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Press release

This story is part of the Voice of OC Collegiate News Service, a partnership with Chapman University that trains student journalists to cover public policy across Orange County. Have a student project or a response to this work? Email admin@voiceofoc.org.

A host of cities throughout Orange County are hosting festivals, parades and firework shows for the country’s 250th birthday this Independence Day.  

It comes as many cities are further cracking down on illegal fireworks – with some moving to fine property owners where the pyrotechnics are lit while other cities are using police drones to help them issue fines.

Meanwhile, labor union leaders representing county employees are raising serious questions about workers not getting a raise as the OC Board of Supervisors gave themselves a 25% pay boost late last year. Meanwhile, the county grapples with a $75 million budget deficit – leaning on reserves to bail out spending.

While supervisors are on vacation until August, a UC Irvine poll found half of OC residents say the county government has been hijacked by big interests and is no longer serving the average resident, writes Voice of OC Publisher and Editor-in-Chief Norberto Santana Jr. 

Santana Jr. also notes that the OC District Attorney joined the OC Treasurer-Tax Collector in publicly criticizing supervisors’ budget process this year, with the county’s top prosecutor lambasting the lack of community outreach and resident input.  

As e-bike crashes, injuries, deaths and child endangerment charges mount this year, Buena Park and Placentia are joining a growing list of Orange County cities looking to bolster local e-bike laws. 

Westminster is calling on GKN Aerospace to reimburse residents and businesses impacted by the company’s chemical tank that nearly exploded on Memorial Day Weekend, forcing 50,000 people to evacuate.  

A historic roller rink in Orange is slated to close its doors next month as the property owner looks to redevelop the land into housing – something cities across the state are grappling to build in the face of housing mandates.