Officials in Orange and Cypress are moving to tighten their campaign finance rules while Aliso Viejo Council Members are raising contribution limits ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.
Category: SOUTH COUNTY
South Orange County takes in Irvine, Mission Viejo, Lake Forest, Aliso Viejo, Rancho Santa Margarita and the master-planned cities around them, where growth and open space keep meeting at the council dais. Every story we have published about south county, newest first.
Posted inWater, Power & Waste
Misconduct Questions Swirl Around Water District Boardmember in South OC
While a confidential investigation “verified” complaints about Moulton Niguel board member Bill Moorhead around the district’s ethics and harassment policies, the public can’t see what they found.
Posted inALL TOP STORIES
More Orange County Towns Grapple With City Council Vacancies
City leaders in Cypress and Aliso Viejo had to fill an unexpected council vacancy after resignations — with one city opening up an application process and the other forgoing that process.
Posted inALL TOP STORIES
Laguna Hills City Council Adopts Election District Map
City Council members in Laguna Hills approved an election district map in an initial vote to transition the city to a district-based voting system after legal threats regarding voting rights.
Posted inRancho Santa Margarita
Santana: Putting Politicians on Notice in Rancho Santa Margarita
Concerned residents are videotaping city council meetings in one of the last two holdout cities in OC that won’t allow taxpayers to watch policymaking from home.
Posted inALL TOP STORIES
Where Is Irvine’s Climate Action Plan?
After four years of debates and assurances that it’s in the works, city leaders still haven’t established a plan to address climate change.
Posted inALL TOP STORIES
Irvine Officials Look to Use Loan Repayment Funds for Sustainability Projects
The Orange County Power Authority has already started repaying Irvine’s $8 million loan that helped the alternative power agency get started in the first place.
Posted inALL TOP STORIES
Proposed Battery Storage in South OC Leads to a Nixed $750,000 College Grant
Board members with the South Orange County Community College District terminated a $750,000 grant agreement with the developer of a proposed battery storage facility after robust opposition from south county residents and elected officials.
Posted inALL TOP STORIES
Irvine Doubles Fourth of July Budget After Great Park Traffic Nightmare
Councilmembers increased the budget from $250,000 to $600,000 due to the need for additional staffing, shuttles, vendors, and planning after this year’s traffic nightmare during the Fourth of July celebration at the Great Park.
Posted inPolitics & Elections
Orange County’s Biggest Civic News in the Aftermath of Prop. 50
At least two Republican Congress members are eying the same House seat in Orange County as county officials grapple with a sudden loss of federal food and housing benefits – these are just some of OC’s biggest headlines.
