After city staff said the council didn’t have the legal authority to rescind or suspend the sales tax increase, which voters approved in 2018, council members David Penaloza and Phil Bacerra criticized Iglesias for bringing up the issue.
Author Archives: Brandon Pho
As a Voice of OC reporter, Brandon Pho covered north/central Orange County, as well as broader regional issues around law enforcement, transportation, the environment, the OC Fair and Little Saigon.
He joined in 2018 as an intern, shedding light on turmoil and corruption claims in Westminster and uncovering a now-fired OC Fair executive’s suspect fundraising relationship with a nearby, private Christian college that the Fair had sponsored with public money.
Later, he published a number of investigative stories on local law enforcement agencies; detailed political jockeying around a controversial seawater desalting plant proposal in Huntington Beach; narrated a racial reckoning inside one of the county’s largest school districts; and tracked various quality of life issues across the region.
Before Voice of OC, Brandon worked as a reporter and editor at Cal State Fullerton’s independent student newspaper, the Daily Titan, and won a number of accolades for his reporting in 2018, including a 1st and 2nd place Los Angeles Press Club award and 1st place national College Media Association award.
While at Voice of OC, Brandon was a member of Report for America, a national network of local reporters committed to bolstering democracy throughout the U.S.
Posted inCountywide, Government, NEWS, Politics & Elections, REGIONS, Top Stories, Westminster
Early Recall Election Results Show Westminster Council Majority Likely to Stay in Office
More than 700 ballots remain to be counted, though recall election results Tuesday night showed a clear majority of voters chose to keep Westminster City Council members Kimberly Ho, Charlie Nguyen, and Mayor Tri Ta in office.
Posted inEconomy, Emergencies & Disasters, Government, NEWS, Safety, Security & Justice, Santa Ana, Top Stories
Council Member Pushes Discussion on Suspending Santa Ana Sales Tax Increase
Iglesias is calling on the city to find a way to lower sales taxes for people and families making purchases during the coronavirus public health crisis on tonight’s meeting agenda.
Posted inCountywide, Economy, Emergencies & Disasters, Government, Housing & Homelessness, Investigative, Top Stories
Orange County COVID-19: Daily Update on Deaths, Hospitalizations & Response
As of Monday, 14 people have died from the novel coronavirus in Orange County and 130 are hospitalized as the number of confirmed cases reached 882 out of roughly 10,500 people tested.
Posted inCountywide, Emergencies & Disasters, Government, NEWS, Safety, Security & Justice, State, Top Stories
Are Orange County Hospitals, Already 60% Full, Ready For Coronavirus Case Surge?
Local hospitals, eyeing surges in coronavirus cases in other parts of the country, are stretching out their capacity to a total goal of 5,367 beds available countywide, and county health care agency officials say the medical facilities are more than 60% full.
Posted inTop Stories
Coronavirus Outbreak in OC Jails Triggers Early Inmate Releases and Worker Safety Protests
With OC jails experiencing a novel coronavirus outbreak, County officials are beginning to early release about scores of prisoners early and workers are getting apprehensive. Meanwhile, a group of criminal defense attorneys are asking a federal judge to clear out the jails.
Posted inCountywide, Emergencies & Disasters, Government, NEWS, Top Stories, Transportation
Scores of OC Bus Drivers Employed Through Private Contractors Laid Off During Public Health Crisis
While bus drivers and operations employees directly employed by OCTA get to keep their jobs and even their pay as some stay home, bus drivers employed through two private contractors the agency gives money to have been laid off, and will see their benefits follow their jobs out the door.
Posted inCountywide, Emergencies & Disasters, Top Stories
Will Virtual Government Be Open to The Public?
With so many remote local government meetings on the horizon, and so many technical glitches on the part of the county and cities regarding public comment, there’s a rising tide of worry. Some are calling for delays on public planning hearings, like tonight’s debate on a controversial building project in Santa Ana called One Broadway Plaza, until video and audio feeds at city council and other public chambers are adapted for remote viewing audiences.
Posted inEmergencies & Disasters, Government, Health & Wellness, Housing & Homelessness, NEWS, Politics & Elections, REGIONS, Safety, Security & Justice, Top Stories, Westminster
Westminster Could Join Number of OC Cities Banning Evictions
It would be the latest city to join a growing list banning evictions throughout the county amid the coronavirus public health emergency. Many residents in Little Saigon area live in rental units with many others living in accessory dwelling units and mobile homes.
Posted inCountywide, Emergencies & Disasters, Government, Health & Wellness, Irvine, NEWS, Politics & Elections, REGIONS, Santa Ana, Top Stories, Westminster
How Coronavirus Will Affect OC Special Elections This Year
In-person voting has been cancelled for a special recall election in Westminster. It’s still up in the air whether Santa Ana’s special recall election will follow suit.
