On June 25th I was able to speak during public comment at the Charter Review Commission meeting. I spoke about placing a one cent tax on the 2016 ballot that would bring in 350 million per year and completely wipe out the infrastructure deficit of 1.6 billion dollars in four years. None of us like taxes but Orange County needs money to fix our roadways. There just is not enough money coming in from fuel tax and impact fees to keep up with the road system.
If you want to view the entire meeting with Commissioner Brummer explaining the tax he is proposing, you can view the video here.
If you don’t know about the Charter Review Commission, you should. This is the commission that reviews the county charter and makes recommendations for changes. The last commission met in from March, 2011 through June, 2012 for 2012 changes. This commission started meeting in Feb, 2015 and will continue with workshops and meetings into next year. The Orange County Charter is like the Constitution but at a county level so it is very important.
Your input is welcome. At every meeting the chairman talks about ways to get the community involved and increasing attendance. They seem very interested in ensuring your input is considered. Here is the link to the video clips of the meetings: Orange TV Charter Review Commission meeting video.
If you want to be involved just send an email to and ask to be placed on the distribution list.