Yusra Farzan
reports on issues affecting current and future college students, their families and communities.
Published June 4, 2024 2:09 PM
Exterior of the Anaheim Convention Center.
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Courtesy of Visit Anaheim
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Topline:
It’s that time of year, when city, county and state governments are discussing budgets for the fiscal year. While some cities in Orange County are scrambling at the end of the fiscal year looking to cut corners and tighten spending on city services, others are able to make forward projections.
What do budget forecasts do: Fiscal years typically start on July 1 and end on June 30 of the following year. Budget forecasts determine how your tax dollars are spent: law enforcement, city facilities like libraries and parks, water and sewer service, resources for the unhoused, seniors and childcare.
County spending: The total Orange County budget for the next fiscal year is $9.5 billion. Around $3.7 billion of that will go towards the County’s Social Services Agency, Health Care Agency, child support services and for awarding city contracts and grants. The General Purpose Revenue – with around 93% of revenue generated from property taxes in the county - will go towards public safety with the Orange County Sheriff’s Department receiving most of the funding.
Cities in the red: The city of Orange is looking at a $19 million dollar budget deficit. To save on costs, city staff have proposed measures like either selling Taft Library or not filling vacant positions and cutting down on park clean ups.
And the city of Westminster is already facing a $9 million deficit for the current fiscal year that will end on June 30.
It’s that time of year, when city, county and state governments are discussing budgets for the fiscal year. While some cities in Orange County are scrambling at the end of the fiscal year looking to cut corners and tighten spending on city services, others are able to make forward projections. Fiscal years typically start on July 1 and end on June 30 of the following year. Budget forecasts determine how your tax dollars are spent: law enforcement, city facilities like libraries and parks, water and sewer service, resources for the unhoused, seniors and childcare. City budgets will also include federal and state funding sources.
Here’s a look at the proposed budget for Orange County and some of its cities:
County of Orange
The total county budget for the next fiscal year is $9.5 billion. Around $3.7 billion of that will go towards the county’s Social Services Agency, Health Care Agency, child support services and for awarding city contracts and grants. The General Purpose Revenue – with around 93% of revenue generated from property taxes in the county - will go towards public safety with the Orange County Sheriff’s Department receiving most of the funding. In 2023, the Board of Supervisors approved a pay increase for Orange County sheriff deputies. The OC Health Care Agency gets over $100 million from the General Purpose Revenue.
Gov. Gavin Newsom announced a budget shortfall in the state budget and this could affect the county, according to the proposed budget put together by county staffers. At the county level, the Public Defender’s Pilot Program could lose out on its last year of funding. The program was created by a state grant to help public defender offices that were understaffed with case backlog specifically related to those who were eligible for early release. County programs for housing could also see cuts along with cuts to funding that addresses drug overdose prevention and MediCal.
The general fund is the main operating fund of any city – like your primary checking account which pays for your everyday expenses. Revenue for the fund comes from taxes, payments you make towards city services, fines and other sources. The general fund is used to pay for city services like the police, fire, libraries, parks, street services like street lighting and pothole fixing and city offices like the city manager’s.
Santa Ana
The city of Santa Ana is yet to release its budget for the upcoming fiscal year. But earlier this year, city officials sounded the alarm as revenue generated from the Measure X sales tax is set to reduce in 2029. Currently, the sales tax is responsible for 22% of the general fund budget.
Voters in the city approved Measure X in the 2018 election, where Santa Ana’s sales tax went up by 1.5%. That tax is set to reduce to 1% in 2029 with the city set to lose $30 million.
What could this mean for your city services? Funds generated from the sales tax goes towards emergency response services, street repairs and the upkeep of parks and senior services.
At a council meeting in April, city staff said projections show that since expenses are increasing faster than money coming in, Santa Ana could see a budget deficit next year.
Old Santa Ana City Hall.
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Eli Pousson, CC BY-SA 2.0
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Wikimedia Commons
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The city council is set to discuss and adopt the next fiscal year budget at the June 4 city council meeting. If you would like to weigh in, you can attend the council meeting in person or follow along online to provide your feedback via public comment.
The city of Orange is looking at a $19.1 million budget deficit and is exploring cutting services or raising the costs of fees for city services. To save on costs, city staff have proposed either selling Taft Library or not filling vacant positions, and cutting down on park clean ups.
Currently, visitors to Old Towne Orange can park at the parking garages for free. However, with the city down on money, that could soon change too.
City leaders have not decided which measures to go ahead with it as the fiscal year looms and could potentially bring it up at the next council meeting slated for June 11. The agenda for the meeting is yet to be posted.
Westminster
In the current fiscal year set to end on June 30, Westminster is facing a $9 million deficit. That could be partly alleviated with voters in the March election approving the ballot measure Measure E, which will increase Westminster’s sales tax by 0.05%.
Revenue from the tax is projected to add $8 million to the city’s coffers every year.
The Asian Garden shopping mall, also known as Phước Lộc Thọ in Little Saigon.
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Brian Feinzimer
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LAist
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In 2016, voters in the city approved Measure SS raising the sales tax by 1%. Again in 2022, they approved a ballot measure to keep that 1% tax increase through March 31, 2043. If the measure had not passed in 2022, city staff had warned that Westminster could face bankruptcy.
Westminster is set to adopt the next fiscal year budget later in June. Staff reports show expected revenue to be $143 million while the expenditures are expected to be $147.3 million.
Huntington Beach
Huntington Beach has been involved in a range of litigation with the state of California including over state housing mandates and voter ID requirements. For the 2023/2024 fiscal year, Huntington Beach’s city attorney Michael Gates’ office oversaw around 95% of litigation in house.
In the fiscal year that will conclude on June 30, the budget allocation for the city attorney’s office increased by over 30% to over $3.7 million. For the proposed budget for the next fiscal year, the office is expected to see a 13% increase in budget to $4.2 million.
To learn more about Huntington Beach’s proposed budget, click here.
Anaheim
Anaheim is looking at a proposed budget of $2.3 billion, up 9% compared to the last fiscal year budget. The city continues to rely on the general fund for expenditures with the city expected to spend $490.9 million in the next fiscal year with over 60% of it going towards the police and fire department.
Majority of the funding for the general fund comes from a 15% tax that hotels, motels and short term rentals charge guests.
For the 2023/2024 fiscal year, the transient occupancy tax is projected to bring in the city over $256 million, a 14% increase from the previous and is the highest in Anaheim’s history. This is the first full fiscal year the tax is being collected since Measure J went into effect in January 2023. Under Measure J, online and travel booking companies are required to levy hotels, motels and short term rentals the transient occupancy tax based on the total amount a guest pays them. Previously, online and travel booking companies charged a flat tax fee agreed on with the hotels, motels and short term rentals.
Anaheim is slated to hold a public discussion on the proposed budget on June 11. For more information, click here.
Tustin
While Tustin sets its budget on a biennial basis, the fire in the North Hangar at the former Marine Corps Air Station has led to the finance director asking the city council to increase the revenue budget and allow payments related to the fire by a further $27 million.
Since the fire broke out last November, the city has spent $85 million to clean the debris, monitor air quality, sample air dust and soil and deconstruct the doors of the hangar, among other costs incurred.
The historic blimp hangar, at right, seen as it burned on Nov. 7, 2023.
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Jae C. Hong
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Associated Press
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“However, the true total fiscal impact on the City, County, and region remains unknown at this time and will continue to be assessed,” staff wrote in the report to the council.
The city has received $33.5 million in reimbursements from the Navy which owns the Hangar and is expected to receive a further $88 million.
How to check your city's budget
If your city's budget was not included in this list, you can check your city's website for details of the budget. The public can also weigh in on the city's spending during city council meetings.
Lucas Brady Woods
covers the weather and disasters, among other climate and science topics.
Published September 8, 2026 3:25 PM
Clouds form over Venice Beach in August. Tropical moisture from Hurricane Marie is currently causing extreme humidity in Southern California this week.
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Apu Gomes
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Getty Images North America
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Topline:
The National Weather Service has issued an extreme heat warning for much of Southern California from Wednesday morning through Thursday.
The details: This week’s combination of heat and humidity could be worse than it has been all summer. Forecasters say temperatures will peak on Wednesday. Highs could get up to the triple digits. Overnight lows will also stay elevated. They may only get down to the 70s in places, offering little relief from the heat.
The humidity: Climate experts say the humidity this week could be some of the highest on record in Southern California, even after a summer marked by repeated humid heatwaves. The moisture in the air, combined with the extreme heat, makes it increasingly difficult for the human body to cool down, especially when outdoors. It’s also driving scattered rain and thunderstorms that will continue for the next few days.
The backstory: The tropical moisture is due in large part to the leftovers of Hurricane Marie hundreds of miles away in the Pacific Ocean. On top of that, record high ocean temperatures off the Southern California coast are adding to the humidity.
Destiny Torres
covers all things SoCal, from breaking news to local government, with a focus on Orange County.
Published September 8, 2026 2:22 PM
Mari Barke, photographed at the California Policy Center in Irvine in 2024.
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Courtesy of Mari Barke
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Topline:
An O.C. Superior Court judge increased the economic penalties for Orange County Board of Education member Marilyn “Mari” Barke for failing to report millions of dollars in economic disclosure filings. She will now have to pay more than $100,000 in penalties, according to court documents.
Why it matters: Barke was elected in 2018 to the Orange County Board of Education, which oversees and approves the county’s education budget that serves around 450,000 students.
Background: In 2024, the Fair Political Practices Commission found Barke liable for failing to correctly report income, resulting in a $3,200 penalty. But a judge in July said the FPPC’s settlement didn’t fully address Barke’s actions.
What are the penalties? Barke will have to pay $101,800 in penalties, as well as attorney fees, for incorrectly filling out economic disclosure statements and for failure to correct amended statements. She will be credited the $3,200 paid to the FPPC. Barke’s lawyer did not immediately respond to LAist’s request for comment.
What changed? Orange County Superior Court Judge H. Shaina Colover handed the decision on Sept. 3. Colover said in a final statement on the decision that “substantial civil damages are warranted” to enforce the Political Reform Act and prevent future violations.
Officials say: The complaint was filed by Lynne Riddle, a retired judge. Riddle’s lawyers said in a statement to LAist that the court’s ruling is a “landmark” outcome for public trust and that the high penalty fees show how serious the offenses were. “We hope this result reminds every public official in California that transparency is not optional, and that the public has both the right to know and the tools to hold them accountable when transparency is ignored,” Riddle’s legal team said.
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Aaron Schrank
has been on the ground, reporting on homelessness and other issues in L.A. for more than a decade.
Published September 8, 2026 1:56 PM
L.A. Mayor Karen Bass speaks at a news conference on May 31, 2023, in Los Angeles.
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Mario Tama
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Getty Images
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Topline:
Mayor Karen Bass is stepping down from the governing body for the L.A. region’s embattled lead homeless services agency, she told KFI last week.
The details: The decision comes after LAist reported Bass skipped more than half of the L.A. Homeless Services Authority Commission meetings held since appointing herself in 2023.
What the mayor is saying: Bass told KFI’s Gary and Shannon she’s leaving the LAHSA Commission, citing time constraints. “I am going to be stepping down because I just —- in terms of time and all,” the mayor said, in an interview published Friday. Bass’ office did not immediately respond to interview requests and questions from LAist.
Mayor Karen Bass is stepping down from the governing body for the L.A. region’s embattled lead homeless services agency, she told KFI last week.
The decision comes after LAist reported Bass skipped more than half the L.A. Homeless Services Authority Commission meetings held since appointing herself in 2023.
Details on the exit plans
Bass told KFI’s Gary and Shannon she’s leaving the LAHSA Commission, citing time constraints.
“I am going to be stepping down because I just — in terms of time and all,” Bass said in a live radio interview on Friday.
Bass’ office did not respond to interview requests and questions from LAist.
The backstory
LAist reporting found Bass missed 13 of the 21 LAHSA Commission meetings held over a recent year period, well above the four absence-threshold that can trigger potential removal under LAHSA’s bylaws.
Bass’ three-year term on the LAHSA Commission expired June 30, but she still remained on the commission as of Tuesday.
LAist reviewed three years of meeting records and found that Bass was among two sitting commissioners who had four or more absences over a single 12-month period.
L.A.’s mayor appoints half of the board’s members and Bass must appoint her replacement soon.
Paul Rubenstein, LAHSA's chief of staff, told LAist on Tuesday that Bass has not informed the agency that she will step down from the commission. Other members of the commission did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
What’s next?
LAHSA is a joint powers authority between the city and county, created three decades ago to manage the region’s response to homelessness.
The agency has come under scrutiny for alleged mismanagement of taxpayer dollars, including the Trump administration's attempt to suspend LAHSA.
In response to the agency’s documented dysfunction, L.A. County pulled most of its money from the agency and created its own homelessness department.
Bass now appears fed up with LAHSA and eager for the city to follow suit.
“I took the step of being on the commission so that I could learn much more and I could see what we needed to do,” Bass told KFI. “And I came to the conclusion that the city needs to have its own system.”
Elly Yu
reports on early childhood. From housing to health, she covers issues facing the youngest Angelenos and their families.
Published September 8, 2026 1:11 PM
The state approved money in this year’s budget to help with startup costs for a “childcare special district” in the cities of Moreno Valley and Perris in Riverside County.
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Chava Sanchez
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LAist
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Topline:
The state has approved money to help create a special district for childcare in Moreno Valley and Perris in Riverside County — the first of its kind in the state.
What’s new: State assemblymember Corey Jackson, who pushed for the initiative, said the $2 million state allocation would help with local startup costs in launching the district.
What does a special district do? Special districts are local government agencies in California created to provide a specific service, like water or sanitation in a community. There are also special districts that support healthcare and recreational services.
What’s next? Jackson said creation of the special district and how it will be funded will still have to go before voters.
The state has approved money to help create a special district for childcare within Riverside County — the first of its kind in the state.
Special districts are local government agencies in California created to provide a specific service to a community, like water or healthcare.
The district would serve Moreno Valley and Perris. State Assemblymember Corey Jackson said $2 million in state funding would help with local startup costs.
What happens now?
Voters living in the area will still need to approve a funding mechanism for the initiative, like a tax.
“I believe it's my obligation to set up families and children for success, but I was equally tired of waiting for the state to provide enough childcare slots, for the federal government to provide childcare slots," Jackson said. "So I figured why not give my district an opportunity to decide for themselves whether they wanted to invest in childcare?”
A bill he sponsored that would have created the special district as a pilot for five years failed to pass the Legislature this year.
Jackson said the details of the special district, including who will sit on its board, still need to be worked out.
A vote could come before voters in 2028 on how to fund the district to support childcare services.
Jackson said he hopes that additional funding could help create universal childcare for families in the district, regardless of income, but the exact services and subsidies will have to be determined based on the revenue.
“ We are at a crisis point and our families are begging for help, and it's time for us to do everything that we can to deliver, ” Jackson said.
