OCTA seeks applicants for their Taxpayer Oversight Committee

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ORANGE – The Orange County Transportation Authority is seeking qualified volunteers to serve on the Taxpayer Oversight Committee, the committee that ensures transportation funds are being spent as intended.

The Taxpayer Oversight Committee (TOC) is an 11-member committee that monitors OCTA’s use of Measure M funds. The half-cent sales tax for transportation improvements was overwhelmingly renewed in 2006 after first being approved by voters in 1990.

Picture Courtesy of OCTA

Recruitment to the TOC is currently taking place through May 4, 2025, for openings in the First, Third, Fourth and Fifth Supervisorial Districts of Orange County. Interviews of interested and qualified candidates will be held May 12 – 16.

The committee reviews the use of the local sales tax funds, ensuring that all revenue collected are spent on voter-approved transportation projects. The Measure M plan improves and preserves Orange County’s quality of life, keeping people moving while minimizing impacts to the environment.

Measure M is a balanced plan, expected to generate approximately $14 billion through 2041, with 43% of the net funding dedicated to freeway improvements, 32% to local street projects and 25% to transit.

Applications for a three-year committee term, which runs from July 2025 to June 2028, will be accepted through May 4. Applicants must be Orange County residents, at least 18 years old and live in the Supervisorial District that they will represent.

The First District consists of the cities of Cypress, Fountain Valley, Huntington Beach, La Palma, Los Alamitos, Seal Beach, Westminster, a portion of Garden Grove and the unincorporated communities of Midway City and Rossmoor.

The Third District consists of the cities of Lake Forest, Mission Viejo, Rancho Santa Margarita, Villa Park, Yorba Linda, portions of Anaheim, Irvine, Orange, Tustin, the unincorporated communities of Modjeska, Silverado, Trabuco Canyon, Williams Canyon, and a portion of the unincorporated community of North Tustin.

The Fourth District consists of the cities of Brea, Buena Park, Fullerton, La Habra, Placentia, Stanton, and portions of Anaheim.

The Fifth District consists of the cities of Aliso Viejo, Costa Mesa, Dana Point, Laguna Beach, Laguna Hills, Laguna Niguel, Laguna Woods, Newport Beach, San Clemente, San Juan Capistrano, portions of Irvine and the unincorporated communities of Coto de Caza, Ladera Ranch, Las Flores and Rancho Mission Viejo.

Applications for the volunteer position are available at octa.net/TOCrecruitment.

About OCTA:

The Orange County Transportation Authority is the county transportation planning commission, responsible for funding and implementing transit and capital projects for a balanced and sustainable transportation system that reflects the diverse travel needs of the county’s 34 cities and 3.2 million residents. With the mission of keeping Orange County moving, this includes freeways and express lanes, bus and rail transit, rideshare, commuter rail and active transportation. To sign up for more OCTA news, visit octa.net/GetConnected.

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Our Editor, Art Pedroza, worked at the O.C. Register and the OC Weekly and studied journalism at CSUF and UCI. He has lived in Santa Ana for over 30 years and has served on several city and county commissions.

When he is not writing or editing Pedroza specializes in risk control and occupational safety. He also teaches part time at Cerritos College and CSUF. Pedroza has an MBA from Keller University.