They want to preserve rural Orange County and farms. They want transit. And, folks also want to live both in town and in rural areas. I will be listening and weighing options. 

  How will you handle policies related to your county’s impact upon water quality?

  Clean water is a basic human right. Protecting that right will be a growing concern in the future due to growth within the county and climate change. Having served as the County representative to the Upper Neuse River Basin Association Board of Directors (UNRBA), I support their science based approach to regulation of Falls Lake. I also support the Jordan Lake One Water group and their efforts to adopt a similar type of cost-effective, science-based nitrogen trading program. 

  Currently Orange County has enacted several layers of protections within our watershed that are stricter than the state’s. But we are always at the mercy of the General Assembly. The county doesn’t have any direct role to play in PFAS mitigation at this time, but we are still meeting regularly with our OWASA representatives in case that changes.

  Both the Comprehensive Plan re-write and our focus on finding ways to replace failing septic systems will have positive impacts on water quality within the county. Our Lands Legacy Program is another structural layer of support for clean water. (OC recently closed on two projects! We bought almost 20 acres to expand Seven Mile Creek Natural Area in partnership with the Eno River Association and the NC Land and Water Fund. On December 21, a 28-acre working lands conservation easement closed on a farm with over 1,700 linear feet of streams.) Finding the right mix between development and protection is one of the key challenges to the Comprehensive Plan update.

  How will you work with neighboring counties and municipalities to encourage an integrated mass (high-capacity) transit system throughout the Triangle area?

  A regional approach to mass transit is the most cost effective and climate responsive approach. The BOCC continues to support funding for the Chapel Hill North South BRT in our transit plan and the Triangle West Transportation Planning Board (formerly the DCHC MPO) advocacy for multi-modal transportation. I also support the plan to develop a regional bike trail for the Triangle. 

  During my tenure on the BOCC, I have served 4 years on the DCHC MPO, and 3 years on the Burlington Graham MPO. In December, I joined the Triangle West Rural Planning Org. A common theme across these different-but-similar working groups is a concerted effort to convince the state that bike/ped/greenway-style projects need more funding and that NCDOT should expand their focus beyond roadways. Until that message is embraced by the state, we must continue to work to the best of our ability within our local budgets to support multi-modal transit.
  
  A number of communities across the nation have adopted aspirational goals of reaching “zero waste” at some point in this half-century.  What are some actions your county could take to attain such a goal?

  Orange County Solid Waste is working with a consultant on just this goal. The market for recyclables dropped off significantly within the past few years which has put serious constraints on the county’s solid waste fiscal profile. As a result the consultant is recommending the county focus on composting as the best and most cost effective option for reducing the waste stream.

  The first step in the county’s plan is to focus on purchasing decisions, encouraging residents to be responsible consumers by buying only what is needed and can be used and to pay attention to packaging options. 

  While that public outreach plan is underway, an expanded composting program will be introduced. According to the 2024 analysis of the Orange County waste stream, 42% of our waste could be composted, and 27% of that 42% is food waste. Orange County Schools is partnering with the county and there is a plan to restart the food composting program within CHCCs. Removing food waste from our waste stream will move us much closer to our goal of zero waste. 

  The county signed a contract with a law firm in December to explore purchase of land for a new recycling center in the county. 

  What other policies and programs would you advocate for in order to promote climate mitigation and resilience? Feel free to refer to previous answers, where relevant, rather than repeat.

  • A rigorous tree planting program. Ironically, our sustainability director received a $25,000 grant from Duke Energy to plant trees. We need to build upon that support.
  • Speed up the acquisition of conservation easements for farmland preservation which often include tree farms. Spend the $4 million already committed in the CIP for Lands Legacy projects!
  • Purchase additional transit and electric vehicles. In 2026 the BOCC initiated a one-year, fare-free pilot project with Orange County Transit. If it is successful, which we expect it will be, we will need to expand the fleet. We added two fully electric Ford E-Transit shuttle vans in July 2025.
  • Mass transit is not viable for rural Northern Orange population, however, those residents are making good use of the mobility-on-demand vans. While that program doesn’t reduce vehicle miles, it does build a culture and experience for using transit. 
  • I love that our senior centers offer classes on how to ride the bus! We need to continue these and advertise them better.  

• Affordable Housing Read More
  Partnering with nonprofits with experience in affordable housing development is an affordable housing option. For example, Chapel Hill is partnering with nonprofit DHIC, to construct affordable apartments using federal tax credits for investors as administered by the NC Housing Finance Agency. The town donated the land and Chapel Hill and the county provided low cost loans of about $300K. The tax credits will generate about $7.2 million in financing.  These 80 apartments are for those with incomes at or below 60% of the local median income. It’s a start, but the need is much greater.The Seattle Times reports Jan 1, 2016 that cities and counties are partnering a low-interest loan program to lend to developers to buy land or existing apartments near transit stops that would be reserved and priced for people earning less than 80% of the area median income. It is expected that developers would also line up other funding sources such as the federal tax credits. This loan program is intended to pass the first hurdle of acquiring the land or existing apartments. It is modeled on similar programs in Denver and the Bay Area. I also think developing a locally funded rent subsidy program needs to be researched. Another area of concern is the substandard quality of some existing rental units. Could a low-interest loan program be used to help landlords make repairs while requiring that rents remain low?
  Some states have senior citizen and disabled exemptions that reduces property taxes by 50% for those over age 65 and earning below some threshold such as $29,000 (NY). In NC those 65 years old or older, or who are totally disabled, and have income below $29,500 may apply for the Homestead Exclusion Program for a discount of $25,000 or 50% of the appraised value of your permanent residence plus the value of up to 1.0 acre of land, whichever is greater. We can advocate for more significant tax relief or for the power for the county to have the right to adjust this, at the state level for homeowners, but this does not help renters.The county is landbanking to have some land available for displaced mobile units. That’s creative. We can review ordinances for any changes needed to consider allowing tiny homes that are currently classified as trailers and accessory dwelling units. We need to ask our professional staff to investigate other communities’ work in this area, ask if the chambers can provide assistance with gathering this information, ask our residents and check in with our universities for their knowledge and research. The towns, county, and UNC need to collaborate as well on these solutions.