Opinion

This is a community opinion piece. The views are the author’s, not Voice of OC’s. We’re interested in hearing different perspectives and voices. Want to weigh in on this or another issue? Email opinions@voiceofoc.org.

Press release

This story is part of the Voice of OC Collegiate News Service, a partnership with Chapman University that trains student journalists to cover public policy across Orange County. Have a student project or a response to this work? Email admin@voiceofoc.org.

Editor’s Note: This questionnaire is part of an ongoing series publishing candidates’ opinions on how they would run the government if they were elected county supervisor. All questionnaires are archived on the Voice of OC Elections Page. 

Orange County supervisors meet together twice a month for recorded meetings, but outside those hours, most of what they do stays out of the public view. 

Most county supervisors have refused to release their calendars publicly, meaning questions on who they meet with or what they’re working on outside their public statements and meetings often go unanswered. 

Unlike most local elected officials, county supervisors work full time, pulling down a $244,000 salary plus benefits after they gave themselves a 25% raise this past year, and each has their own team of staff. 

We asked candidates for county supervisor if they would be comfortable releasing their calendars to the public, and what they think the public should know about their daily work. 

Shaw, Fourth District: I support transparency regarding the official business of county supervisors. I don’t know that the world needs to know when my son has a football game or when I have the assignment to clean our church building, but sharing my official schedule is something I am open to. I would be sure to protect legitimate privacy, security, personnel and legally confidential matters.

Traut, Fourth District: I support making official calendar information publicly available on a regular basis, with appropriate redactions for personnel, legal, security, constituent privacy, and other legitimately confidential matters. Residents should be able to understand how supervisors are spending their time and who they are meeting with on official County business, while still protecting sensitive information.

Dixon, Fifth District: Yes. If I am elected, people should know who I am meeting with on their behalf. I would make my calendar available for public review while protecting information that legitimately needs to remain confidential, such as certain personnel, legal or security matters. Residents should be able to see who has access to their elected officials and who is weighing in on decisions that affect their communities. I think that is a reasonable expectation of anyone serving in public office. 

Foley, Fifth District: Yes. I support making calendars of official business meetings available for public review in a quarterly report, with limited redactions for confidential legal matters, sensitive constituent information, personal safety, and personal matters. Since joining the Board in 2021, I continue to share my meetings and events in my weekly newsletter to keep residents informed.

Shaw, Fourth District: As a general principle, yes, when those meetings involve county business or efforts to influence county policy. There will always be legitimate exceptions involving confidential personnel matters, legal issues, constituent privacy and security, but transparency should be the presumption when supervisors are conducting public business.

Traut, Fourth District: Meetings concerning official County business should be transparent, with limited exceptions where confidentiality is legitimately required by law or public safety. Transparency should be the default, not something residents have to fight for through public records requests. Disclosure also protects elected officials by reducing questions about hidden influence.

Dixon, Fifth District: Yes. County supervisors make decisions involving billions of taxpayer dollars and issues that directly affect people’s lives. Residents deserve to know who is meeting with their elected officials and who is trying to influence those decisions. There will be limited circumstances where confidentiality is appropriate, but that should be the exception, not the rule. Making that information public is a basic part of being accountable to the people you represent 

Foley, Fifth District: Yes. That’s why I give a weekly update in my newsletter.

Noah Biesiada is a Voice of OC reporter. Contact him at nbiesiada@voiceofoc.org.