There\u2019s an open seat before Orange County voters this June, with Supervisor Doug Chaffee termed out after serving two terms on the Board of Supervisors. The district is spread across Brea, Buena Park, Fullerton, La Habra, Placentia, Stanton and Anaheim.<\/p>\n
To succeed him, due to his experience and fiscal prudence, we endorse Tim Shaw for Orange County supervisor in the 4th District in the June 2 primary election.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Shaw, a Republican, is the government affairs director for the Pacific West Association of Realtors and in 2020 was elected a member of the OC Board of Education. A key government budget number we look at is the unrestricted net position in an Annual Comprehensive Financial Report. For the OC Department of Education, in the ACFR for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025, the UNP was a positive $259 million, reflecting good fiscal management.\u00a0<\/p>\n
That acumen will be needed on the county board because, for its ACFR for the same period, the UNP was a negative $957 million. If the economy sours, as may happen with higher oil and gasoline prices, there will be a temptation to raise taxes, which must be resisted. \u201cI\u2019m running to make sure Orange County has a more limited government, with lower taxes and private property rights intact,\u201d he told us in an interview.\u00a0<\/p>\n
There are two formidable candidates up against Shaw.<\/p>\n
One is Fullerton Mayor Fred Jung, a businessman and former Democrat who last September re-registered<\/a> as No Party Preference. Although not a Republican, he told us he embraces the party\u2019s \u201cfiscal conservatism.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n In an odd development, the Republican Lincoln Club endorsed Jung over Shaw. \u201cFred has a money advantage over his other opponents, and we think Fred is a business leader,\u201d President Brandon Day told us. What should be making this awkward for the Lincoln Club is Jung\u2019s championing higher taxes<\/a> in his city, which is hardly a conservative or business-friendly approach to government.<\/p>\n Another major candidate is the sensible Buena Park Mayor Connor Traut. \u201cI truly believe I\u2019m someone who\u2019s been independent in my track record,\u201d he told us. He promised to protect Proposition 13, the 1978 tax limitation measure, \u201cat all costs.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n