Orange County Charter Amendments

Orange County
Charter Amendments

Reading an amendment proposal on your ballot can be confusing. We've simplified the jargon and provided pertinent information to know what a yes vote or a no vote truly means.

Orange County has been governed by the Orange County Charter since 1987. The Charter is synonymous to that of a constitution for the County, granting control of local issues to the County's citizens and elected officials.

Every 4 years the Charter Review Commission conducts a thorough review of the County Charter. For more than a year, prior to an election, they also receive input from the public to develop proposed Charter Amendments presented on the upcoming ballot.

County Charter Amendment #1

Amendment Revising Orange County Charter Initiative Petition Process

Amendment will make is easier to propose changes to the Orange County Charter pertaining to charter amendments and ordinances, requiring fewer signatures and simplifying procedures such as receiving signatures, legal reviews, public hearings, financial impact statements and petition affidavit requirements. Estimated cost savings = $7,000 per proposed ballot question.

Specific reduction of petition requirements in each commission district:

Charter amendments - 10% of registered voters to 5%

Ordinances - 7% of registered voters to 3%

Yes Vote

No Vote

Reduce current requirements and potentially save $7,000 per proposed question to the Orange County Charter.

This relaxation of requirements would make it easier to facilitate citizen-led initiatives.

Supporters: Orange County Democratic Party, League of Women Voters

Continue current requirements for charter amendments and ordinances to the Orange County Charter.

Opponents: Orange County Republican Party

County Charter Amendment #2

Requiring Continued Existence of Affordable Housing Trust Fund

Permanently establishes the Affordable Housing Trust Fund. This fund supports the creation and preservation of affordable housing, financed by new developer fees and other sources. The County Commission oversees the fund.

This amendment also includes regular audits, administration by ordinances and fund use monitoring.

The AHTF was first established in 2019 as part of Jerry Deming's Housing for All Strategy. In year 1, $10 million was budgeted to the fund with a pledge to increase this amount by 10% in subsequent years with an overall goal of $160 million by 2030.

Yes Vote

No Vote

Support establishing the fund as a permanent part of the Orange County Charter which will continue to receive funding from multiple sources. Oversight, auditing and expenditure auditing will be maintained.

Orange County's population has increased by almost 20% in the past decade.

Supporters: Orange County Democratic Party, League of Women Voters

Prefer that the fund is not a permanent feature of the County Charter and could potentially be changed or terminated in the future.

This amendment ensures that the AHTF continues indefinitely, however, no funding amount is guaranteed. The fund's budget will be determined by the County Commission.

Opponents: Orange County Republican Party

County Charter Amendment #3

Write-in Candidate Effect on Timing of Charter Officer Elections

As currently written in the County Charter, an election for Charter offices (County Mayor and County Commissioners) with 2 qualified candidates will go to the main election in November. If there are 3+ candidates then there will be a primary election to narrow the candidate race to 2 individuals. Write-in candidates who don't have to pay a filing fee or submit petitions in order to run are still considered "qualified" candidates.

This amendment would would make it so write-in candidates will not regarded as a "qualified" candidate if there are already 2 candidates for that office, triggering a primary August election. No financial impact.

Amendment Initiation: In June 2024, Stephen Davis was declared as a write-in candidate on the last day of qualifying for Orange County's District 1 Commissioner Seat without having campaigned prior. He is known to be a critic of Nicole Wilson (incumbent) and his declaration of candidacy triggered an August primary election between himself and the already qualified Nicole Wilson and opponent Austin Arthur. There was reason to believe that Austin Arthur would have a better chance to win in a primary election against Nicole Wilson, due to a lower-turnout for primary elections. Stephen Davis' candidacy received 15 votes during the primary election and Nicole Wilson received 2 votes more than Austin Arthur. The 15 votes for Stephen Davis stripped Nicole Wilson from winning a majority vote, leaving the primary vote as a run off between her and Austin Arthur to be decided later in the November election. If this amendment were law, there would have been no primary election triggered by a write-in candidate and the prior "qualified" candidates would have faced off for the first time in November.

Yes Vote

No Vote

Exclude write-in candidates for Charter offices from being counted towards the three or more qualified candidates rule, then triggering a primary election.

Supporters: Orange County Democratic Party, League of Women Voters

Continue to count a write-in candidate which may lead to a primary election, if there are three or more candidates for a Charter office.

Opponents: Orange County Republican Party

Counter Charter Amendment #4

Requiring Adoption of Fiscal Sustainability Analysis Tool

By October 2025, Orange County will be required to establish a Fiscal Sustainability Analysis Tool. This tool will help determine how much it will cost the County to permit urban developments in places where is it not currently permitted. Such costs would include infrastructure, like roads and sewers, and services, like law enforcement and fire. Financial impact of this tool is unknown at this time.

Yes Vote

No Vote

Support for the development of a fiscal sustainability analysis too to analyze the long-term impacts of development in our area.

Supporters: Orange County Democratic Party, League of Women Voters

Not in favor of establishing a fiscal sustainability analysis tool and continue with current evaluation processes as is.

Opponents: Orange County Republican Party

County Charter Amendment #5

Establishing Charter Office of County Attorney

This amendment would establish a new County Attorney position who would be chief legal counsel. The County Attorney would be appointed by the County Mayor and approved by a majority vote from the County Commission. Either the County Mayor or majority of the County Commission could remove an individual from this position, if ever needed. No financial impact.

The County Attorney is currently an office under the Mayor of Orange County. This amendment would establish this position as an independent office.

Yes Vote

No Vote

In favor of establishing a County Attorney position to be appointed by the County Mayor, approved by majority of the County Commission and removed by either office, if needed.

The office of County Attorney would serve the county rather than the mayor.

Supporters: Orange County Republican Party, Orange County Democratic Party, League of Women Voters

Not in favor of creating a new position of County Attorney and maintaining the current legal counsel structure.

Opponents: -

County Charter Amendment #6

Increasing Number of County Commission Districts

Increasing the number of single-member districts from 6 to 8. Resulting in a total of a 9-member County Commission (including the either Commissioners plus County Mayor). Term limits would continue to apply from the transition.

Orange County's population has grown significantly in the past decade to 1.5 million people and expected to grow to 1.8 million by 2030 and 2 million by 2035. Adding commissioners would decrease the amount of residents each commissioner represents. Each commissioner currently represents about 250,000 people as compared to 104,000 residents in 1988.

Fiscal Impact: one-time cost of $2.6 million; annual recurring cost of $1.3 million

Effective Date: 2026 General Election

Yes Vote

No Vote

Adding commissioners reduces the number of constituents in each district increasing the commissioner's ability to tend to their needs and concerns.

Two additional county commission district are needed as the population of Orange County increased from 621,000 to about 1.5 million in the past decade. Improving reasonable representation of about 187,000 residents per 1 commissioner.

Supporters: Orange County Democratic Party, League of Women Voters

Keep the current 6 county commission districts.

More commissioners adds more opinions and considerations to debates which could become more laborious for the political processes.

Opponents: Orange County Republican Party

County Charter Amendment #7

Transportation Mobility Advisory Commission

Creates a Transportation Mobility Advisory Commission to review transportation spending and propose transportation innovations. This commission would host public hearings and make recommendations to the County Commission. The County Commission would appoint members, allot funding and provide staff support to this advisory commission.

Amendment Initiation: This amendment was initiated from a long struggle of failing to pass a transportation county sales tax and to counter criticism that special interests have too much influence over local transportation spending.

Fiscal Impact: $725,000 annually

Yes Vote

No Vote

Appoint a Transportation Mobility Advisory Commission to review and give recommendations pertaining to transportation spending and innovation for an annual operating cost of $725,000.

Recent popular interests have called for better mobility within Orange County with better public transportation, walkable options and pedestrian safety.

Coincides with the affordable housing crisis and environmental protection awareness.

Supporters: Orange County Democratic Party, League of Women Voters

Not appoint the new advisory commission, avoiding the added expenditure and keep the current transportation review system.

Opponents: Orange County Republican Party

County Charter Amendment #8

Supermajority County Commission Vote to Dispose of or Change Use of "County Protected Lands"

In order to sell, transfer or change the use of County-owned lands in Orange County there needs to be a supermajority vote (1+ simple majority) by the County Commission. The purpose of this amendment it to protect public parks, recreation areas and environmentally sensitive lands for conservation.

Yes Vote

No Vote

Support a new supermajority vote which would make it more difficult to reclassify County-owned lands.

Part of a broader movement to protect rural lands.

Supporters: Orange County Republican Party, Orange County Democratic Party, League of Women Voters

Prefer current simple majority voting process for County Protected Lands.

Opponents: -

County Charter Amendment #9

Establishing Rural Boundary and Rural Area

Would define a Rural Area of unincorporated lands within Orange County but outside the Urban Service Area and development zones (Growth Centers, Innovation Way Overlay, Horizon West Villages and Boggy Creek Expansion). County plans to increase the development intensity or density in the Rural Area or to remove lands from the Rural Area would require a supermajority vote (1+ simple majority) of the full County Commission.

The Rural Area includes a total of 345,509 acres (about 54% of the county) mostly east of Orange County and areas west and north of Apopka.

Yes Vote

No Vote

Define a Rural Area and implement a stricter voting requirement from the County Commission to develop in this area or remove land from this area.

Could incentivize vertical growth and mixed use lots to mitigate urban sprawl with "smart growth".

Supporters: Orange County Democratic Party, League of Women Voters

Continue the rule of a simple majority vote by the County Commission to develop or remove lands from unincorporated rural area.

Argument that this amendment violates private property rights.

Could make it more difficult to build much needed housing.

Opponents: Orange County Republican Party, developer interests, real estate interests

County Charter Amendment #10

Establishing a Process For Voluntary Municipal Annexations And Land Use in Rural Areas

Any voluntary annexation of rural lands would still be controlled by land use and development regulations of Orange County. A supermajority vote (1+ simple majority) of the County Commission would be required to approve or deny such voluntary annexations.

Voluntary annexations: type of annexation where a landowner directly asks a city to annex their land into the city's incorporated boundary.

Under current law, the county has no say on land being annexed into a city, as long as the annexation is legal. Usually, the county has stronger environmental rules than cities. This amendment would give the County Commission power to approve or deny such voluntary annexations, which would likely environmentally protect more land.

Yes Vote

No Vote

Establish a process to voluntary annex rural lands which would be regulated by Orange County land use regulations and would require supermajority vote for approval by the County Commission.

The County is scheduled to adopt a new Comprehensive Plan (Vision 2050) by the end of the year. There is a high probability that developments could circumvent regulations by simply annexing their land into neighboring municipalities, most likely land owned by Tavistock and Church of the Latter Day Saints.

Supporters: Orange County Democratic Party, League of Women Voters

Keep the current voluntary annexation process leading to municipalities likely using their own land use regulations without requiring a supermajority vote from the County Commission.

Argument that this amendment violates private property rights.

Additional argument that this law should be considered preemption, where the county law displaces city law.

Opponents: Orange County Republican Party, developer interests