Endorsement: Elect Janet Nguyen to the Orange County Board of Supervisors

The Orange County Board of Supervisors faces major challenges the next several years, especially on homelessness and fiscal matters. 

Gov. Gavin Newsom’s January budget proposal for fiscal year 2024-25, which begins on July 1, statewide would cut $1.2 billion from homeless programs and $2.9 billion from climate programs, among other reductions and delays. The board will be wrestling with other counties to get its fair share of these and other funds.

We believe Janet Nguyen is the best candidate to put on the board. Currently a state senator who previously served on the board and in the Assembly, she is well-suited to lead the county through these and other challenges. Most importantly, she brings to the table substantive ideas on how to best govern the county.

At the outset, Nguyen vows to push for greater transparency on county spending, including opening up for audit and review past county spending, with more information readily available to the public so they can determine the appropriateness of how county supervisors are spending their money.

She called for a tighter watch on how money intended to address homelessness is spent, always with the aim of ensuring the goal of effectively getting people off the streets and on the right track is achieved. “With all due respect to the nonprofits, and they do a phenomenal job, but we’re not here to keep them afloat,” she said. “We’re here to solve problems.”

She also has been a major force in pushing Orange County Animal Care to allow visitors to the kennels unescorted to search for lost pets. The policy was instituted during the pandemic and should have been rescinded long ago. On Jan. 1 the Register published an op-ed by her condemning the way the county has done things, calling the shelter a “disaster.” Her op-ed was widely read and spurred much discussion. The shelter relented and began allowing visits on Jan. 17.

You can read more of the article at the OC Register.

The Orange County Register joins OCBIZPAC, the California Republican Party, the California Republican Assembly, the Lincoln Club of Orange County, and the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association PAC in their endorsement of Janet Nguyen.