The office is responsible for collecting property taxes and acts as the county’s banker, managing and investing funds that return yields used to pay for county services.
Yusra Farzan
covers Orange County and its 34 cities, watching those long meetings — boards, councils and more — so you don’t have to.
Orange County’s treasurer-tax collector is responsible for collecting around $10 billion in property taxes annually. The office also acts as the county’s banker, managing and, until recently, investing funds that return yields that are used to pay for county services.
Incumbent Shari Freidenrich’s tenure has been marked by allegations that she micromanages employees and that she creates a work culture that is a “highly charged atmosphere of mistrust, suspicion.”
A workplace investigation also found that she threw her office keys at a subordinate out of anger.
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When the Board of Supervisors learned of the investigation, they rescinded Freidenrich’s investment authority. Dana Schultz, who until recently was Freidenrich’s deputy, has overseen investments since then and now is running against Freidenrich for treasurer-tax collector.
Days after Schultz pulled papers to run for treasurer-tax collector, Freidenrich tried to fire her, sending an email to staff stating that Schultz was “no longer employed with the [treasurer-tax collector] as my executive manager.” But county counsel and the CEO’s Office intervened, and Schultz was elevated to chief investment officer.
What does the O.C. treasurer-tax collector do?
Bills and collects property taxes, as well as taxes on movable property like boats and business equipment.
Sends out overdue notices and collects unpaid taxes.
Invests county, school district and special district funds, collecting revenue and distributing it.
Here are some things the O.C. treasurer-tax collector doesn't do:
The office does not set taxes or perform property valuations, which is the role of the county assessor.
Residential and business properties in Orange County are valued at over $850 billion. The assessor determines the taxable value of those properties.
What’s on the agenda for next term:
Employee morale: In 2022, a union survey of department staff found that more than 90% said they would transfer to another agency if they could, using words like “toxic,” “hostile” and “dysfunctional” to describe the work culture. And according to a fact sheet prepared by the Orange County CEO’s Office in 2024, this has led to high employee turnover, which has increased recruitment and HR costs.
Property tax collection: As Orange County grapples with the financial fallout from the Airport Fire, delays in the collection of property taxes also are hurting the county, with revenue reduced by more than $9 million for fiscal years 2023-24 and 2024-25.
What it takes to win:
The top vote-getter in the June 2 primary is all but assured to be elected because there are just two candidates. Should neither get more than 50% of votes, a runoff will be held in the November general election.
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The candidates for O.C. treasurer-tax collector
Shari Freidenrich, incumbent
Incumbent Shari L. Freidenrich
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Mark Jordan
/
Courtesy the campaign
)
Freidenrich has served as treasurer-tax collector since 2010, but her tenure has been marked by complaints of mismanagement. An independent investigation found she violated the workplace violence policy and was an “extreme micro-manager.” She previously served as elected treasurer for Huntington Beach.
In her own words
Why are you running for reelection?
“I am running as a proven and trusted taxpayer champion to work in the best interest for taxpayers who send their money to county government,” Freidenrich told LAist in an email. “I will set common-sense policies to cut fraud, waste and abuse of the people’s money over and above the almost $1 billion already saved in the 15 years that I have humbly served Orange County residents.”
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She added that she believes in “limited government and that taxpayer demand that this elected office be run by their representative, not by a county bureaucracy.”
“I will ensure accountability, safekeeping, transparency, reporting and oversight over the County Treasury’s public assets,” Freidenrich wrote.
If elected, what are your priorities?
“To work in the best interest of taxpayers as their direct advocate and implement common-sense policies in a transparent, cost-effective and efficient manner utilizing current technology, innovations and automation to minimize risk and reduce the costs of government property tax operations that are paid directly from the taxes paid by the people,” Freidenrich wrote.
She added that she will “implement property tax eBills, direct pay for tax refunds to bank accounts to reduce the current four- to five-week check processing time, a banking fraud prevention tool for electronic payments and a chat bot on the website to provide fast, efficient service to taxpayers.”
Why should people vote for you?
“I am a CPA and highly credentialed experienced professional with a strong, 30-year private- and public-sector background in banking, treasury and accounting from working at Deloitte /Boeing and as an elected treasurer,” Freidenrich wrote.
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“I work for taxpayers and have never lost a dime of principal. I have a proven record of saving taxpayers almost $1 billion by cutting fraud, waste and abuse by implementing common-sense policies in an efficient, cost-effective manner. I eliminated tax bills for 40,000 small businesses and lowered service fees, saving taxpayers millions of dollars annually,” she added.
Dana Schultz, Orange County chief investment officer
Dana Schultz
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Courtesy Dana Schultz
)
Schultz currently oversees the investment of around $15 billion to $18 billion in county, community college and school district funds. She previously worked for the Orange County Probation Department, managing a $205 million budget.
In her own words
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Why are you running for office?
“I really want to restore trust in the office,” Schultz told LAist in a phone interview.
In all other counties in California except for Orange County, she said the investment authority rests with the treasurer-tax collector. Schultz said she would like to see that authority returned to the treasurer-tax collector.
“ I know that the board currently has that trust with me, and we can return back and be like the rest of the counties in the state of California,” she said.
If elected, what are your priorities?
“ I was there [with the department] for three years, and I was really working on restoring employee morale and focus because I think that is the key to everything,” Schultz said. “If your staff are happy, they provide better customer service, they're more efficient.
“ I made a lot of progress while I was there, and there were a lot of very unhappy people when I was pulled from that position. And so my goal is to get back in and just continue what I've been working on for the last three years.”
Schultz said she also wants to continue her efforts to modernize systems.
“A lot of the systems were antiquated, end of life, so I led the efforts to replace and modernize our call center, update and upgrade payment processing and bring enhanced features to the taxpayers,” she said.
Schultz said she was working on features such as a prepay or autopay option to help taxpayers avoid paying late fees and penalties.
Why should people vote for you?
“ If elected, I think I'm going to be very successful. I've been with the county for over 26 years in various roles,” Schultz told LAist. “I have really good relationships with all the department heads, with the Board of Supervisors and with the CEO. And I think that is key — that I have that good relationship — because it helps the department when you have needs.”
She added that she understands “county financing , ins and outs, strategic financial planning, all of the things that I think make me really successful in that position.”
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