The Orange County Board of Supervisors’ approval of a 25% pay hike was “troubling” and tone-deaf” amid a hiring freeze and multimillion-dollar budget gap, according to an investigation by the Orange County Grand Jury.
The Grand Jury report, issued Dec. 22, concluded that the supervisors undermined public confidence by granting themselves a $49,000 raise as a budget item, which required no comment, instead of as a separate agenda item, which might have promoted debate.
“The timing was especially troubling as the County of Orange (County) has been facing hiring freezes and budget constraints,” the grand jurors wrote. “This decision was not only tone-deaf—it reflected a deeper disconnect from the Board’s duty to serve the public with transparency and fiscal responsibility.”
The board passed a proposal on June 24 that made their pay commensurate with what state superior court judges make: $244,000 annually. Until this year, the supervisors’ annual pay had been fixed at 80% of what the Superior Court judges made. That pay formula was set in an ordinance passed by county supervisors in 2005.
The Grand Jury also noted that the vote came just two weeks after disgraced former Supervisor Andrew Do was sentenced to five years in federal prison for accepting $868,000 in bribes in a scheme involving the alleged embezzlement of millions in COVID-relief funds.
“While the salary increase was positioned as a routine adjustment, its proximity to former Supervisor Do’s conviction raised public concerns about oversight, ethics, and the perception of self-enrichment among the County leadership,” the Grand Jury wrote.
The supervisors’ new salary surpasses that of Gov. Gavin Newsom’s, which is set at $242,295. But it is comparable to what their counterparts in neighboring counties make: Los Angeles County supervisors earn $244,000 a year, San Diego County supervisors make just under $220,000 and Riverside County supervisors receive $226,000 annually.
The Grand Jury report — which included confidential interviews and reviews of public documents, letters of complaints and news accounts — comes months after the public first learned of the supervisors’ pay bump. At the end of June, in the wake of some criticism, Second District Supervisor Vicente Sarmiento and Chair Doug Chaffee said they would donate their raises to charity.
The Grand Jury wants more. The report calls for all of the supervisors to rescind their raises and implement multiple accountability measures by Mar. 31. The Grand Jury also wants the supervisors to adopt a resolution that “clearly defines the procedures for proposing, reviewing, and approving future salary adjustments for Board members.”
“Compensation for elected officials should be approached with the utmost transparency and supported by commensurate data,” the report concluded. “The Board’s approach to introducing the agenda item on the June 10th and June 24 meetings has undermined the Board’s credibility and the public’s trust. In addition, no comparative analysis of local county supervisors’ compensation was publicly provided.”
County spokesperson Molly Nichelson declined to address the report.
“The County has 90 days for which to respond to a Grand Jury report,” she said in a statement. “As such, the County will not be commenting at this time.”
Fifth District Supervisor Katrina Foley, who casted the lone vote against the pay hike, said she has no issues with the Grand Jury’s recommendations.
“I believe in a transparent government,” she said. “If we’re going to make decisions that impact the budget, then people need to know what they are.”
Sarmiento said Monday that he shares the Grand Jury’s wish for transparency and is open to reconsidering the pay hike.
“The ordinance received majority support, and the vote I cast in favor was not the deciding factor in its approval,” he said in a statement. “As was mentioned in the Grand Jury report, my family and I have made a charitable donation based on the pay increase. I am open to considering the recommendations in the report for changes to the pay ordinance and how future increases are approved.”
Previously, Chaffee said he would be giving to a university scholarship fund related to environmental studies. Sarmiento previously said he would be giving his raise to a legal group that helps immigrants.
Supervisor Don Wagner declined to comment. Chaffee and Supervisor Janet Nguyen did not respond to a request for comment.