‘Everything is more expensive’: Orange County looking at $1.2-billion hike in annual budget

Orange County officials are proposing a $10.8-billion budget for the 2025-26 fiscal year, an increase of about $1.2 billion over the current year’s spending plan.

The general fund budget, which offers the most flexibility, is projected at $5.4 billion, up from last fiscal year’s $4.8 billion. The remainder of the budget is generally restricted by law, limiting the county’s ability to adjust how those funds are used.

“It is higher than last year,” Orange County Supervisor Donald P. Wagner told City News Service. “We have enormous new mandates from [the state] Legislature to deal with, issues from the court, so it’s a frustration. Yes, it’s bigger than last year. I won’t defend that. But that is in the inevitable way of government budgets everywhere, and I wish we could get a handle on it. Everything is more expensive.”

The county expects $1.2 billion in general purpose funds, an increase of $78.5 million, largely due to a $72.1 million rise in property tax revenue. The one-half cent tax to fund law enforcement from Prop. 172 is down 2.5% this year compared to last fiscal year, officials said. The estimated revenue is $427.6 million, with $342.1 million allocated to the Orange County Sheriff’s Department and $85.5 million to the district attorney’s office.

The county is expected to receive $27.5 million from “realignment revenue” over last year for a total of $945 million. Of that, $266.4 million is budgeted for health, mental health and social services, $666.7 million for
public safety and social services and $11.4 million for juvenile criminal justice.

The county is planning to eliminate 163 jobs by not filling vacant positions, although department heads may attempt to restore some of those cuts.

For instance, officials from the district attorney’s office recently met with county leaders about the upcoming budget, Wagner said.

“They were asking we take a hard look at the positions that were frozen and see if there’s relief there,” Wagner said.

The county can hire back some retired employees on a part-time basis but only for about six months or so, Wagner said.

“If the Legislature wants to give us relief from that then that would help,’’ Wagner said of the pension restrictions that prohibit longer tenures for returning employees.

The Prop. 172 revenue decrease is bad timing, Wagner noted.

“The 172 revenue is down but the demands on law enforcement, the public defender and D.A. are increasing, so it is a challenge to continue to provide the level of support... without making cuts in other places,” Wagner
said. `”So we’ve been very clear with department heads that belt tightening has to happen, which has been happening.”

One looming financial concern is the Airport fire of last September and the series of resulting legal claims that blame the county Public Works Department for its ignition.

“We are reserving some money,” to prepare, Wagner said. “We are perhaps being a bit more frugal with restoring augmentations than we’d like to because that money we’re going to need to make [legal claim] payments. It’s not a great big bill due immediately, but over several years now, and we are planning accordingly. This budget and next will be tight. We’ve made no secret about that.’’