The Orange County oversight gap no one talked about during the election
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A couple of Orange County officials recently won reelection to their seats by landslides — and now questions are being raised about their accountability and oversight.
Assessor Claude Parrish and Treasurer-Tax Collector Shari Freidenrich were specifically called out in this grand jury report issued June 12, just nine days after Parrish received the nod from 73.30% of the voters in the California Primary while Freidenrich captured 70.77% of the votes in her race, according to ocvote.gov.
In its report, the jury proposed some reforms that would give the O.C. Board of Supervisors the power to oust elected officials who have faced misconduct charges, according to a dive into the grand jury’s writings by my colleague Gabriel San Román that we published in the Daily Pilot & TimesOC over the weekend.
The assessor and treasurer-tax collector have both been the subject of internal investigations, according to the story. After hearing from witnesses, the grand jury questioned the executive leadership ability of both.
Among other alleged shortcomings, the report noted Parrish, who is reportedly often absent from work, has violated gender discrimination and retaliation policies and that a “persistent” climate of fear permeates Freidenrich’s office.
Because they are elected officials, the state Constitution and law protects them from the necessary oversight, according to San Román’s story, so the grand jury suggests that county charter reforms could give supervisors the power to remove troublesome officials by a supermajority vote.
The report also recommends consolidating the assessor and clerk-recorder’s office, while making the treasurer an appointed position in the future.
The timing of the report’s release, on the heels of the election that re-seated the two incumbents, dismayed Jodi Balma, a political science professor at Fullerton College who was interviewed for the article.
“The electorate is so ill-informed, uninformed and misinformed that I wished the report had come out before the election,” she told the reporter. “I would have loved for it to have been part of the public discourse. If the report had come out before filing deadline — that would have been ideal.”
At least one of the supervisors, Don Wagner, told the reporter he is not in favor of the grand jury’s idea that determining the fate of a problematic county elected official should be in the hands of a supermajority of the board, suggesting instead that “there’s always a recall” option available to voters.
You can read the full story, which includes reactions from Parrish and from Freidenrich’s attorney, the high-powered Mark Geragos, here.
MORE NEWS
• Rosita Elementary School in Santa Ana is being renamed to honor the late Frank and Irene Palomino following a vote of the Garden Grove Unified school board. The Palominos are being honored in recognition of the stand they took in 1945 as one of five plaintiff families in the landmark Mendez, et al v. Westminster School District of Orange County, et al civil rights case.
• A 13-year-old boy was evaluated at a hospital Sunday evening and released after he somehow exited a log ride on Tiana’s Bayou Adventure at Disneyland ahead of 50-foot drop, then, according to witnesses, slid down the flume on his own.
• Facing court-ordered fines of $50,000 a month if Huntington Beach didn’t comply with state mandates, the City Council reluctantly threw in the towel and passed a long-overdue updated housing plan last week. But it was a split vote, with two members dissenting.
• Flock traffic license plate reader cameras are widely considered by police departments to be invaluable public safety tools. But should citizens be concerned the footage collected is being shared with ICE and possibly other federal agencies? The Costa Mesa City Council has been urged by some immigrant advocates to “Get the Flock out of Costa Mesa,” and is expected to vote on the matter next month.
• Although planning commissioners sympathized with environmentalists and others protesting plans for a housing development next to the Environmental Nature Center in Newport Beach, they approved the Westcliff at Dover 30-unit townhome project last week.
• Fountain Valley officials celebrated Thursday the receipt of $2 million in federal funding that had been secured by Rep. Derek Tran to be used for a new fire station.
BUSINESS
• Bed Bath & Beyond, which filed for bankruptcy in 2023 and closed all its stores, will open two storefronts in coming weeks, according to this L.A. Times story, and one of them will be in Costa Mesa. If you still have a stash of old BB&B coupons somewhere you’ll be glad to know they will be accepted at the stores.
• Irvine-based electric vehicle maker Rivian, which lost $3.6 billion last year, has announced it laid off hundreds of employees as part of restructuring efforts.
CRIME & COURTS
• Edjan Rocha of Santa Ana, 38, was taken into custody Monday on suspicion of a fatal hit-and-run collision in Santa Ana last Friday night that took the life of 60-year-old Francois Primeau of Irvine. Rocha turned himself in, according to a City News Service report.
• Sergio Mario Guevara Ramos, 39, of Huntington Beach, pleaded guilty Monday and was immediately sentenced to more than 21 years in prison for shooting two people in Huntington Beach last year.
• A former Irvine dog trainer and his girlfriend were convicted on charges related to the deaths of 11 dogs who were kept in small crates in a hot van, then lying to their owners about their deaths.
SPORTS
• Last Friday was a big day for Laguna Beach native Annika Dries, who was inducted into the USA Water Polo Hall of Fame during a luncheon in Brea.
• The second annual OC Sports Awards were handed out Thursday during an event held at Angel Stadium.
• Mesa Verde Country Club beat defending champion Big Canyon to win this year’s Jones Cup with a team score of 13 under par. Mesa Verde was the host course.
LIFE & LEISURE
• About 30 young skateboarders between the ages of 4 and 12 were attending a Skate Coastal summer camp at Tustin Legacy Skatepark last week when Daily Pilot reporter Matt Szabo and photographer Don Leach dropped by to learn more about the program founded by Liz Anderson. She said she saw an opportunity to bring an educational perspective and childhood development knowledge to the skateboarding camps she launched in 2024.
• An enterprising O.C. mom with a daughter headed to her freshman year of college launched Rush Ready, an event geared to provide teens with information about joining sororities, combined with a few hours of shopping at vendors’ booths. Daily Pilot contributing writer Susan Hoffman ventured to the Balboa Pavilion for the inaugural event Thursday afternoon to check it out.
• Did you know this is SoCal Burger Week? Several Orange County eateries are celebrating with some tasty specials. To find a list of participating restaurants before the week is over, visit this site.
CALENDAR
• Fan Expo Anaheim takes place this Friday through Sunday at the Anaheim Convention Center, 800 W. Katella Ave., Anaheim. Fans of comics, sci-fi, anime, gaming and cosplay are invited for three days of celebrity appearances, including Mark Hamill and Elijah Wood, as well as panels, shopping and more. Hours are from 3 pm. to 8 p.m. on Friday, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday and from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday. Single-day adult tickets are $45 Friday, $67 Saturday, $56 Sunday.
• Retro rock ‘n’ roll band Acme Time Machine will bring the hits of the 1950s and ’60s to life during this Friday’s 6 p.m. Concert at the Green in Cypress, one of several live outdoor concerts planned through Aug. 7. Pack your lawn chairs and blankets. Refreshments will be available for purchase. Civic Center Green, 5725 Orange Ave, Cypress
• UC Irvine Langson Orange County Museum of Art (formerly known as OCMA) is planning an all-day, all-ages event to celebrate the opening of its summer exhibits this Saturday, from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. It will include a variety of activities, such as 45-minute tours and live jazz performed by the Dylan Williams Quartet from 1 to 430 p.m. on Level 2. Admission to the museum is free.
• New York-based organist David Enlow will be performing on the renowned Hazel Wright organ at Christ Cathedral, 12141 Lewis St., Garden Grove this coming Monday, June 29 at 7:30 p.m. The concert is free.
KEEP IN TOUCH
We appreciate your help in making this the best newsletter it can be. Please send news tips, your memory of life in O.C. (photos welcome!) or comments to carol.cormaci@latimes.com.