Orange County supervisors endorse recommended FY 2024–25 budget framework, continue emergency for Navy hangar fire and hear public calls for more housing andimm

The Orange County Board of Supervisors held a public hearing on the county’s recommended fiscal year 2024–25 budget, heard presentations from the chief executive and budget staff, and took a series of nonbinding straw votes on program‑level budgets and staff augmentation requests. The board also unanimously continued a local emergency declaration related to a Navy hangar fire and set the final budget adoption for June 25.

The hearing opened with CEO remarks that the county’s $9.5 billion recommended budget reflects anticipated revenues and expenses but remains sensitive to pending changes in the state budget. County Chief Financial Officer Michelle Aguirre and Budget and Finance Director Kim Engleby provided the board and the public with an overview of the budget process and the recommended plan: roughly $3.7 billion (about 39%) is proposed for community services, $1.8 billion (about 19%) for public protection, and another $1.8 billion for infrastructure and environmental resources. Engleby told the board the total recommended budget includes 18,678 positions and layed out restore and expand augmentation requests for department programs.

Why it matters: supervisors took nonbinding straw votes to guide staff as they prepare a final budget for adoption on June 25. Those indications to staff help determine which department requests will be carried into the final ordinance and which require further negotiation or revision; the hearing is part of a multi‑stage process that staff said will be finalized after year‑end accounting and the June 25 vote.

Public commenters, many representing housing and immigrant‑rights organizations, urged the board to shift more county discretionary funding toward affordable…