Editor’s Note: This questionnaire is part of an ongoing series publishing candidates’ opinions on how they would run the government if they were elected county supervisor. All questionnaires are archived on the Voice of OC Elections Page.
One of the biggest challenges facing Orange County Supervisors right now is the public budget and its growing structural deficit.
While county leaders have managed to technically balance the budget every year as required by state law, county executives have warned they’re increasingly relying on reserves and other one time funds to make ends meet.
This year, they fell $75 million short of a self-balancing budget, their fourth year in a row of missing the mark by tens of millions of dollars.
There are also growing questions over how transparent county staff are with the public, labor groups and county supervisors themselves about what actually goes into that budget, with repeated debates over tactics that can obscure how much money is actually being spent and where it’s coming from.
We asked candidates for county supervisor a series of questions about how they plan to handle the budget should they win election, and whether the public needs more insight into the county’s $10 billion bureaucracy.
If elected, you’re coming into a county with a structurally imbalanced budget. What steps do you think the county should take to rightsize the budget?
Shaw, Fourth District: The first step is to distinguish between core responsibilities and spending that is discretionary or duplicative. Public safety, infrastructure and essential county services have to remain priorities, but every department should be expected to justify its spending and identify efficiencies. I would want a thorough review of contracts, vacancies, administrative costs and programs to determine where we can consolidate services or reduce costs without undermining essential services. We also need realistic revenue and expenditure assumptions so we are not using one-time money to cover ongoing expenses. As Supervisor, I would approach the budget the same way families and businesses have to approach theirs: set priorities, control ongoing costs and maintain adequate reserves.
Traut, Fourth District: The County has a $75 million gap, and we can’t keep using one-time reserves to cover ongoing expenses. We need a sustainable plan for those costs. That starts with making the budget easier to understand, clearly showing cash flow, identifying dollars parked for projects that are not moving forward, and eliminating waste and duplication. Those conversations should happen in our communities, not just boardrooms at inconvenient hours. Together, we can prioritize what matters most: keeping our communities safe, putting food on families’ tables, keeping roofs over their heads, ensuring accessible and affordable medical care, and protecting a healthy environment.
Dixon, Fifth District: Spending must match projected revenues. We cannot continue using reserves and non-recurring revenue to cover ongoing expenses. The county needs to require each department head to identify key cost drivers, eliminate duplication and low-priority spending and require departments to live within flat year-over-year budgets adjusted for inflation. We also need quarterly financial reviews so the Board knows when departments are headed toward overruns before they happen. I have balanced budgets in local government and private industry for over 30 years. The goal should be simple: ongoing operating expenses should be funded with ongoing revenues.
Foley, Fifth District: We’ve already begun cutting wasteful spending, freezing hiring and reducing our budget. I will keep demanding accountability while protecting public safety and essential services. I will advance development of unused County parcels to generate ongoing revenue and fight to bring our tax dollars home. Orange County sends more to Sacramento and Washington than we get back. Now, H.R. 1 has slashed federal funding for County programs and shifted costs onto local taxpayers. We need spending discipline and our fair share.
Historically, a significant portion of the county’s discretionary budget goes to the Sheriff’s Department. Would you change that?
Shaw, Fourth District: No. Public safety is one of the fundamental responsibilities of government, and I strongly support adequately funding law enforcement. The Sheriff, like every department, should operate within a transparent and accountable budget. I would look closely at staffing, overtime, vacancies and recurring budget adjustments so the Board and the public have an accurate picture of what public safety actually costs.
Traut, Fourth District: I would not begin with an arbitrary cut to public safety. As a former Orange County Juvenile Justice Commissioner, I’ve seen firsthand the importance of our full local justice system. I’m proud to have the support of Orange County’s Deputy Sheriffs and Deputy District Attorneys, and I would prioritize funding deputies and investigators, the District Attorney, Public Defender, courts, probation, and the technology and regional resources needed to disrupt crime. My victims-first approach means keeping communities safe, supporting those harmed by crime, and ensuring the justice system has the staffing and resources to hold offenders accountable.
Dixon, Fifth District: Public safety needs to remain a funding priority for Orange County and I do not believe in arbitrarily targeting the Sheriff’s Department for cuts or setting a predetermined share of the budget. At the same time, no department should get a blank check. We need a budget that accurately accounts for the cost of providing essential services, greater scrutiny of overtime and other growing expenses and regular reporting to the Board and public. Every department should be expected to justify its spending and identify cost saving efficiencies.
Foley, Fifth District: I support fully funding public protection to maintain safe communities. I oppose cutting the Sheriff’s budget simply because it is one of our largest. Residents deserve safe neighborhoods and deputies they trust. I will continue working with Sheriff Barnes to control costs, and recruit, retain and train quality deputies. Those investments protect residents and deputies and reduce the risk of costly litigation. We also lead the state and most of the nation in training in behavioral health response, homeland security, de-escalation strategies for crowd control, and cybersecurity.
Many of the county’s bargaining units do not have a contract right now, or have a contract that is up next year. How would you approach contract negotiations with union leaders amid a structurally imbalanced budget?
Shaw, Fourth District: County employees provide important service to Orange County residents, and negotiations should be respectful, professional and conducted in good faith. Agreements need to be financially sustainable not only in the first year, but over the life of the contract. Promising compensation today that the county cannot afford tomorrow ultimately hurts employees, taxpayers and county services.
Traut, Fourth District: I believe in good-faith bargaining with no surprises. Both sides should be working from the same honest financial information, with early communication about what is sustainable and what employees need to continue delivering strong public services. I’m proud to be endorsed by the Orange County Employees Association and labor organizations throughout the County, and I value workers as partners in solving budget challenges. We should protect recruitment, retention, and service quality without balancing the budget on workers’ backs. Fair contracts and fiscal responsibility can go hand in hand.
Dixon, Fifth District: County employees provide essential services, and we need to negotiate with their representatives fairly and in good faith. But we also have an obligation to taxpayers and cannot make long-term commitments that the county cannot afford. I would look closely at pay, benefits, staffing and our ability to recruit and retain good employees, while being upfront about the county’s financial condition. We need agreements that are fair to our workforce and responsible to the taxpayers who ultimately pay the bills.
Foley, Fifth District: I believe in fair pay and responsible budgeting. Our current one-year agreements barely cover inflation, and we cannot deliver quality services without retaining experienced employees. I support negotiating in good faith with bargaining groups and looking first for savings in contracts, overhead, and unnecessary spending. Any ongoing wage increases need reliable funding. My goal is a fair contract that values our workers, protects services and keeps the County financially sound.
Do you think the county’s current budgeting process is transparent enough for the public to understand and engage with?
Shaw, Fourth District: There is always room for improvement. Posting hundreds or thousands of pages of budget documents technically makes information public, but that does not necessarily make it understandable. Ideally, residents should be able to see where revenues come from, where dollars are going, how spending has changed and what major decisions the Board is considering. Important budget decisions should receive meaningful public discussion before a vote. Transparency builds trust, and Orange County’s government needs that trust.
Traut, Fourth District: The budget process should be easier for residents to understand and participate in, not something that mainly works for people already inside County government. I would support plain-language budget summaries, clearer explanations of major spending changes, and public workshops held out in the community at times when working people and families can realistically attend. Residents should have a meaningful opportunity to weigh in before major budget decisions are effectively finalized.
Dixon, Fifth District: No. The county has taken steps to make budget information more accessible, but there is still room for improvement. Taxpayers should be able to easily understand where their money is going and how spending decisions are made. In the wake of the Andrew Do scandal, there should be greater transparency and accountability in supervisors’ discretionary spending, including clear public reporting of where those dollars go. Budget documents should be easy for residents to find, understand and scrutinize.
Foley, Fifth District: No. I have raised these concerns publicly. The County’s budget process relies too heavily on technical language, making it difficult for residents to understand and engage. The public and the Board deserve clear answers about available funds, existing commitments, and spending choices. County staff has been reluctant to provide that clarity, even when the Board must make consequential budget decisions.
Noah Biesiada is a Voice of OC reporter. Contact him at nbiesiada@voiceofoc.org.
