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Supervisor Foley released the following statement after the Budget Hearings hosted by the Board of Supervisors for the Fiscal Year 2022-2023 budget. The County Budget will be considered for final adoption on the June 28th meeting of the Board.
“I am pleased that our county is planning to adopt a budget that is fiscally prudent, while making key investments into our most valuable assets – our residents, employees, and communities,” said Supervisor Foley. “Addressing encampments in our flood channels has been a top priority, which is why I I am grateful that this budget includes funding for two dedicated positions in the Sheriff’s Department to address these hotbeds of crime and assist those who want help. I am grateful for our combined efforts creating this budget and would like to thank our Board and County staff for their hard work.”
In addition to the proposed budget, Supervisor Foley introduced a measure to allocate $5,000,000 for the County to create a homebuyer program for first time homebuyers, first responders, and County of Orange public employees seeking to buy a home in Orange County.
“This budget includes unprecedented investments in housing and homelessness, but there was a missing gap in homeownership assistance. That is why I proposed that the Board invest $5,000,000 to create a homebuyer program for first time homebuyers, first responders, and County of Orange public employees. I am disappointed that my colleagues did not support this initial proposal in the budget, but I intend to continue advocating with our coalition, which includes the Association of Orange
County Deputy Sheriffs, the Orange County Professional Firefighters Association, and the Orange County Employees Association, to get this done and ensure that Orange County residents have the opportunity to achieve home ownership and afford to live in the County where they work.”
Supervisor Foley’s direct budget requests that were incorporated in the final budget include the following items.
- $500,000 for a pilot program to address the alarming rise of suicide among veterans who are seniors.
- Two fully funded positions within the Orange County Sheriff’s Department for increased security in the County Flood channels
- An additional full-time position for the John Wayne Airport Noise Office to help address community noise concerns and assist with the implementation of the Fly Friendly program.
- $570,000 on an ongoing basis to support Project Homekey Motel Conversions, helping achieve the 2,700 unit goal of the County’s Housing Funding Strategy
- Funding to assess the feasibility of converting certain flood channel walkways to bike and walking paths.
- Investing nearly $3,000,000 for much needed maintenance and repairs for the Old Orange County Courthouse
- $300,000 in the Capital Improvement Budget for the Santa Ana Garden Channel Bikeway Project.
This is in addition to $5 million dollars the Supervisor secured in May and June of this year.
- Financial assistance for businesses impacted by the ongoing construction of the Orange County Streetcar.
- Housing assistance funds that aid residents experiencing or at risk of homelessness, including, but not limited to, emergency housing voucher assistance, VASH utilization, and legal assistance.
- Workforce development programs, including but not limited to, pre-apprenticeship programs to connect Orange County youth with high-quality, high-skilled jobs.
- Education and Childcare Grants for nonprofits and schools, including but not limited to, facility upgrades to meet new COVID-19 safety requirements or other improvements and childcare programs for working
families. - Meal Gap Programming for seniors, persons with disabilities and other individuals experiencing food insecurity as result of COVID-19.
- Economic support to arts-related small businesses and non-profit organizations
- Small Business and Non-Profit incentive grants to promote sustainable practices.
- Local programs that educate and address the alarming rise of hate-related incidents in Orange County and around the Country.
