Voice of OC (https://voiceofoc.org/category/news/economy/)
Many OC mayors want direct access to a $75 million county bailout fund set up for cities. A majority of county supervisors want a central administrator to distribute the funds instead of just directing monies to local city halls for a local business grant program. Biggest unanswered question is in what areas, sectors to invest the money.
Orange County can now reopen dine-in restaurants and shopping centers after state health officials approved the County’s reopening plans just in time for Memorial Day weekend.
Orange County saw two straight days of increasing coronavirus deaths, with the highest reported number of deaths Thursday at 14 people.
The Orange County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously this past Tuesday to approve a $3 million agreement to support Second Harvest Food Bank of Orange County and the Community Action Partnership of Orange County to assist with their emergency food distributions through the Social Services agency.
As retail sales plummet during the pandemic, local governments across America are facing massive budget holes. Orange County is no exception.
Orange County might be ready to open more businesses like restaurants and shopping centers as Memorial Day weekend draws near, with county supervisors pushing for faster reopenings after the novel coronavirus business shutdowns in March.
City Council members on Tuesday night directed staff to move funding away from capital projects, postpone improvements to the city’s technology and software systems as well as dip into reserves to address the loss in revenue they will face the next fiscal year.
While Supervisors unanimously agreed to allocate $26 million to reimburse OC cities for virus-related costs, they were split over who should administer their $75 million bailout fund for small businesses.
OC Supervisors are urging county health officials to submit reopening plans to the state so more businesses can reopen for Memorial Day weekend.
After a marathon meeting that stretched into Tuesday morning, the council directed staff to draw up a plan converting outdoor areas to eating areas but did not move to reopen the majority of businesses.