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Investing in Orange County, and it's Budget Season. May 7, 2026.

  • Writer: Marilyn Carter
    Marilyn Carter
  • May 7
  • 3 min read
Photo: with Commissioner Phyllis Portie-Ascott and Governor Josh Stein at a ribbon cutting for Morinaga-America, Inc. on April 21, 2026, in Mebane, NC.
Photo: with Commissioner Phyllis Portie-Ascott and Governor Josh Stein at a ribbon cutting for Morinaga-America, Inc. on April 21, 2026, in Mebane, NC.

Friends,

 

April brought good news: a major expansion and investment in Orange County jobs by Morinaga-America, Inc., a Japanese candy maker with U.S. operations in Mebane..

 

Also in April, I moderated a community discussion on water infrastructure—drinking, stormwater, and wastewater—titled "From Faucets to Floods - who's paying for our Water?".

 

First, in North Carolina, spring is budget season.

Counties and municipalities across our state are required under state law to prepare and pass a balanced budget each year by June 30th.

 

So I'll cut to the chase:


This is a challenging budget year.

 

County government cannot absorb unfunded mandates and cost increases without cuts to services or additional revenue to offset them. Here's why this year is particularly difficult:

 

State education pressures:

In North Carolina, public schools are administered by local boards of education and are funded partly by counties through property tax revenue. Years of limited state funding—for teacher pay and school infrastructure—have created major strain. The legislature redirected nearly a half-billion dollars of state funding in FY2024-2025 to private school vouchers, deepening the pressure on our public school system. To address aging facilities, Orange County voters approved $300M of bond funding in 2024—a major show of local commitment, and now property tax revenue is required to service the debt.

 

Federal cost shifts:

New Medicaid and SNAP (food assistance) recertification requirements are pushing administrative costs down to counties. For Orange County, this adds $900,000 annually to our budget.

 

Rising operational costs:

Expenses for fuel, insurance, vehicles and construction materials have risen sharply.

 

What's the impact?

We depend on the services Orange County provides--including schools, emergency services, law enforcement and social services. Residents also appreciate our parks, libraries, senior centers, recycling programs and the animal shelter.

 

Without additional revenue, the Board of Commissioners will be forced to cut some services, reconsider timing of infrastructure investments, raise taxes or implement some combination of the three.

 

Clearly, these decisions affect all of us.



That is why I invite you to join one of several

Orange County Budget Information Sessions:





More about April happenings:


GOVERNOR JOSH STEIN CELEBRATED MORINAGA-AMERICA FOODS' EXPANSION IN ORANGE COUNTY:


On April 21, HI-CHEW candy manufacturer Morinaga America Foods, Inc.--known for chewy fruit candy--hosted a ribbon-cutting ceremony for a second manufacturing site in Mebane.




Celebration participants included Mebane Mayor Ed Hooks, Governor Josh Stein, Morinaga President and COO Mr. Shinya Mori, Consulate-General of Japan Mr. Kenichi Matsuda and Orange County BOCC Chair Jean Hamilton.



ON EARTH DAY, I WAS HONORED TO MODERATE "FROM FAUCETS TO FLOODS - WHO'S PAYING FOR OUR WATER?"


On April 22, the Neighbor-to-Neighbor community organization hosted an event featuring panelists with expertise in water treatment, federal policy, environmental justice, sustainability, and resiliency.




With the panelists (l to r): Marie Strandwitz (Hillsborough Utilities), Martin Doyle (Duke University), Louis Rivers III (NC State University), Melissa McCullough (retired, US EPA), and Shana Shapiro (NC Department of Environmental Quality).



One of the panelists, Louis Rivers (who also serves on the Chapel Hill Town Council), observed how climate change is affecting the discussion of water in general, and how each day, we see its impacts accelerating around us. He also shared a personal anecdote:

 

"I have children, and I have sat down with them and said: 'this summer will be the coolest summer you experience for the rest of your lives. It only gets warmer from here' ."

 

Scientific studies have shown that warmer air holds more water vapor and is contributing to atmospheric rivers -- like the one that struck Orange County as part of Tropical Depression Chantal on July 6, 2025.

 

As these storms become more frequent and severe, investments in flood planning, resilience and mitigation become more essential.

 

Fittingly, on Tuesday, May 5, the Board of Commissioners approved an amendment to the Eno-Haw Mitigation Plan that came out of the Chantal After-Action Review to evaluate potential mitigation strategies in and around Morgan Creek, in the vicinity of University Lake Dam.

 

These investments in flood resilience are part of a broader commitment to water stewardship, and the Board on April 21 approved a 12-month moratorium on large-scale data centers. This moratorium will allow County staff to evaluate how to protect our water resources and our residents while responsibly considering future development.






Marilyn Carter

Orange County Commissioner



Paid for by Friends of Marilyn Carter

 
 
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