Council members attempted to stake out a middle ground, with a majority supporting adding new branding to Fourth Street to reflect its Latino character, but rejecting other aspects of the proposal including subsidies for health-focused small businesses.
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
Top Finance Official: County Pension System on ‘Very Good Track’
Following years of dire warnings from political leaders and concessions by employees, the Orange County government’s retirement system is on its way to the 80-percent funding level, which finance officials say represents a healthy system.
Posted inGovernment, Health & Wellness, News Briefs, Top Stories
Supervisor: County Needs to Focus More on Diversity
Supervisor Andrew Do highlights perceptions that the county’s management structure is too homogeneous.
Posted inCountywide, Government, Top Stories
Move to Make Fire Authority’s Board Smaller Sparks Debate
A proposed law to reduce the number of board members at the Orange County Fire Authority is being pushed by the agency’s main firefighters union, but also raising concerns that South County cities would have their representation unfairly reduced.
Posted inGovernment, Investigative, Top Stories
Supervisors Assert Themselves Against DA on ACLU Loss and DNA Collection
County Supervisors assert themselves against District Attorney Tony Rackauckas over the financial impacts of recent legal losses to the ACLU on gang injunctions. Supervisors also question whether Orange County needs two separate DNA-collection efforts by the Sheriff and DA.
Posted inCountywide, Government, Investigative, Top Stories
Supervisors Clash Over Allegations of Improper Politicking at County Events
Supervisor Shawn Nelson’s allegations regarding former Supervisor Janet Nguyen sparked a debate over the fine line supervisors walk between public service and self promotion.
Posted inCountywide, Government, Top Stories
County Explores Corporate Sponsorships for Animal Shelter, Other Agencies
The county could sell sponsorships for items ranging from dog shelter kennels to hygiene kits the county hands out to homeless people, according to proposal that drew both excitement and concern from supervisors.
Posted inAnaheim, Countywide, Government, Top Stories
Spitzer Touts Possible Homeless Shelter Site in Anaheim
Supervisors Chairman Todd Spitzer is expressing cautious optimism about a site in the northern part of the city as a location for the county’s first year-round shelter.
Posted inGovernment, Investigative, Top Stories
Sparks Fly as Supervisors Debate Adding Political Aides
County supervisors postponed a proposed expansion of the aides’ ranks, following an intense exchange in which Supervisor Andrew Do directly confronted the county’s human resources director.
Posted inGovernment, Top Stories
County Supervisors Debate $1 Million Contract for Water Pollution Outreach
County supervisors are slated Tuesday to extend a storm water pollution outreach contract to communications firm with campaign connections to Supervisors’ Chairman Todd Spitzer and whose rates have been questioned by Supervisor Shawn Nelson.
