Chatham Unit

League of Women Voters^®
of Orange-Durham-Chatham

Chatham County Unit Meetings and Information

2010 fall Voter Registration Drives. Chatham Unit Teams. Immigration Team Update. Notes on Chatham County. Contact Information.

2010 fall Voter Registration Drives

The Chatham Unit is sponsoring three Voter Registration drives in the fall. If you are interested in helping to register voters please contact Beverly Hanly (hanly.bd@gmail.com)or Cynthia Wertz (cynthia_wertz@embarqmail.com).
1. Sunday, Sept. 5, noon - 4pm, downtown Pittsboro during the First Sunday of the month event
2. Saturday, Sept. 18, 10am-2pm, Super Walmart, Siler City
3. Sunday, Oct. 3, noon - 4pm, downtown Pittsboro during the First Sunday of the month event

First Sunday of the Month in Pittsboro First Sunday takes place on the first Sunday of each month. All the retailers that are members of the Pittsboro Merchants Association along Hillsboro Street open their doors for business from noon to 4 p.m. Also, craftspeople and vendors set up shop on the sidewalks, and live music is performed April through November.

Chatham Unit Teams

Chatham League Members Are Invited To Attend Unit Meetings and to Join Chatham Unit Teams
- Many opportunities exist for you to be involved that would take as little as an hour a month, or more depending on your schedule.
PARTNERSHIP DEVELOPMENT TEAM
- helps build working relationships and partnerships with the community, civic groups, local organizations, and the media in addressing community issues that fall under LWVODC local positions.
VOTER INFORMATION AND VOTERS GUIDE TEAM
- works with the Chatham County Board of Elections in getting more young people involved in the voting process, helping to register voters, and assisting at the polls.
- works with local non partisan organizations and civic groups to co-sponsor candidate meetings
- develops voter information and voters guides
- updates the Chatham County information in the LWVODC Citizen's Guide.
CHATHAM COUNTY MEETING OBSERVERS
- attend Chatham County Commissioners meetings and update the LWV Chatham Unit on issues of importance to League positions
- attend Chatham County Board of Education meetings and update LWV Chatham Unit on issues of importance to League positions
IMMIGRATION TEAM
- organizes Immigration Reform forums
- takes actions based upon LWV position on immigration reform to help address immigration issues in Chatham County
NEWCOMER ORIENTATION TEAM
- provides information about local government, the LWV, and local historical tidbits to new Chatham County residents.

Immigration Team Update

A forum on Immigration Reform challenges and what actions the League and you can take is being planned for March 2011.
The Chatham Unit is exploring how to shape its future efforts and program ideas on immigration. If you are interested in being part of this Team contact Brenda Rogers at brenda.rogers@earthlink.net
Backgound: The LWV position includes supporting a path to citizenship for current unauthorized immigrants, federal enforcement of immigration laws, and full due process rights for immigrants. In addition, the position supports federal immigration law that provides an efficient, expeditious system for legal entry of immigrants into the United States. Read the detailed LWV position on Immigration, various LWV resource documents on immigration reform, and the Economic Impact of the Hispanic Population in NC.

Notes on Chatham County

In March 2009, George Lucier, Chairman of the Chatham County Commissioners, gave a 2009 State of the County Address. It was a mixed bag of good news and bad news. For a detailed look at the state of the county, look at the Chairman's presentation charts:
2009 Chatham County State Address Part 1
2009 Chatham County State Address Part 2
- Until last year and the economic downturn and the issues with waste water treatment, Chatham was the fastest growing county in NC, with a current population of 62,000 projected to be 87,000 by 2020. In fact, 12,000 homes have been approved but not build. If these homes are built, they will bring about 8,000 school children. The result would be that Chatham would need a new school every other year to accommodate the arrival of these many children. Where will the Commissioners find the funds to build these facilities?
- Chatham ranks 3rd. in NC in per capital income, but income of residents living and working in the county is the lowest in NC. Affordable housing is a major issue for Chatham residents - the average new Chatham home costs $400K. In a recent news article, Katy O'Leary, broker in charge at Castle Creek Realty in Pittsboro, said that many buyers end up purchasing homes in Durham or Raleigh where there is a larger selection of affordable homes. "You can't buy a house for under $200,000 in [Pittsboro] anymore." A new Affordable Housing Commission has just been created by the county. We need to monitor its progress!
- Chatham is in better fiscal shape than most NC counties partly because its debt ratio per capital is low, it has a strong fund balance - 20%, it delayed several construction projects, and froze staff positions. Its government employees make about 14% less in salary and benefits than other counties in our population group, and the number of government employees per 1,000 population (7.39 vs 8.97) is below state average. Although, we have one of the lowest crime rates in the state (about 50% less property crime), a new jail is needed or major renovations required. Revenue is down, and we have a sluggish recovery in sight. The prospects of further budget cuts next year is likely. How will the County Commissioners prioritize cuts to services and the county budget?
Chatham County Budget Overview and Details

Contact Information

To learn more about the League of Women Voters in Chatham County contact: Cynthia Wertz: 542-6696 or cynthia_wertz@embarqmail.com

Comments, suggestions, questions? Contact our webmaster. Last revised: July 22, 2010 14:45 PDT.