Taxpayers are continuing to rack up unplanned costs from Xerox Corp.’s mishandling of a massive technology outsourcing project, according to county officials.
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, Investigative, Top Stories
County to Review Which Public Officials Need to Disclose Financial Interests
Attorneys for the County of Orange are slated to begin reviewing whether any officials who should be required to file financial disclosures are not doing so.
Posted inGovernment, Top Stories
Long-Delayed Review of DA’s Office Faces Further Delays
The Orange County government’s performance auditor is publicly calling out District Attorney Tony Rackauckas and his contractor for delays in a regularly-scheduled audit that the DA didn’t want Cheng to do.
Posted inNews Briefs
North Tustin Senior Housing Project is Delayed 10 Months
The proposed project was blocked Tuesday for 10-and-a-half months, after county supervisors approved a temporary ban on issuing building permits for the project.
Posted inCountywide, Top Stories
New Smoking Limits Approved for OC Fair
Smokers attending the Orange County Fair will likely face greater restrictions on where they can light up, after a new policy was approved last week that limits smoking to designated areas.
Posted inCountywide, Top Stories
Vets Museum Project Moves Forward at OC Fairgrounds
Plans for an Orange County veterans museum are moving forward, with the approval of an architecture firm to design the facility.
Posted inCountywide, Economy, Safety, Security & Justice, Top Stories
Security Issues Gain Focus at Orange County Civic Center
The recent assault of a county employee, among other incidents, is prompting a renewed focus on safety in the Civic Center.
Posted inGovernment, News Briefs, Top Stories
Preliminary Hearing for Former County Assessor Set for March
The hearing is slated to offer the most thorough public examination yet of the evidence against Webster Guillory, who is charged with three felony violations of state elections law.
Posted inNews Briefs
Lake Forest Councilman Charged with Stealing Campaign Signs
Lake Forest Councilman Adam Nick, who recently ran for Congress, was charged Wednesday with illegally taking down campaign signs for another city councilman, according to county prosecutors.
Posted inCountywide, Government, Top Stories
County Computer Login Project Running Almost 40 Percent Over Budget
A project to standardize logins for county computer systems is nearly 40 percent over budget and nearly two years behind schedule.
