Controlling majorities are up for grabs in Anaheim, Irvine, Santa Ana and Huntington Beach.
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
Rocked by Turmoil, OC’s Clean Power Agency Faces Possible County Withdrawal
OC supervisors’ chairman says promises turned out to be “misleading.” Irvine’s mayor disputes the allegations.
Posted inSanta Ana
California Regulators Probe County Land Deal Next to Santa Ana College
The question is whether public land should be used to drive revenue for local governments – and when that crosses the line.
Posted inHealth & Wellness
In Wake of ‘Pay to Play’ Fine at OC’s Health Plan for the Poor, Legislators Consider Action
County supervisors like Andrew Do could be banned from working for CalOptima in the year after leaving office.
Posted inAnaheim
Anaheim’s Corruption Scandal Leads to a Bipartisan Look at Cronyism in Upcoming Forum
A conservative-organized event features leaders from across the political spectrum, and is the first known public forum about Anaheim corruption in the wake of an ongoing federal probe.
Posted inAnaheim
Disney Revs Up Campaign Spending in Anaheim Amid Calls to Curb Their Influence After FBI Allegations
Disney has moved a whopping $1.3 million into place for this fall’s Anaheim election – far more than anyone else has spent on the city’s elections in recent years, records show.
Posted inGovernment
Missing Transparency? OC Official to Dole Out $10 Million But Won’t Name Recipients
Transparency concerns about how Orange County supervisors spend COVID bailout money continues, with Supervisor Doug Chaffee getting to distribute nearly $10 million to unnamed organizations.
Posted inGovernment
FBI Highlights How OC Politicians Subvert the Public’s Right to Government Records
While California has stringent public record rules, officials have given themselves a big loophole by having government conversation on their own cell phones and personal emails.
Posted inSafety, Security & Justice
Is the FBI Trying to Shake Out More Witnesses in its OC Corruption Probe?
Federal agents went public with much more detail than they had to about people they’re targeting who haven’t been charged with crimes. Among the potential reasons: getting more witnesses to come forward.
Posted inPolitics & Elections
Local Government is Closest to the People; Should It Go First on Ballots?
Local government spends tax money and often affects people’s daily lives more than the state or federal governments. So why does it go last on ballots?
