Orange County presents $9.5 billion recommended budget; public commenters press for more housing, Padilla attorneys and language access

The Orange County Board of Supervisors held a public hearing on the recommended FY 2024–25 budget on June 24, when county staff presented a program‑by‑program proposal totaling about $9.5 billion in appropriations.

CEO Frank Kim described the package as balanced but flagged remaining uncertainty tied to the state budget: “We’ve done our best to anticipate what those impacts are today, but it’s likely that we’ll come back mid‑year to make some minor adjustments,” he said. County Chief Financial Officer Michelle Aguerri summarized the budget’s structure, reserve targets and staffing proposals, noting the recommended base budget includes 18,678 positions and that the CEO’s recommendations would restore 250 positions and add 98 new positions if approved.

CFO Aguerri said the recommended budget meets target reserve levels and includes a catastrophic contingency carried from FY 23‑24 into 24‑25. Kim Ingleby, budget and finance director, detailed that community services comprise roughly 39% of appropriations and that general purpose (discretionary) revenue—largely property tax—accounts for the county’s net county cost.

Board members took nonbinding straw votes on seven program areas, approving recommendation packages and restore/expand augmentations in a series of unanimous or near‑unanimous votes. Notable proposed expansions in the public protection program included a one‑time $15.9 million request for a search‑and‑rescue helicopter and an expand augmentation for the Public Defender’s Office to add an immigration support services position (Padilla‑related) at an estimated $234,000 net county cost; staff recommended the position for board approval.

Public comment was extensive. Dozens of speakers from community organizations and residents urged the supervisors to shift priorities toward affordable housing and prevention programs, expand legal help for immigrant residents, improve language access and provide hybrid participation options for budget hearings. Speakers frequently contrasted the county’s discretionary allocations, citing figures such as “34¢ per resident for housing” versus “$102 per resident for the sheriff” in order to argue for rebalancing spending.

Examples from the record include Sandra Deanda of OC Rapid Response Network urging the county to maintain and expand Padilla‑attorney funding for public defenders; Eve Garrow of ACLU Southern California and others calling for a larger investment in housing and a countywide housing bond; and multiple speakers asking for more language access and hybrid meeting formats so limited‑English and working residents can participate.

Board members made eight directives to staff during the hearing, including: examining large‑animal evacuation planning for wildfire zones, exploring options for additional affordable‑housing funding and reporting back, bringing the Human Relations Commission’s staffing in‑house, reviewing flood‑control cleanup resource needs in specific districts, and providing a cost estimate related to proposed changes to the Levine Act. Based on the nonbinding straw votes taken, staff will compile final budget materials for the board’s June 25 adoption meeting and will return for a September update after year‑end closing.

Chairman Wagner closed the hearing and the board voted unanimously to continue the budget adoption process to June 25, 2024, at 09:30 a.m. for final action.