About 26,000 calls went unanswered in January, according to the union for social services eligibility workers. In response, Supervisor Shawn Nelson has pointed to the fact that Sacramento returns a very low portion of property taxes to Orange County.
Tag: OC Supervisor Spending
Posted inCountywide, Investigative, Norberto Santana Jr.
Santana: Anatomy of a Police State
Whether it’s before the Republican Orange County Board of Supervisors or the Democratic Santa Ana City Council, the public safety debate at the local level is one characterized by a toxic mix of unchecked spending and secrecy.
Posted inCountywide, Top Stories
Santana: OC Public Safety Salary Spending Expected to Spike
County projections show public safety supplemental requests rising from $49 million this fiscal year to $130 million in fiscal 2021-22 — thanks largely to a deputy sheriff’s labor deal struck just before the November elections.
Posted inTop Stories
County Officials Tout Efforts for Homeless, But Funding Still a Question
Orange County supervisors heard Tuesday from their new homeless czar, who noted both progress and gaps in the county’s effort to alleviate chronic homelessness. While showing an interest in improving services, supervisors would not make funding commitments.
Posted inCountywide, Government, Health & Wellness, Top Stories
Greater Focus on Mental Health Care in OC, But Progress Remains Slow
For years, local political leaders largely ignored Orange County’s severe shortage of psychiatric beds, which has contributed to, among other things, the current homelessness crisis. But they are beginning to direct their policymaking to the problem.
Posted inCountywide, Government, Housing & Homelessness, Top Stories
Law Enforcement Main Beneficiary of Supervisors’ Budget Tweaks
Orange County supervisors followed in the tradition of their predecessors Tuesday in beefing up law enforcement spending over other services as they prepared to pass a $6.1 billion county budget for the upcoming fiscal year.
Posted inGovernment, Safety, Security & Justice, Top Stories, Transportation
State Snafu Leads to Cuts in Projected Funding for OC Law Enforcement
An audit found that the state Board of Equalization has been over-allocating sales tax revenue to counties, which means Orange County officials have to scale back recommendations on how many sheriff and district attorney’s office jobs to add next fiscal year.
Posted inGovernment, Top Stories
Five Things to Know About This Year’s County Budget
We sat down with top county budget officials to go over the proposed spending plan, and here are our takeaways.
Posted inGovernment, Health & Wellness, Top Stories
County Stashing Mental Health Cash While Needs Go Unmet
As many mental health services in Orange County suffer the consequences of chronic underfunding, the county has built up about $220 million in unspent taxpayer money that California voters specifically earmarked for expanding mental health services.
Posted inAnaheim, Government, News Briefs, Top Stories
County Approves $5.8 Billion Budget
The county planned for having more than $60 million in extra discretionary money, and about half of it was provided to two departments: the sheriff and district attorney, amid salary and benefit increases for their staff.
