Orange County to seek council appropriation after winning safety grant for sign replacements

Orange County commissioners on Tuesday voted to send a request to the county council seeking additional appropriation after county highway staff said the county had been awarded a state safety grant intended for sign replacement.

The County Highway superintendent told commissioners the award was a safety grant he identified in remarks as $918,000 and described it as a “90/10 split.” He asked permission to approach the county council to request an additional appropriation (he referenced $120,000) so the county can pay eligible costs up front and later receive state reimbursement. The board approved the motion to send the request to the council by unanimous vote.

The superintendent explained the grant is reimbursable: the county must pay project costs first, then the state will reimburse the grant share. He said the work will be phased over several years so the county would not need to fund the full amount in a single year.

Commissioners also approved replacing a budgeted highway truck-driver position in district three despite the countywide hiring freeze and authorized related personnel actions during the same discussion.

Why it matters: The grant will fund countywide sign replacement work, a visible infrastructure project with ongoing maintenance implications. Staff said the phased approach and reimbursement mechanism require the county to provide cash flow up front, which is why commissioners are seeking a council appropriation.

What’s next: Highway staff said they will present the appropriation request to the county council for formal approval and will return to the board with project timelines and cost breakdowns. The board’s motion simply authorized pursuing the council appropriation; details and final budget amounts were not finalized in the meeting record.