Reading Orange County’s proposed budget, you’d be forgiven if you think the county is defunding the sheriff. But that’s not what’s happening at all – it’s a unusual quirk of the obscure way the county shows its budget numbers.
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
What Should OC Do With its Hundreds of Millions in Extra Tax Dollars? What Do You Think?
There’s a surge of money coming for county supervisors to divide up. What should they do with all this cash? Residents can weigh in at a public hearing next Tuesday.
Posted inSafety, Security & Justice
OC Grand Jury Slams Top Sheriff Officials for ‘Failure of Leadership’ on Handling Evidence That Undid 67 Criminal Charges
Grand jurors found the sheriff isn’t doing audits to make sure the evidence problems aren’t still happening.
Posted inHousing & Homelessness
OC Eyes Massive Conversion of Motels into Homeless Housing with Services
Hundreds of millions of state dollars could be coming for OC to convert crime-ridden motels into homeless housing with support services, county officials say.
Posted inEmergencies & Disasters
OC Community Clinics Criticize County Effort to Keep Them Out of the Loop on $20 Million Vaccination Expansion
Supervisors set to approve new contracts Tuesday without residents knowing who the vendors are.
Posted inGovernment
OC’s County Government is Flush with New Cash. Where Should It Go?
The county’s budget hearings, amid the massive influx of cash, happen in June.
Posted inSafety, Security & Justice
Did DA Todd Spitzer Use His Offices to Illegally Campaign? State AG is Asked to Investigate
Paul Wilson, a former Spitzer ally turned critic, says he’s filed a complaint with the state’s top prosecutor alleging the DA broke the law by allowing speakers to campaign on taxpayer property at a victim’s rally. Spitzer says the allegations are totally false.
Posted inGovernment
Was OC’s Shadowy PR Contract for Promoting Supervisors or Vaccinations?
Despite taxpayers paying up to $2.5 million in secretly-approved PR contracts, officials can’t answer basic questions about how it’s all been spent.
Posted inPolitics & Elections
OC Politicians Getting Ready to Redraw Their Re-Election Maps; Will the Public Get a Say on Who Represents Them?
Will politicians focus on gerrymandering the districts to ensure their own re-election? In contrast with other levels of government, the county is doing no public outreach to bring the public into the conversation.
Posted inHousing & Homelessness
Santa Ana Clears Homeless Encampment at Cultural Center While Offering Shelter, Bringing Months-Long Saga Near End
Santa Ana city officials moved Thursday to clear a high-profile homeless encampment at a local cultural center while offering everyone shelter.
