There are growing questions over how much time the director of Orange County Animal Care spends in California since she claims a home in Texas as her primary residence under penalty of perjury but also claims to work full time in office in Orange County.
Remote work at the County of Orange remains a contentious topic – with more line workers interested in remote arrangements since the pandemic – an accommodation that county managers have increasingly tightened up in recent years.
Under the county’s remote work policy, department heads are the only ones allowed to decide when or if county employees can work remotely.
To read the county’s remote work policy, click here.
When asked if department heads had to answer to anyone else when greenlighting their own remote work, County Spokesperson Molly Nichelson said it was up to them alone.
“Telecommuting is at the discretion of the Department Head based on operational needs,” Nichelson wrote in a Friday text.
Voice of OC reached out several times to OC Animal Care for a comment from Director Monica Schmidt, but were repeatedly told the department does not comment on “personnel matters.”
Schmidt took over as the agency’s director in 2024, their third in five years after previous directors left amid protests and scandals over how they treated animals in the shelter.
Read: New OC Animal Shelter Director Looks to Reconnect With Public
While Schmidt has worked for OC Animal Care since 2020, starting out as an assistant director, before that she worked for a Houston-based nonprofit aimed at helping animals and still owns a home in the city, which public records indicate she acquired in 2017.
According to the Harris County Central Appraisal District’s website, Schmidt takes what’s dubbed the residential homestead exemption for her property tax, which helps lower the total amount of property taxes paid on the house for state residents.
To qualify for the exemption, homeowners have to state it’s their primary residence according to the Texas Comptroller’s website.
“To qualify for the general residence homestead exemption, a home must meet the definition of a residence homestead and an individual must have an ownership interest in the property and use the property as the individual’s principal residence,” reads the website. “An applicant is required to state that he or she does not claim an exemption on another residence homestead in or outside of Texas.”
While it’s unclear how much the exemption lowers Schmidt’s taxes, the online disclosures note that it changes the value of the property by over $150,000 for evaluators looking to charge her taxes.
On the form Schmidt signed to request the lower taxes in 2021, it notes that any perjury could lead to criminal charges.
“I understand if I make a false statement on this form, I could be found guilty of a Class A misdemeanor or a state jail felony,” reads the form, which then states “that I/the property owner meet(s) the qualifications under Texas law for the residence homestead exemption for which I am applying.”
On that form, which was obtained by a Voice of OC public records request, Schmidt notes that she had a residential exemption before that she wanted to get renewed.
“I had a residential exemption in 2017-2020. Suddenly it disappeared in 2021. Please reinstate and back date,” wrote Schmidt.
The forms also identify her as the sole owner of the property and include her driver’s license.
The Harris County disclosure page also notes that she continued to take the exemption on the property through at least 2025.
According to Transparent California, Schmidt was paid over $373,000 by Orange County taxpayers that year between her salary and benefits package.
Schmidt also was seen regularly driving a car with Texas plates to her job at OC Animal Care in Tustin, despite the fact that California law requires new vehicles to be registered within 20 days and to get new plates according to the DMV’s website.
After several activists began to question those license plates, Schmidt began driving a different car to work with California plates.
Despite the Texas home and car, Orange County officials claim Schmidt works full time in California.
When asked about the issue, Alexa Pratt, a spokesperson for the county, declined to comment beyond confirming that Schmidt is not a hybrid or remote worker.
“She is not a remote or hybrid worker,” Pratt wrote in a May statement. “Questions pertaining to personal property or tax documentation are unrelated to an employee’s employment with the County.”
Noah Biesiada is a Voice of OC reporter. Contact him at nbiesiada@voiceofoc.org.
