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Budget Public Hearing and Work Session

Orange County · Board of County Commissioners
Tuesday, May 12, 2026

Public hearing Bonds and debtBudget and appropriationsFees and utility ratesPolice and public safetyTax rate and revaluation

Agenda document Minutes Watch Meeting recap

What's on this agenda

The first public hearing on the county manager's recommended 2026-27 budget, followed by appointment discussions for seven bodies: affordable housing, alcoholic beverage control, animal services, the arts commission, the jury commission, the juvenile crime prevention council and the housing authority.

The manager's budget is built on five stated priorities, and the first is minimising the tax rate increase - which, in a county where the rate went from 63.83 to 68.05 cents, tells you what the board was working against. The others are prioritising public safety and the social safety net, maximising efficiencies in county operations, and modest investment in employee compensation.

Summarized from the published agenda. Read the agenda itself before acting on it.

Meeting recap

What happened, drawn from the records published after the meeting. Minutes

Seven appointment discussions in one evening is a board clearing a backlog. The alcoholic beverage control board is worth noting alongside them: the county's own ABC board applied to rezone 20.51 acres in Cedar Grove for a store, and the planning board recommended refusal 7-4 in August.

The county publishes a detail worth repeating: anyone who needs transport to attend a board meeting can book a free demand response ride from county public transport by noon the day before. Interpreter services and sound equipment are available on request.

Speaking at this meeting

Orange County's own rules for public comment — check them before you rely on anything here.

Agenda items (2)

Procedural · 1Presentation · 1
  1. 1 Opening Remarks
    Procedural
  2. 2 Presentation of the County Manager's Recommended FY 2026-27 Budget
    Presentation Bonds and debtBudget and appropriationsFees and utility ratesPolice and public safetyTax rate and revaluation
    Built on five priorities: minimising the tax rate increase, prioritising public safety and the social safety net, maximising efficiencies in county operations, and modest investment in employee compensation.

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