Orange County’s Fourth District voters are deciding in November on a new member for the OC Board of Supervisors next year.
OC Board of Education Trustee Tim Shaw and Buena Park Mayor Connor Traut are facing off for the seat currently occupied by Supervisor Doug Chaffee, who is termed out and unable to seek re-election. The two men made it out of a four-person primary field in June that was packed with longtime North Orange County leaders.
The north county district includes Brea, Buena Park, Fullerton, La Habra, Placentia, Stanton and parts of Anaheim.
Housing affordability is a top concern cited by both candidates, who were interviewed and responded to written questions. They agreed the county needs to build more homes, but that funding for housing programs should be tied to outcomes.
Shaw, also a former La Habra council member and the government affairs director for the Pacific West Association of Realtors, said the county should partner with cities, developers and nonprofits to boost affordable housing production as well as transitional housing for homeless people. But programs that are not delivering results, he said, should be cut.
“It is always stunning to me when you look at how much money gets spent on homelessness, affordable housing projects,” Shaw said. “You always feel like there’s gotta be a way to deliver services at a more reasonable cost.”
Traut, who has served on the Centralia School Board and Juvenile Justice Commission in the past, said he’d support incorporating AI software to expedite permit processing and plan reviews so housing can be built more quickly. The approach yielded tremendous success in Buena Park, he said, with building plans taking just three days to be approved — the fastest turnaround time among OC cities, he added.
At the same time, Traut said he’d also want to protect tenant rights, enforcing just-cause eviction protections and supporting rental assistance programs.
“Housing affordability comes down to two things: increase supply and lower cost,” he said. “Faster timelines mean more housing and making sure people in Orange County can actually stay here.”
The OC Board of Supervisors’ discretionary funds program has come under scrutiny following former Supervisor Andrew Do’s bribery scandal, in which he agreed to plead guilty and admitted to receiving bribes in return for directing millions in First District discretionary funds to nonprofits that law enforcement say did not fulfill the work expected. During the pandemic, the supervisors had tens of millions of dollars in COVID-relief funds added to their discretionary funds.
Traut said he’d push for more oversight of discretionary funds through a public application process, real-time disclosures and independent reviews before large allocations are approved. “Randomized forensic audits must be a part of the county administration going forward,” he said.
To raise revenue, Traut said he’d partner with local community colleges, businesses and labor organizations to invest in workforce development and well-paying jobs. Though he said he would cut costs where necessary, Trout also said protecting access to essential county services such as food assistance programs and support for seniors and people with disabilities is key.
“We’re in a challenging budget environment; for me that means protecting services residents need and depend on most,” he said. “The safety net that keeps people fed, housed and healthy is the priority of county services that must not be cut.”
Shaw said taxpayer dollars should be used “transparently” and only to advance a clear public benefit.
He said he supports setting budget goals for each department, but would refrain from “micromanaging” how department heads choose to make reductions. Treasurer-Tax Collector Shari Freidenrich and District Attorney Todd Spitzer have both criticized the board for directing them to cut staffing and programs that they say would hurt the public.
“If you’re telling a department you need to reduce the budget by 5%, it’s appropriate for that director to find a way to make the savings,” Shaw said.
The five-member, non-partisan Board of Supervisors sets policy and direction and oversees the county’s $10.5 billion budget, 19,000 employees and various departments, including the health care and social services agencies, animal care and public works.
Shaw’s secured the backing of OC Sheriff Don Barnes, Supervisor Don Wagner, as well as Brea Mayor Cecilia Hupp and Placentia mayor Chad Wanke. Traut has been endorsed by Chaffee, Supervisor Katrina Foley and various labor groups.
Read more of the voter guide, including what the candidates said about how they would address housing needs and what more they think the Board of Supervisors can do for residents at ocregister.com/voter-guide.
Ballots may be returned by mail (must be postmarked by Nov. 3 and received within seven days) or to a ballot drop box. The first vote centers will open for casting ballots in person on Oct. 24.