Soaring property values and home resale prices boosted property tax revenues to the County of Orange by 27% this past fiscal year, a $96 million jump. This helped increase OC general fund revenues from $551 million to $677 million, allowing full funding for all county programs and departments.

Two days of budget hearings also resulted in increased funding for key programs in public health and safety. An additional $10 million was allocated to OC hospitals and clinics to defray costs of the Medical Services for Indigents Program (MSI). The District Attorney’s office has an added $700,000 for its High-Tech Crimes Unit and $1.5 million was added for an additional Youth & Family Resource Center.

A key budget reform was to remove Harbor Patrol costs from the Harbors Beaches & Parks budget and allocate that money for parks. Supervisor Correa and I had long been advocating park equity and finally got the votes. The $3.8 million freed up in the Harbors Beaches, and Parks budget will be divided equally among all five supervisorial districts for recreational improvements. The next step will be for Newport Beach and Huntington Beach to shoulder the costs of patrolling their own harbors.

I did vote to oppose an $187,000 grant to the OC Tourist Council, as I believe private businesses are perfectly capable of promoting themselves without public subsidy.

The total $5.6 billion County budget will be formally approved at our June 27 Board meeting.

At our upcoming June 20 meeting, the Board of Supervisors will conduct a 6-month review of the contract for outside legal services by the law firm of Jones & Mayer.

The Fullerton-based Jones & Mayer firm was hired by the Board last December to provide specialized advice regarding personnel issues within the Sheriff’s Department. The hourly rate was set at $195 with a cap of $100,000 in legal fees over 12 months. The Board retained the right to review, amend or end the contract at its own discretion.

As an elected department head, the Sheriff has a primary role in personnel decisions, as do Board policy and the Personnel and Salary Resolution. Any outside legal counsel must look at the broadest legal issues and provide advice to the Board in close cooperation with County Counsel. The Board needs to be advised of all issues potentially involving costly litigation.

Legislators run for supervisor, supervisors run for the legislature. Assembly members—faced with an all too brief 6 years in office—must look for a new job shortly after they are elected. The idea of terms limits may be valid, but only if they are reasonable. A total of 12 years for any one office would be a reasonable reform that would help end the current musical chairs of office holders constantly looking for new positions.

Many cities without term limits at all—such as Fullerton—still have very lively elections and incumbents who face stiff competition.

A dozen prospective candidates have already lined up for Supervisor Lou Correa’s seat, even though he faces a tough Senatorial race against Assemblywoman Lynn Daucher. The seat may not even be vacant. Many of would-be successors are termed-out officials forced to seek another position.

Term limit reform is an issue that has growing bipartisan support. Elected officials need seasoning and experience, not limitations that force them to constantly be looking for a different office. The ultimate term limits are elections themselves.

Upcoming Meetings & Events I’ll Be Attending:

June 19, 10:00 a.m.: Orange County Transportation Authority / Regional Planning & Highways Committee

June 20, 9:30 a.m.: Board of Supervisors Meeting

June 21, 12:00 noon: Buena Park Rotary Club Meeting

June 22, 6:30 p.m.: Orange County Fire Authority Board of Directors

June 22, 7:30 p.m. Fox Fullerton Night-at-the-Movies