More than 200 in the DA’s office will have to file financial interest disclosures as part of the fallout from revelations that DA Chief of Staff Susan Kang Schroeder had not been filing them.
Author Archives: Nick Gerda
Nick covers the city of Santa Ana, as well as the County of Orange, often reporting on issues like homelessness, public safety, mental health, and the role of money in politics.
Since joining Voice of OC in 2011, Nick has regularly shed light on topics that are often kept in the shadows. He’s reported on systemic problems in the county’s mental health system. He also led a reporting team that produced sophisticated looks at how the Disney corporation campaign contributions influenced recent elections in Anaheim.
Nick also revealed evidence of elected leaders using their official powers to apparently pressure government contractors into donating to their election campaigns, in an article that was awarded best news story of the year by the Orange County Press Club. He firmly believes journalism should inform the public and help hold the powerful accountable.
An Orange County native, Nick first started covering local government in his mid-teens, before attending Santa Ana College, the American University in Cairo, and UC Irvine, where he graduated with a bachelor’s degree in political science.
Languages spoken: English, elementary Spanish, minimal Arabic and minimal Japanese
Areas of expertise: Local government, local politics, homelessness, mental health policy, campaign finance, California Public Records Act, Ralph M. Brown Act, County of Orange government, Santa Ana city government and municipal finance.
Posted inGovernment, Top Stories
Pension Board Slams Actuary Firm for $12 Million Payment Hike
Segal Consulting took months to reveal key changes that are slated to trigger at least $12 million per year in extra payments from cities and other public agencies.
Posted inGovernment, Top Stories
OC Supervisors to De-Fund Office That Reviews Sheriff’s Department Investigations
During an all-day budget hearing, the county’s top elected officials took a unanimous “straw vote” to completely de-fund the Office of Independent Review.
Posted inGovernment, Investigative, News Briefs, Top Stories, Transportation
County Budget Hearing Kicks Off With Some Requests Not Recommended for Funding
Most of the discussion is expected to center on how to divvy up the more than $60 million in extra discretionary funding for the next fiscal year, which starts July 1.
Posted inGovernment, Top Stories
Daly Tries Again to Strip Audit Power from County Supervisors
County supervisors see the move as payback for a report by the county’s internal auditor, which found that a restricted fund at the county’s clerk-recorder’s office was badly mismanaged under Tom Daly’s tenure before he took office in the Assembly in late 2012.
Posted inGovernment, Health & Wellness, Top Stories
Jump in Food Safety Violations Prompts Debate by OC Supervisors
There appears to be general support for adding inspectors, but letter-grades proved much more controversial given opposition from Supervisor Andrew Do.
Posted inEmergencies & Disasters, Government, Top Stories, Yorba Linda
340-Home Development Above Yorba Linda Gets Approval Amid Wildfire Concerns
The approval came after an organized group of residents raised a series of concerns, especially regarding fire evacuations. But the developer argued his project would act as a buffer between existing homes and a wildfire.
Posted inAnaheim, Government, Housing & Homelessness, Top Stories
Plans For OC’s First Year-Round Homeless Shelter Move Forward
Longstanding efforts to establish Orange County’s first year-round homeless shelter took a major step forward Tuesday, when county supervisors started the process to buy a building in a commercial area of Anaheim.
Posted inCountywide, Government, News Briefs, Top Stories
IT System Outages Hit Multiple County Departments
Major computer and phone network problems have affected county agencies in recent days, including taking out all of one department’s systems for a full day, according to officials.
Posted inInside the Newsroom, Investigative, News Briefs, Santa Ana
Voice of OC Podcast: DA Clears Pulido
In our second episode, we delve into the district attorney’s decision not to file charges against Santa Ana Mayor Miguel Pulido over his questionable property swap with a city contractor.
