Two federal environmental agencies on Monday signed off on a plan to build two tunnels beneath the California Delta to carry drinking water to Southern California, saying the California WaterFix would not negatively impact any federally protected species.
Author Archives: Theresa Sears
Theresa Sears is Involvement Editor for Voice of OC and works with active residents throughout Orange County helping to lift their voices by facilitating the publication of daily Op-eds from a broad array of perspectives.
Theresa also handles office administration and works to help organize Voice of OC civic training programs and policy events.
With an intimate knowledge of Orange County civic issues, Theresa has worked as an active grassroots community leader on a host of public land use and regional public-benefit issues across the region for the past three decades.
As a solutions oriented activist, she has taken a leadership role in grass roots efforts supporting the public’s right to know and petition their government, community engagement, legal remedies and direct democracy.
Her efforts have preserved Orange County’s fairgrounds, Barham Ranch which is now part of Santiago Oak Regional Park, as well critical open space in East Orange. She’s also led efforts to protect Orange County’s regional park system as a leader with the Friends of Harbors, Beaches and Parks
Languages spoken: English and some Spanish
Areas of expertise: Community organizing, direct democracy, open government – public oversight, land use, civic engagement and protecting public assets.
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Bipartisan Legislation Would Provide Cities with Greater Flexibility In How They Spend Their Local Housing Funds
Legislation that is jointly authored by Orange County Assemblymembers Tom Daly (D – Anaheim) and William Brough (R – Dana Point), has passed both houses of the State Legislature and is now at the desk of Governor Edmund G. Brown, Jr.
Posted inPress Releases
Bob Niccum Selected as Grand Jury Foreperson
Bob Niccum has been selected to be foreperson of the 2017-2018 Orange County Grand Jury, announced Orange County Superior Court Presiding Judge Charles Margines.
Posted inPress Releases
OC Young Democrats: OC Supervisors’ Budget Ignores Most Vulnerable Residents
In response to the OC Board of Supervisors approval of the 2017-2018 County Budget, Orange County Young Democrats Chair Danielle Serbin issued the following statement: “Yesterday, the all-Republican Orange County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved an annual budget that ignores the needs of Orange County’s most vulnerable residents.
Posted inPress Releases
Governor Okays Funding for West Coyote Hills Open Space Project
Assemblywoman Sharon Quirk-Silva is pleased to announce that the Governor has officially signed the 2017-18 California budget, which includes $15 million appropriated to the Wildlife Conservation Board, to be used for the purchase of the remainder of the 510-acre West Coyote Hills project site.
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Spitzer Urges D.A.’s Office Victim Employees to Report Sexual Misconduct as Found by the OC Grand Jury to OC Fraud Hotline
Orange County Supervisor Todd Spitzer, Third District, responded to the newly released Orange County Grand Jury Report, “Another Hostile Work Environment? Orange County District Attorney Bureau of Investigation” by urging victim employees of the District Attorney’s office to call the County Fraud Hotline and the Board of Supervisors to adopt a Grand Jury recommendation to appoint an independent investigator to examine why the OCDA and County Human Resources Services are not being used to report misconduct in the OCDA office.
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California Secretary of State Alex Padilla Calls on Orange County Board of Supervisors to Reconsider Voter’s Choice Act
California Secretary of State Alex Padilla sent a letter to the Orange County Board of Supervisors requesting that they reconsider their decision to reject the reforms contained in the California Voter’s Choice Act. Sacramento and Nevada Counties have already adopted the Voter’s Choice Act.
Posted inPress Releases
OCTA and Wildlife Officials Preserve 1,300 Acres of Wilderness
The Orange County Transportation Authority joined with officials from federal and state wildlife agencies and local environmental leaders on Tuesday to announce the completion of plans to protect 1,300 acres of open space, ensuring that it remains free from development forever.
Posted inPress Releases
OCTA Board Approves $1.2 Billion Balanced Budget
The Orange County Transportation Authority Board of Directors approved a balanced budget of more than $1.2 billion for the upcoming year during its Monday meeting.
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County to Make Final Bankruptcy Debt Payment, Hold Public Budget Hearings for Fiscal Year 2017-18 Budget
On July 1, 2017, the County of Orange will make the final debt service payment to bondholders of the Lease Revenue Refunding Bonds, Series 2005, retiring all bond debt related to the County’s recovery from the 1995 Chapter 9 bankruptcy filing.
