Officials are dissolving five resident-run advisory boards to save tens of thousands of dollars in the face of a multi-million dollar budget gap.
Author Archives: Hosam Elattar
Hosam Elattar is a Voice of OC/ Report For America reporter covering Anaheim & North Orange County, food insecurity, housing & homelessness, the Arab & Muslim American community and education.
Elattar started at Voice of OC as an intern in January, 2020 and has covered local food banks’ response to the COVID-19 pandemic, School board debates on how to teach history, the decades long push by Arab American business owners to recognize Little Arabia and a corruption scandal at Anaheim City Hall.
He has won several awards from the OC Press Club including Best News Story, Best Political Story and Best Religion Story.
Elattar is Egyptian American and has lived in Botswana, Nepal, Uganda, The Dominican Republic and India.
Posted inGovernment
Grand Jury Questions if Orange County Can Hold Elected Officials Accountable
O.C. Grand Jurors are recommending a charter reform to give O.C. Supervisors the power to remove county elected officials for misconduct with a supermajority vote.
Posted inFullerton
Auditors Question if Fullerton is Properly Overseeing Budget
Auditors are recommending Fullerton hire an experienced chief financial officer and be more forthright with budget documentation and presentations as city leaders grapple with a projected budget deficit.
Posted inHealth & Wellness
Questions Emerge Over Why OC Officials Didn’t Seek Funding for Black Infant Health
Program leaders and some OC Supervisors question why county public health officials decided to not renew a state grant aimed at boosting Black maternal health, but health officials say the administrative cost behind the program was too high.
Posted inSanta Ana
Santa Ana Officials to Purge City Commissions to Curb $13 Million Budget Gap
Santa Ana City Council members are poised to dissolve five city commissions Tuesday along with a host of other program cuts to help balance a $13 million budget deficit.
Posted inSafety, Security & Justice
Orange County Gears up For Illegal Fireworks Ahead of America’s 250th Birthday
Cities across the county are kicking up enforcement and implementing ordinances to curb illegal fireworks ahead of a monumental Fourth of July weekend.
Posted inOrange
Is Municipal Bankruptcy on the Horizon if Orange’s Sales Tax Measure Fails?
A majority of Orange City Council members promised to cut more spending if a sales tax increase measure fails in November to avoid bankruptcy, while two say fiscal insolvency is not on the horizon.
Posted inGovernment
OC Grand Jury Questions Why County Supervisors Need Millions of Discretionary Dollars
As supervisors continue to expand their staff and increase their salaries, Orange County Grand Jurors are questioning how that benefits residents.
Posted inAnaheim
Anaheim Backs Off Regulating Self-Checkout For Now
Anaheim officials are holding off on an ordinance regulating self-checkout kiosks at local stores and retail pharmacies that workers say will curb theft while grocers say it will raise prices.
Posted inPolitics & Elections
Two Santa Ana Councilmembers Could Face Off in November Assembly Race
As ballots continue to be counted, two Santa Ana City Council members are poised to face off in November for a seat on the State Assembly in a tight race.
