Governor Newsom signs Assembly Bill 2946 (Valencia) to ensure that taxpayer dollars are spent responsibly in Orange County

• Eric Lopez
• Communications Director
• (916) 319-2068
• [email protected]

"With the signing of AB 2946, we are taking a crucial step towards restoring public trust in how district discretionary funds are managed in Orange County," said Assemblymember Avelino Valencia. "This law will provide the necessary oversight and transparency to ensure that taxpayer dollars are spent responsibly."

Currently, OC Board of Supervisors (Board) submit general spending areas for Board approval, and once approved, they independently select service providers and submit these choices to the OC Chief Executive Officer. This process, which bypasses Board vetting of service providers, has raised concerns about corruption or favoritism.

Recently, through the reporting of LAist, it was disclosed that an OC Supervisor allocated $6.2 million of district discretionary funds to a nonprofit organization, Viet America Society (VAS). Of this amount, $4 million was intended to feed seniors and people with disabilities. However, the County alleges that funds were not properly utilized and that VAS has failed to produce proper accounting records.

AB 2946 requires a majority vote of the Board to appropriate district discretionary funds. Additionally, the Board must publish detailed information on all appropriated district discretionary funds on their website at the end of each quarter, enhancing transparency and allowing the public to track how funds are being used. Furthermore, the bill prohibits the Board from taking specified actions on discretionary funds within the 90 days preceding an election.

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Assemblymember Avelino Valencia proudly represents the 68th Assembly district which includes the cities of Anaheim, Orange and Santa Ana. Valencia chairs the Assembly Budget Subcommittee #7 on Accountability and Oversight.