The Sheriff’s Department is receiving the biggest increase from unrestricted funds, totaling about $85 million to maintain its existing services.
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 inWater, Power & Waste
How Much are Trash Bills Going Up in Orange County’s Unincorporated Areas?
It’s not easy getting the cost increases from county officials in charge of waste hauling contracts and when approved by county supervisors, public agenda documents didn’t say how the fees would change.
Posted inHealth & Wellness
How Will Cities Deploy New Mental Health Response Network for Homeless Calls?
As OC cities embark on using medical and social workers – rather than police – to respond to non-emergency mental health calls, how will it work and what kinds of calls will it handle?
Posted inPolitics & Elections
OC Voters to Decide Whether to Extend Supervisors’ Term Limits with Ballot Measure that Calls it a ‘Lifetime Ban’
Residents from both sides of the political aisle called the ballot language deceptive, while three supervisors who supported the measure said it mirrors that of state lawmakers.
Posted inPolitics & Elections
Who Will Shape Billions in OC Spending on Police, Homelessness and Mental Health? Next Year’s Election Race is Already Underway
The 2022 election has the potential to affect which services get priority for years to come, since a majority of the five supervisor seats are up for grabs.
Posted inGovernment
Who Really Decides How Tax Dollars Are Spent in Orange County?
OC supervisors took up the $8 billion draft budget and moved to approve it without much public debate or changes – prompting the question: Who really decides priorities?
Posted inGovernment
Tuesday is the Public’s Last Chance to Weigh in on $8 Billion in County Spending Before It’s Finalized
OC supervisors are slated to approve a nearly $8 billion budget Tuesday, marking the last opportunity for residents to weigh in on how taxpayer money should be spent.
Posted inPolitics & Elections
‘Sneaky’ Ballot Proposal is Revived to Extend OC Supervisor Term Limits While Calling It a ‘Lifetime Ban’
A backlash is brewing as Orange County supervisors revive a failed proposal to have voters extend their term limits while describing it on the ballot simply as a “lifetime ban after three terms.”
Posted inSafety, Security & Justice
Despite High-Profile Escape, OC Jails Still Have Major Security Risks, Grand Jury Finds
Despite three inmates escaping in 2016, Orange County’s jails still have glaring security risks – including having just a chain link fence along the edge of a major jail – according to a grand jury that inspected the facilities.
Posted inGovernment
OC Supervisors Derail Public Comment for Nearly 120 Residents, Sparking Outrage
The move triggered deep anger from residents who ultimately waited about six hours to speak at the very end of the meeting during general public comments.
