As Orange County residents prepare to vote on the 2024 Charter Amendments, understanding each amendment’s potential impact is essential. These ten amendments cover a range of critical issues, from affordable housing and rural land protections to transportation planning and election processes. Each amendment has implications for county governance, citizen involvement, and sustainable growth, making this election a significant opportunity for voters to shape Orange County’s future. Here’s a closer look at what each amendment entails and what a “Yes” or “No” vote would mean for the community.

Amendment 1: Amendment Revising Orange County Charter Initiative Petition Process

Revising the charter initiative petition process by lowering petition requirements for charter amendments from 10 percent of registered voters in each commission district to 5 percent, and for ordinances from 7 percent to 3 percent; removing signature withdrawal procedures; and revising financial impact statement, public hearing, legal review, and petition affidavit requirements. Estimated financial impact: $7,000 savings per proposed ballot question.

• Summary: This amendment reduces the signature requirements to initiate petitions for amending the County Charter or ordinances, lowering it from 10% to 5% for amendments and from 7% to 3% for ordinances.
• Yes Vote: Makes it easier to gather enough signatures for citizen initiatives by reducing the thresholds.
• No Vote: Retains the current higher signature requirements, keeping the current threshold intact for initiating petitions.

Amendment 2: Orange County Charter Amendment Requiring Continued Existence of Affordable Housing Trust Fund

Amending the County Charter to require the continued existence of an Affordable Housing Trust Fund used to create and preserve affordable housing, which may be funded by fees from new commercial and residential development and other sources, as directed by the County Commission. The amendment outlines the purposes, revenue sources, appropriation and expenditure of funds, annual audit, and continuing nature, with implementation by ordinance, administration, and oversight of the Trust Fund. No financial impact.

• Summary: Establishes a permanent Affordable Housing Trust Fund, with revenue from fees on new developments and other sources, dedicated solely to affordable housing initiatives.
• Yes Vote: Secures funding and oversight for affordable housing in Orange County, ensuring continued existence of the Trust Fund.
• No Vote: Allows the fund to be dissolved, leaving the current housing ordinance unchanged.

Amendment 3: Write-In Candidate Effect on Timing of Charter Officer Elections

Amending the Orange County Charter to provide that in elections for Charter offices (currently the County Mayor and County Commissioners), write-in candidates shall not count toward the number of qualified candidates (three or more) necessary to trigger an election at the August primary. No financial impact.

• Summary: This measure changes the criteria for triggering a primary election by excluding write-in candidates from the total candidate count necessary to hold a primary.
• Yes Vote: Excludes write-in candidates, only counting fully qualified candidates to determine if a primary is needed.
• No Vote: Keeps the current rules, where write-in candidates can trigger a primary election.

Amendment 4: Orange County Charter Amendment Requiring Adoption of a Fiscal Sustainability Analysis Tool

Amending the County Charter to require that no later than October 2025, the County shall adopt a fiscal sustainability analysis methodology and process to evaluate the impacts of proposed Urban Service Area expansions and proposed development in Rural Settlements and Rural Service Area on the County’s capacity to efficiently provide and maintain infrastructure and services over the County Comprehensive Plan’s longest-range planning period. Comptroller estimated financial impact: Indeterminate financial impact.

• Summary: Requires the County to implement a fiscal sustainability analysis to assess the infrastructure and service costs of proposed urban and rural development.
• Yes Vote: Mandates the analysis tool to help evaluate development impacts on county resources.
• No Vote: No new analysis is required, and decisions are made without the tool.

Amendment 5: Orange County Charter Amendment Establishing Charter Office of County Attorney

Amending the Orange County Charter to establish an office of the County Attorney, who shall be the County’s chief legal counsel, appointed by the County Mayor and confirmed by a majority of the full County Commission, and removed by either the County Mayor or a majority of the full County Commission. No financial impact.

• Summary: Formally establishes an Office of the County Attorney, appointed by the mayor and confirmed by the Board, allowing for independent legal counsel.
• Yes Vote: Creates an official County Attorney office with clear structure and accountability.
• No Vote: Retains the current structure where the County Attorney position may lack the formal independence this amendment provides.

Amendment 6: Orange County Charter Amendment Increasing Number of County Commission Districts

Amending the Orange County Charter to increase the number of County Commission districts from six single-member districts to eight single-member districts, resulting in a nine-member County Commission (eight Commissioners plus County Mayor) effective for the 2026 General Election, while ensuring that term limits on sitting County Commissioners continue to apply upon the transition to eight districts. Estimated financial impact: One-time costs – $2.6 million; annual recurring costs – $1.3 million.

• Summary: Increases the number of County Commission districts from six to eight, creating a nine-member board with additional representation.
• Yes Vote: Expands the board to better represent Orange County’s growing population, reducing the number of constituents in each district.
• No Vote: Keeps the existing six-district structure, potentially limiting representation.

Amendment 7: Charter Amendment Creating Transportation Mobility Advisory Commission

Amending the Orange County Charter to create a Transportation Mobility Advisory Commission empowered to hold public hearings and make recommendations to the County Commission on: (1) proposed expenditures for transportation purposes prior to inclusion in the proposed County annual budget; (2) transportation and mobility innovation; and (3) review of past transportation expenditures; and to provide for County Commission appointment, funding of operating expenses, organization, and staff assistance. Comptroller estimated financial impact: $725,000 cost annually.

• Summary: Establishes a commission to evaluate and advise on transportation policies, recommending improvements for public mobility, walkability, and transit.
• Yes Vote: Creates an advisory body for assessing transportation issues and proposing enhancements.
• No Vote: Leaves transportation planning solely in the hands of existing bodies without an advisory commission.

Amendment 8: Supermajority County Commission Vote to Dispose of or Change Use of “County Protected Lands”

Amending the Orange County Charter to define “County Protected Lands” as County-owned (in whole or in part), operated, or maintained public parks and recreation areas, and environmentally sensitive lands acquired by the County for environmental, ecological, or recreational purposes; and requiring that any County Commission action authorizing the disposition of County Protected Lands or change to another use must be approved by a majority-plus-one County Commission vote. No financial impact.

• Summary: Reclassifies certain lands as “protected” public areas, requiring a supermajority of commissioners to approve any changes.
• Yes Vote: Enacts additional safeguards for environmentally sensitive and recreational lands.
• No Vote: Keeps current protections, allowing changes to protected lands with a simple majority vote.

Amendment 9: Orange County Charter Amendment Establishing Rural Boundary and Rural Area (“Area”)

Establishing a Rural Area (unincorporated lands located outside the County’s Urban Service Area, municipal joint planning areas, Growth Centers, Innovation Way Overlay, Horizon West Villages, and Boggy Creek Expansion Area on the effective date) where County comprehensive plan amendments increasing density or intensity, and ordinances removing lands from the Rural Area, must be approved by a majority-plus-one vote of the entire membership of the County Commission.

• Summary: Establishes a permanent rural boundary to protect specific lands from high-density development, with stringent requirements to modify the boundary.
• Yes Vote: Defines and protects rural lands with additional oversight before making density changes.
• No Vote: Maintains the current zoning rules without a set rural boundary.

Amendment 10: Charter Amendment Establishing a Process For Voluntary Municipal Annexations And Land Use in Rural Areas

Amend the County Charter to establish a process for voluntary municipal annexation and provide that the comprehensive plan and land development regulations of Orange County exclusively govern within rural areas when lands are subsequently annexed into a municipality, with Orange County having the authority to approve or deny voluntary annexations by an affirmative vote of not less than a majority plus one vote of the entire County Commission.

• Summary: Creates a formal process for voluntary annexation, preserving county authority over rural land regulations and requiring a majority-plus-one vote for land use changes.
• Yes Vote: Adds structure to the annexation process, ensuring county oversight of rural areas.
• No Vote: Keeps the current annexation rules, with fewer safeguards for rural land development.

Early voting is now available through November 3, 2024, 8:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m. daily, with several convenient locations in and close to Horizon West. Early voting locations can be found on the Orange County Supervisor of Elections website, and you can cast your ballot at any location in Orange County during the early voting period,