Orange County, California Warning: You are not logged in. Your IP address will be publicly visible if you make any edits. If you log in or create an account, your edits will be attributed to your username, along with other benefits.Anti-spam check. Do not fill this in! ==Government== [[File:OC Charter with Amendments circa. 2016.pdf|thumb|Charter of the County of Orange, with amendments through June 2016]] Orange County is a [[charter county]] of California; its [[county seat|seat]] is [[Santa Ana, California|Santa Ana]]. The elected offices of the county government consist of the five-member [[Orange County Board of Supervisors|Board of Supervisors]], [[County Assessor|Assessor]], [[Audit]]or-[[Comptroller|Controller]], [[County clerk|Clerk]]-[[Recorder of deeds|Recorder]], [[District attorney|District Attorney]]-[[Public Administrator]], [[Sheriffs in the United States|Sheriff]]-[[Coroner]], and [[Treasurer]]-[[Tax Collector]]. Except for the Board of Supervisors, each of these elected officers are elected by the voters of the entire county and oversee their own County departments.<ref name="CountyElected">{{cite web |url=http://www.ocgov.com/residents/gov/elected |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170219113535/http://www.ocgov.com/residents/gov/elected |title=Elected Officials |publisher=County of Orange, California |url-status=dead |archive-date=February 19, 2017 |access-date=February 18, 2017}}</ref> {{as of|2023|01}}, the six countywide elected officers are:<ref name="CountyElected" /><ref name="ROVElected">{{cite web |url=https://www.ocvote.com/voting/candidate-info/elected-officials-list/ |title=Elected Officials List |publisher=Orange County Registrar of Voters |access-date=February 18, 2017 |archive-date=February 19, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170219115214/https://www.ocvote.com/voting/candidate-info/elected-officials-list/ |url-status=dead}}</ref> *Assessor: Claude Parrish, [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]] (since January 5, 2015) *Auditor-Controller: Andrew Hamilton, CPA, [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]] (since January 2, 2023) *Clerk-Recorder: Hugh Nguyen, [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]] (since April 3, 2013) *District Attorney-Public Administrator: [[Todd Spitzer]], [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]] (since January 7, 2019) *Sheriff-Coroner: [[Don Barnes (sheriff)|Don Barnes]], [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]] (since January 7, 2019) *Treasurer-Tax Collector: Shari Freidenrich, CPA, [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]] (since January 3, 2011) A seventh countywide elected officer, the [[Superintendent (education)|County Superintendent of Schools]] (jointly with an independently elected County Board of Education) oversees the independent [[#Department of Education|Orange County Department of Education]].<ref name="AboutOCBE" /> ===Board of Supervisors=== {{main|Orange County Board of Supervisors}} Each of the five members of the Board of Supervisors is elected from a regional district, and together, the board oversees the activities of the county's agencies and departments and sets policy on development, public improvements, and county services. At the beginning of each calendar year, the Supervisors select a chair and Vice Chair amongst themselves. The chair presides over board meetings, and the Vice Chair presides when the chair is not present. The Board appoints the [[Clerk (legislature)|Clerk of the Board of Supervisors]], the [[general counsel|County Counsel]], the [[performance audit|Performance Audit]] Director, and the Director of the Office of Independent Review. The Board also appoints the County Executive Officer to act as the chief administrative officer of the county and the manager of all agencies and departments not under the sole jurisdiction of an elected county official nor the sole jurisdiction of one of the four aforementioned officers appointed by the Board.<ref name="BOS">{{cite web |url=http://www.ocgov.com/gov/bos/yourboard |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170126062451/http://ocgov.com/gov/bos/yourboard |title=Your Board of Supervisors |publisher=County of Orange, California |url-status=dead |archive-date=January 26, 2017 |access-date=February 18, 2017}}</ref> {{as of|2023|01}}, the members of the [[Orange County Board of Supervisors]] are:<ref name="CountyElected" /><ref name="ROVElected" /><ref name="BOS" /> *District 1: [[Andrew Do]], [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]] (since February 3, 2015) *District 2: [[Vicente Sarmiento]], [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democrat]] (since January 2, 2023) *District 3: [[Donald P. Wagner]], [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]] (since March 27, 2019) *District 4: [[Doug Chaffee (politician)|Doug Chaffee]], [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democrat]] (since January 7, 2019) *District 5: [[Katrina Foley]], [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democrat]] (since March 23, 2021) ===Department of Education=== The County Department of Education is wholly separate from the County government and is jointly overseen by the elected County Superintendent of Schools and the five-member Orange County Board of Education, whose trustees are popularly elected from five separate trustee areas.<ref name="AboutOCBE">{{cite web |url=http://ocde.us/Board/Pages/About-the-Board.aspx |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170219114921/http://ocde.us/Board/Pages/About-the-Board.aspx |title=About the Board |publisher=Orange County Department of Education |url-status=live |archive-date=February 19, 2017}}</ref> {{as of|2023|01}}, the six elected officials overseeing the Orange County Department of Education are:<ref name="ROVElected" /><ref name="OCBEMembers">{{cite web |url=http://ocde.us/Board/Pages/default.aspx |title=Board of Education |publisher=Orange County Department of Education |access-date=February 18, 2017 |archive-date=February 19, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170219092649/http://ocde.us/Board/Pages/default.aspx |url-status=live}}</ref> *Trustee Area 1: Jorge Valdes, [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]] *Trustee Area 2: Mari Barke, [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]] *Trustee Area 3: Ken Williams, [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]] *Trustee Area 4: Tim Shaw, [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]] *Trustee Area 5: Lisa Sparks, [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]] *Superintendent of Schools: Al Mijares, [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]] ===Pension scandal=== On July 12, 2010, it was revealed that former Sheriff [[Mike Carona]] received over $215,000 in [[pension]] checks in 2009, despite his felony conviction.<ref>{{cite news |last=Esquivel |first=Paloma |title=Convicted Orange County Sheriff Collects $215,000 Pension |work=Los Angeles Times |date=July 9, 2010 |url=https://articles.latimes.com/2010/jul/09/local/la-me-oc-pension-20100709 |access-date=April 16, 2020 |archive-date=May 25, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170525063255/http://articles.latimes.com/2010/jul/09/local/la-me-oc-pension-20100709 |url-status=live}}</ref> A 2005 state law denied a public pension to public officials convicted of wrongdoing in office, however, that law only applied to benefits accrued after December 2005. Carona became eligible for his pension at age 50, and is also entitled, by law, to medical and dental benefits.<ref>{{cite news |title=Why Does Mike Carona Get a $200,000 Pension? |newspaper=Orange County Register |date=August 21, 2013 |url=http://www.ocregister.com/articles/carona-173698-office-law.html |access-date=July 15, 2014 |archive-date=August 19, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140819084235/http://www.ocregister.com/articles/carona-173698-office-law.html |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Assembly Bill No. 1044 |publisher=Legislative Counsel: State of California |url=http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/pub/05-06/bill/asm/ab_1001-1050/ab_1044_bill_20050922_chaptered.pdf |access-date=July 15, 2014 |archive-date=August 19, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140819084237/http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/pub/05-06/bill/asm/ab_1001-1050/ab_1044_bill_20050922_chaptered.pdf |url-status=live}}</ref> It was noted that the county's retirement system faces a massive shortfall totaling $3.7 billion unfunded liabilities, and Carona was one of approximately 400 retired Orange County public servants who received more than $100,000 in benefits in 2009.<ref>{{cite news |last=Lester |first=John |title=California Disgraced Sheriff Pension Retirement |url=http://www.newsoxy.com/world/disgraced-sheriff-pension-13760.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100716163500/http://www.newsoxy.com/world/disgraced-sheriff-pension-13760.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=July 16, 2010 |access-date=November 6, 2016 |work=newsoxy.com |date=July 12, 2010}}</ref> Also on the list of those receiving extra-large pension checks is former treasurer-tax collector [[Robert Citron]], whose investments, which were made while consulting psychics and astrologers, led Orange County into bankruptcy in 1994.<ref>{{cite web |last=Martinez |first=Edecio |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/disgraced-sheriffs-pension-215000-after-witness-tampering-conviction/ |title=Disgraced Sheriff's Pension $215,000 After Witness Tampering Conviction |work=CBS News |date=July 12, 2010 |access-date=January 27, 2015 |archive-date=November 6, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161106185413/http://www.cbsnews.com/news/disgraced-sheriffs-pension-215000-after-witness-tampering-conviction/ |url-status=live}}</ref> Citron, a Democrat, funneled billions of public dollars into questionable investments, and at first the returns were high and cities, schools and special districts borrowed millions to join in the investments. But the strategy backfired, and Citron's investment pool lost $1.64 billion. Nearly $200 million had to be slashed from the county budget and more than 1,000 jobs were cut. The county was forced to borrow $1 billion.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/business/2013/01/17/obit-citron-orange-county-bankruptcy/1842401/ |title=Man Blamed for Orange County Bankruptcy Dies |date=January 17, 2013 |website=USA Today |access-date=February 20, 2018 |archive-date=February 21, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180221042554/https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/business/2013/01/17/obit-citron-orange-county-bankruptcy/1842401/ |url-status=live}}</ref> The California Foundation for Fiscal Responsibility filed a lawsuit against the pension system to get the list. The agency had claimed that pensioner privacy would be compromised by the release. A judge approved the release and the documents were released late June 2010. The release of the documents has reopened debate on the pension plan for retired public safety workers approved in 2001 when Carona was sheriff.<ref name="latimes.com">{{cite news |last=Esquivel |first=Paloma |url=https://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-oc-pension-20100709,0,5477333.story |title=Convicted Orange County sheriff collects $215,000 pension |work=Los Angeles Times |date=July 9, 2010 |access-date=July 22, 2010 |archive-date=February 10, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220210233806/https://www.latimes.com/local/la-me-oc-pension-20100709-sl-storylink.html |url-status=live}}</ref> Called "3 percent at 50," it lets deputies retire at age 50 with 3 percent of their highest year's pay for every year of service. Before it was approved and applied retroactively, employees received 2 percent.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.porac.org/3percent@50.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20000830101102/http://www.porac.org/3percent@50.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=August 30, 2000 |title=Peace Officers Research Association of California |publisher=Porac.org |access-date=July 22, 2010}}</ref> "It was right after [[September 11 attacks|Sept. 11]]," said Orange County Supervisor [[John Moorlach]]. "All of a sudden, public safety people became elevated to god status. The Board of Supervisors were tripping over themselves to make the motion." He called it "one of the biggest shifts of money from the private sector to the public sector." Moorlach, who was not on the board when the plan was approved, led the fight to repeal the benefit. A lawsuit, which said the benefit should go before voters, was rejected in Los Angeles County Superior Court in 2009 and is now under appeal.<ref name="latimes.com" /> Carona opposed the lawsuit when it was filed, likening its filing to a "nuclear bomb" for deputies.{{citation needed|date=July 2014}} Summary: Please note that all contributions to Christianpedia may be edited, altered, or removed by other contributors. If you do not want your writing to be edited mercilessly, then do not submit it here. You are also promising us that you wrote this yourself, or copied it from a public domain or similar free resource (see Christianpedia:Copyrights for details). Do not submit copyrighted work without permission! Cancel Editing help (opens in new window) Discuss this page