Orange City Council - Regular Meeting

calling the special City Council meeting of June 3rd, 2026 to order. We'll begin with the Pledge of Allegiance. Please stand. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. Madam Clerk, please call the roll.

Councilmember Barrios? I'm here. Councilmember Dimitriou?

Present.

Councilmember Tavalieris? Here. Councilmember Gutierrez? Here. Mayor Slater?

Here.

A quorum is present with Mayor Pro Tem Bilodeau and Councilmember Gillenhammer absent.

Thank you. We have one agenda item this evening. Item 2.1, review and discuss draft resolution and ordinance documents relating to a proposed one-cent sales tax measure for a term of 13 years. Jack, could you give us a brief staff report?

Good evening, Mayor and Councilmembers. So tonight for your consideration are the necessary documents to place a one-cent sales tax measure for a term of 13 years on the November 2026 ballot. Overall, we are considering three documents that collectively, one, submit to the voters at the November 3rd, 2026 general municipal election, a local sales tax for 13 years, while two, detailing the process for filing written arguments for or against the measure and directing the city attorney to prepare an impartial analysis. To begin, resolution number 11670 includes standard legal language and reaffirms the city's ability to levy a general transactions and use tax subject to voter approval. Resolution number 11670 also includes the proposed ballot question that would be submitted to the voters, which details the general government services that the additional sales tax revenue could fund. Lastly, as highlighted on this slide, the ballot question and the proposed ordinance clarifies this measure would be for a term of 13 years. Additionally, as noted in the staff report, staff clarified a few items with the proposed ordinance as it relates to the Independent Oversight Committee. The text on this slide shows the exact text that is included in the ordinance attached to the resolution. Since the last meeting, staff modified the meeting frequency, making clear that the oversight committee will meet at least once annually with the option to meet more as needed, clarified that the resident members appointed by the council must live in the same voting district, and that unless otherwise specified, the mayor shall appoint an independent oversight committee members subject to council ratification, and finally, that the parent or guardian of a child enrolled in a public, private, or charter school located within the city shall serve as an at-large appointee. Finally, for resolution number 11672, aside from directing the attorney to draft and partial analysis under the elections code, the council may authorize members of the legislative body to submit a written argument in favor or against the measure. The actual ballot argument may have no more than five signers. The council is not required to identify the final five signers tonight unless it wishes to do so. Some recommendations to consider include The council could authorize up to five council members to sign the ballot argument, or designate one council member to prepare and submit the argument, or authorize the mayor to prepare and submit the ballot argument in favor of the measure, consult with community stakeholders as appropriate, determine any additional signers, and make revisions prior to filing. So overall, we have two resolutions before the council tonight. For resolution number 11670, it's recommended the council adopt the resolution placing the one cent sales tax measure for a 13 year term on the November 3rd, 2026 general municipal election or provide direction to staff. For resolution number 11672, it is recommended the council authorize up to five council members to sign the ballot argument and designate one council member to prepare and submit the argument, or authorize the mayor to prepare and submit the ballot argument. In favor of the measure, consult with community stakeholders as appropriate, determine any additional signers, and make revisions prior to filing. That concludes my overview, and staff is available to answer any questions.

Thank you, Jack. So the ordinance you're suggesting it would do what?

The ordinance that's presented tonight, it's as an exhibit to resolution number 11670. That's what we would place if the council adopts that resolution. The ordinance is the full language of the measure. It's a one cent sales tax. and it would expire after 13 years. Some of the language that has changed since the previous time we looked at this had to do with the Independent Oversight Committee. And more particularly, that had to do with the frequency of the meetings that they would have. Initially, we had it at quarterly. Right now, it's listed at being at least annually. Now, that could change. If the committee determined that it needed to meet more often, it could. And so that's written in there. It clarified that resident members appointed by the council must live in the same voting districts as the appointing council member so long that the districts are in place. If they are not in place, then the assumption and the way it's written, those members or those selected would be at large appointments. And that unless otherwise specified, the way that that would be selected is the mayor would appoint the individuals to the Independent Oversight Committee, but the council would have to ratify those appointments. And then lastly, when it comes to the Independent Oversight Committee, it had to do with the section that had to do with the parent or guardian of a child enrolled in a school in Orange. We wanted to note that that was an at-large appointment. With the exception of setting that term of 13 years and then making those adjustments to the Independent Oversight Committee, those are really all of the changes that we listed within the ordinance. The rest of it is a lot of legal language that helps put the measure into place if the voters actually approved it in November.

Great. Thank you so much. Any council members have any questions before we go to the public? Yes, Council Member Barnes.

I just wanted to clarify, Jack, because you noted in the presentation that there were two resolutions, so we can take them both together and adopt them as one. Because there's not two items on the agenda, so I just wanted to be sure what the motion would need to entail.

So one motion would have to be to approve the first resolution, 11670, that actually places the measure on the November 3rd ballot. The second resolution, 11672, is contingent on that first one. So if the council votes, and it has to be five members voting in favor, if they vote in favor to place that measure on the ballot, so you approve resolution number 11670, we would then move on to resolution number 11672. And we have two recommended actions for that. One, the council could authorize the five members that, if they were to happen to vote in favor of that, to sign an argument and designate one of the council members to draft that argument, or the council could authorize the mayor to work with community stakeholders, develop the argument, and ultimately file that argument. So those are the two.

So to cut to the chase of my question, we cannot take these together, one and then the other one.

Correct.

Thank you.

Anyone else? All right, then I'll call forward our public speakers. First one is Reggie Mundicus, followed by Curt Peterson.

Hi, I support this item. I am willing to pay a little bit more to keep our city alive. I don't want our city to die. I think this is the right thing to do. It is, I don't know if the right word is patriotic, but it's a civic duty to pay your taxes and sometimes because of the way things are you have to pay a little bit more to keep what you have. And as far as the term of 13 years, I'm fine with that. Taylor Swift says that 13 is her lucky number, and quite frankly, if it's good enough for Taylor Swift, it's good enough for me. Thank you.

Thank you so much. After Kurt is A.J. Rickey.

Good evening. Maybe I'm missing something here, but... I'm wondering where the verbiage is on taking care of the residents of Orange. This thing is heavily weighted to the police department and the fire department on every level. City of Orange public safety essential service measure. It's on both 670 and 672. Nowhere does it say anything about paying down the debt. Nowhere does it say anything that's going to help the The roads, well, it mentions a little bit about roads, but it's after everything for the police department and the fire department. That's not what the residents are looking for. We don't need every little shiny object, new shiny object for the departments at the expense of the taxpayers when our roads are crap. They are crap. Sidewalks are worse. And yet here we are, we sit here for three sessions in a row talking about taking care of the residents, or more importantly, how the residents are not being taken care of. And here we are with a resolution with a big blurb in the middle of both of them saying, let's take care of the fire department and let's take care of the police department. When is this gonna stop? So maybe I'm missing something on here, but this is a disappointment, and this is not how you sell a program. Thank you. Thank you, Kurt. A.J. Rickey.

Thank you, Council. You know, two years ago, we asked the voters to pass a sales tax, and they said no. And here we are after two years, we're pretty much in the same spot, not much more of a plan, asking the same question, hoping for a different answer. While this is about money, it's not about money. It's mostly in the competence and how this has been handled over the past two years. The worst part is there's been way too much of virtue signaling and political gesturing around the sales tax and a lot of the votes that come before council between the 10, 12, 13, 15. It's making the council look silly. It did two years ago, and it's doing it again. And it's very difficult for residents to sign on board with any decision you make when you have that. And that's the deeper problem. The council has not had a consistent... objective in the past two years and residents have noticed in the most recent, even though it might seem small to some people is we're not gonna be able to deliver a 3rd of July 250th event that's been canceled because nobody on the parks and planning or in the city had the bandwidth or the wherewithal to know how to approach the private sector in funding that. So now the residents are gonna suffer for that. But the point of it is, is that I'm not here to tell you that a sales tax is always wrong, but it's how the city is divided on it. If you get the votes for the sales tax, You know, you have people who are concerned on how it's going to be managed. You have committees, but a lot of them, they're advisory. They have their hands kind of cuffed and they just meet and hopefully they don't rubber stamp it. But again, it just doesn't bear a lot of confidence. Not every commission is like that, but that's what it seems like it seems like it is. And the other half that don't want to see the sales tax come to be, that what their concern is is not what happens after it fails or doesn't happen. It's how the council is going to react afterwards and make those tough decisions, and they just don't have a lot of confidence in it. But all in all, I'm not talking in circles, is if you're going to ask the residents for $37 million in a year, at least do it confidently. Thank you.

Thank you, AJ. Are there any more speakers? I believe it's Diana.

Good evening, Mayor and City Council Members. I'm just kind of winging it. I hadn't planned on speaking on this. I am absolutely in support of a sales tax increase. I think our city needs it. I absolutely do support our police and fire departments. I also feel like the feedback I get from a lot of my friends and neighbors is that they would like some kind of oversight for the money that would be generated from the sales tax increase that would not just go in the general fund because they do feel that there's been some kind of, you know, some waste here and there or not spending it correctly or wisely. I'm not here for any kind of, you know, political posturing or anything. I think you guys are all doing the best you can. But I do support the sales tax. Thank you.

Thank you, Diana. That ends the public... Speakers, just a couple of quick comments. City Manager, we are having a July 3rd celebration, correct?

There is a July 3rd celebration.

Thank you. Also, Mr. Peterson, we are going to work on a... spending structure, and so that is coming, but we're not working on it tonight. It'll probably be at the next council meeting. And that's all I had. Council Member Barrios has made a motion, and it's been seconded by Council Member Gutierrez. Council Member Barrios, what is your motion?

Thank you, Mr. Mayor. My motion is to move to adopt Resolution 11670 for the 1% sales tax measure for a term of 13 years.

Okay. Any questions or further discussion? If not, please vote. That is approved five to one with Mayor Pro Tem Bilodeau voting no. Okay, we'll move on to resolution 11672. That is who will be the lead on the ballot argument. Your motion is what, Council Member Gutierrez? I'm Barrios, I'm sorry.

Thank you, Mr. Mayor. I move to adopt resolution 11672 and designate Mayor Slater as the council's authorized representative for the purposes of election code section 9282 with authority to prepare, execute, and file the ballot argument in favor of the measure, determine any additional co-signers, and make revisions necessary prior to filing.

Very well. It has been seconded by Councilman Gutierrez. Any further discussion? I'll call for the vote. That is approved six to one with Mayor Pro Tem Bilodeau voting no. And then lastly, we need to approve the ordinance. No. No, the ordinance is attached.

Mr. Mayor, it's approved five to one.

Thank you for the correction. I'm sorry, the ordinance...

The ordinance was attached as a part of the resolution 11670, and so with the council having approved that, that will be submitted to the registrar of voters and will be included as the full measure language for the voters' consideration.

Fantastic. Okay, the next regular city council meeting will be held on Tuesday, June 9, 2026 at 6 p.m. in the council chamber with closed session beginning at 5 p.m. if necessary. This meeting is adjourned.