Latest Headlines on OCRegister.com
[x] Close
Total Buzz ~ The insiders' hotline to Orange County government and politics

Author Archive

« Previous Entries

Supes to governor: Scrap the fairgrounds sale

November 24th, 2009, 11:20 am by Jennifer Muir

The Orange County supervisors voted unanimously this morning to urge Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger to block the sale of the Orange County Fairgrounds.

The city of Costa Mesa last week agreed to ask the governor to scrap the sale, and advocates call today’s move a critical step toward preserving the fairgrounds. The county’s resolution also asks other Orange County cities to join in solidarity opposing the sale.

“We hope the governor will give us a big Christmas present,” said Reggie Mundekis, a member of the Orange County Fairgrounds Preservation Society. “This is a very critical point for us today.”

Read the rest of this entry »

Posted in: Supervisors • • | 24 Comments »

Norby endorses Shawn Nelson for supervisor

November 23rd, 2009, 11:54 am by Jennifer Muir

Orange County Supervisor Chris Norby has endorsed Fullerton lawyer Shawn Nelson to succeed him as the county’s fourth district supervisor.

Nelson is Norby’s first endorsement since winning a special election last week for Assembly. Norby will advance to a runoff to fill the seat vacated on Sept. 9 by Mike Duvall, who resigned after being caught bragging about having an extramarital affair with a lobbyist. If he wins, he’ll vacate his supervisor seat early.

Norby could not immediately be reached for comment. Here’s what Norby he said in a press release sent from Nelson’s campaign:

Read the rest of this entry »

Posted in: Elections 2010 | Post a Comment »

Supes could support scrapping fairground sale

November 23rd, 2009, 11:02 am by Jennifer Muir

Orange County Supervisors on Tuesday will consider whether to ask Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger not to sell the Orange County Fairgrounds.

The city of Costa Mesa last week approved asking the governor to scrap the sale. And if it passes, the county’s resolution will ask other Orange County cities to join in solidarity opposing the sale.

Back in July, supes approved a different resolution supporting the sale of the 150 acre- site, which Schwarzenegger is selling to help close massive state budget deficit. But they had some conditions tied to that support: The buyer must be a local nonprofit or government agency that would perpetuate the use of the land as a fairgrounds, equestrian facility and events center.

Read the rest of this entry »

Posted in: Supervisors | 3 Comments »

Five have filed to compete for 4th district supe seat

November 18th, 2009, 11:48 am by Jennifer Muir

Of course we’ve got to wait out the democratic process to play out Jan. 12 to find out whether county Supervisor Chris Norby will be elected to the state Assembly. And yes, Democrat John MacMurray could still beat out Norby in the runoff election, although party registration in the district is stacked against him.

But if Norby wins, there’s a chance that the new year lead to an empty supervisors seat in the fourth district. As we reported earlier, voters won’t cast their ballots to find Norby’s replacement until June, and Norby’s replacement might not be permanently resolved until after a runoff election in November. Still, the race could start heating up soon.

So here’s a quick recap of the five candidates who have filed paperwork with the Registrar of Voters saying they intend to run.

Read the rest of this entry »

Posted in: Elections 2010 • Supervisors | Post a Comment »

Who will be supervisor if Norby wins Tuesday?

November 12th, 2009, 5:01 pm by Jennifer Muir

That question is more complicated to answer than you’d think.

Supervisor Chris Norby is running for the state Assembly seat left empty after Mike Duvall got caught on tape bragging about his sexual escapades with a lobbyist and then resigned. Voters cast their ballots for his replacement on Tuesday.

Norby is termed out as an Orange County supervisor - his term runs through the end of next year - and an election to find his replacement already was scheduled for June. But if Norby wins the state Assembly seat and leaves the county board earlier than scheduled, the race for his old job gets a little tricky.

So Orange County Registrar of Voters Neal Kelley helped translate the election rules for us. Here’s what he said:

Read the rest of this entry »

Posted in: Uncategorized | 10 Comments »

County to rehire workers as demand for welfare programs increases

November 3rd, 2009, 2:49 pm by Jennifer Muir

The good news: Nearly 100 laid-off Orange County Social Services Agency employees will get their jobs back.

The state has increased funding for Medi-Cal, food stamps and CalWORKs programs, pumping an unexpected $9 million back into the county agency, CEO Tom Mauk reported today.

The bad news: The county is getting the money because of increased case loads in those programs. In the past year, Medi-Cal recipients in Orange County have increased by 30,000. Food Stamps enrollment has increased 22 percent, adding 39,000 residents. And CalWorks, or welfare, programs have grown locally by 13 percent, adding 9,700 people.

The 99 employees who will be rehired include 20 social workers for CalWorks, 55 eligibility technicians and employment eligibility specialists, and supervisory staff members. None will be managers. The hiring process will begin Friday.

Posted in: Supervisors | 32 Comments »

Unions protest county labor ordinance

November 3rd, 2009, 10:59 am by Jennifer Muir

Union supporters filled the seats at today’s county supervisors meeting to protest a new ordinance that bars the county from requiring union agreements  on county construction projects.

The ordinance barring so-called project labor agreements, which supervisors had to consider a second time today before it could become law, doesn’t actually change county policy. But Supervisor John Moorlach proposed formalizing the policy to make it more difficult to reverse by future boards of supervisors.

Still, about 100 union supporters rallied before the meeting and filled the seats of the supervisors meeting to protest, arguing that such agreements ensure high-quality, on-time results and good working conditions for construction workers.

“This ordinance is a direct slap in the face, showing absolutely no respect to the workers of Orange County,” said Jim Adams, a representative for the LA/OC Building & Construction Trades Council. “It’s a bold political move.”

Read the rest of this entry »

Posted in: Supervisors • Uncategorized | 18 Comments »

Supervisors reignite debate over project labor agreements

October 27th, 2009, 7:13 pm by Jennifer Muir

Supervisors voted unanimously this afternoon to create an ordinance barring the county from requiring union agreements  on county construction projects.

The ordinance doesn’t change a longtime county practice - an effort they say was aimed at encouraging competition - it only makes it more difficult to reverse.

Still, a standing-room-only crowd of union and nonunion workers, leaders and advocates were there to lobby the board on the issue.

So what does it all mean and why were they discussing it today?

Read the rest of this entry »

Posted in: Supervisors | 6 Comments »

Former acting sheriff recommends jail overhaul

October 27th, 2009, 6:03 pm by Jennifer Muir

Former Assistant Orange County Sheriff Jack Anderson made a surprise appearance this afternoon at the board of supervisors meeting, promoting an idea to remove county jails from the sheriff’s department’s control and establish a new correctional agency to run them instead.

Anderson was speaking during public comments at the end of today’s meeting, and his three-minute time limit ran out before he could finish describing his proposal: Remove 95 percent of jail guards and replace them with non-sworn officers.

You might remember that former Sheriff Mike Carona appointed Anderson in 2008 when he resigned. (An earlier version of this post erroneously said Anderson was appointed by supervisors.)

Read the rest of this entry »

Posted in: Sheriff • Supervisors | 115 Comments »

Supes to explore purchasing OC Fairgrounds

October 27th, 2009, 3:14 pm by Jennifer Muir

Orange County supervisors voted this afternoon to explore the possibility of acquiring the Orange County fairgrounds in Costa Mesa.

Supervisors Bill Campbell and John Moorlach will head a committee charged with looking into the county’s options, the county clerk reported after a closed-session meeting.

Earlier this month, the state’s Department of General Services officially put the 150-acre site up for sale to help shrink the state’s budget deficit.

A nonprofit led by former Senate Republican Leader Dick Ackerman, has already announced plans to bid on the land — in an effort to keep the fairgrounds in local hands.

Campbell has expressed a desire to maintain the property as a fairgrounds. And he’s also expressed some concern over it being run by a nonprofit, which he says “may not have the same level of transparency as a public agency.”

“I believe that it’s a public asset, that things should be done in the light of day in the public,” Campbell recently told Register reporter Ellyn Pak.

Posted in: Supervisors • | 14 Comments »

« Previous Entries