Orange County’s Board of Supervisors Votes to Join Association of California Cities – Orange County

County joins a growing number of local governments

collaborating to address regional issues

The Orange County Board of Supervisors voted this week to join the Association of California Cities – Orange County (ACC-OC), a 501(c)(3) nonprofit focused on creating consensus-based public policy solutions for local governments. As part of its membership, the County and ACC-OC will work together to lead a countywide dialogue to break down barriers and collaborate on a regional scale to solve public policy challenges.

“Since its inception two years ago, I have watched this organization grow to have an incredible impact regional public policy,” said Third District Supervisor Todd Spitzer. “I am impressed with the work they’ve done and believe it’s time the County join with the ACC-OC to work on behalf of all our residents.”

First District Supervisor Janet Nguyen, who also served on the Garden Grove City Council, saw the benefit of partnering with cities across the region.

“It is imperative that we, the County of Orange, work closely with our 34 cities,” said Nguyen. “Together we can more effectively confront the issues that we all face including housing, homelessness, and economic growth to name just a few.”

Supervisor Pat Bates, a former assemblywoman and four-term mayor of Laguna Niguel, supported membership as a way to protect local resources and create a stronger voice for the region.

“This is a critical year for cities and county governments in our state,” said Supervisor Bates. “Cities and County government know what works best at a local level. So having the ACC-OC and County of Orange side-by-side will only strengthen our ability to secure the resources needed to provide the best possible service to our citizens.”

The County’s approval of ACC-OC membership comes on the heels of a recent expansion of the organization to 25 cities. Its members also include numerous water districts, the Orange County Transportation Authority, Transportation Corridor Agencies, Orange County Fire Authority, Orange County Business Council, OC Housing Trust and other non-profit, academic and private-sector partners.

Prior to the County, the City of Irvine was most the recent agency to join, having unanimously voted in favor of membership two weeks ago. The County will hold a non-voting seat on the ACC-OC Board of Directors and will be an advisory member on its numerous policy committees.

“It’s a good day for Orange County when all its local agencies can collaborate on smart public policy,” said ACC-OC Lacy Kelly. “I am looking forward to having the County at the table so we can all gain from its leadership and regional perspective.”

About the ACC-OC

The Association of California Cities – Orange County (ACC-OC) serves as a vital resource for municipal staff and elected officials, a strong voice for Orange County’s cities and a hub for good public policy. ACC-OC is guided by its three key initiatives, which include: serving as a catalyst for regional collaboration, an educational resource for Orange County city leaders and as the hub for good public policy in Orange County. Learn more about the ACC-OC at www.ACCOC.org.

submitted by:

Steve Greyshock

Vice President, 21Strat

www.21strat.com

Board of Directors

The ACC-OC is governed by a 22-member Board of Directors (14 voting elected officials, and 8 ex-officio members) elected by mayors of all member cities. The Board is composed of an executive committee (President, 1^st Vice President/Secretary, 2^nd Vice President, Legislative Committee Chair and Immediate Past President), representatives from all five Supervisory districts and three large city representatives. Executive committee seats are elected each year, except for the Legislative Committee chair, who is elected to a two year term to coincide with the Legislative session. The supervisory and large city representative seats are also elected to serve two-year terms. Elections are held in the March. Additionally, non-voting members of the Board may be invited to serve in an advisory capacity.

Select the links below for more information on the Directors and their cities or organizations.