Orange County, California, Fiscal Impact Statement Requirement, Measure B (June 2016)

Shall the Charter for the County of Orange be amended to require the Auditor-Controller to prepare a fiscal impact statement for any countywide measure placed on the ballot?^[2]

California law permits the voters to amend the County Charter if a majority of the voters voting in an election approve the amendment. This measure, placed on the ballot by the Board of Supervisors for the County of Orange, would amend the Orange County Charter.

Orange County’s Charter provides that except as set forth in the Charter, the general law set forth in the Constitution of the State of California and the laws of the State of California shall govern the operations of the County of Orange. Existing State law provides that not later than 88 days prior to an election that includes a County ballot measure, the Board of Supervisors may direct the Auditor-Controller to review the measure, determine whether it would affect the revenues or expenditures of the County, and prepare a fiscal impact statement that estimates the amount of any increase or decrease in revenues or costs to the County if the proposed measure is adopted. The fiscal impact statement, which may not exceed 500 words in length, must then be printed preceding the arguments for and against the measure. Under existing law, the Board of Supervisors’ decision as to whether to direct the Auditor-Controller to prepare a fiscal impact statement is discretionary.

If approved, this measure would amend the Orange County Charter to require the Auditor-Controller to review any countywide measure placed on the ballot and prepare a fiscal impact statement. This requirement would apply to both County voter initiatives and measures placed on the ballot by the Board of Supervisors. The fiscal impact statement must estimate the amount, if any, of any increase or decrease in revenues or costs to the County and any applicable funding source or funding mechanism if the proposed measure is adopted. The measure requires the Auditor-Controller, when preparing a fiscal impact statement, to only identify those fiscal impacts that are readily discernable and not to speculate. The fiscal impact statement would be printed preceding the arguments for and against a measure and may not exceed 500 words in length.

Future changes to the County Charter, including this measure if adopted, must be submitted to the voters for approval.

A “yes” vote is a vote to amend the Charter of the County of Orange to require the Auditor-Controller to prepare a fiscal impact statement for any countywide measure placed on the ballot.

A “no” vote is a vote not to amend the Charter of the County of Orange.

A copy of the proposed amendment to the County Charter is posted on the Registrar of Voter’s website, http://www.ocvote.com/. Voters may also contact the Registrar of Voter’s office and request that a copy of the proposed amendment be mailed to them at no cost.^[2]