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On October 29th, we held our Unclaimed Property Press Conference, where we celebrated returning more than $241,000 in unclaimed property to the County of Orange and 12 Orange County cities. This event was a tremendous collaboration between our office, State Controller Malia Cohen, and local officials including County Board of Supervisors Chair Doug Chaffee, County Board of Supervisors Vice Chair Katrina Foley, Orange County Supervisor Vicente Sarmiento, as well as Goodwill of Orange County and Orange County resident Dwight Robinson. Together, we’re helping Orange County residents reclaim what’s rightfully theirs: part of more than $700 million in unclaimed property still tied to our community. It was a great opportunity to show the impact of our office’s work and our commitment to serving the people of Orange County.
If you are an Orange County resident, we encourage you to visit this new resource we created. If you have lived in other parts of California, we recommend going directly to the State Controller's at Sco.ca.gov and see if you have any unclaimed property waiting for you. You can view NBC4's coverage. We also encourage you to follow our social media accounts; we shared a couple fun videos promoting this resource and helping residents secure money. We are on Instagram, Facebook, Linkedln, Youtube, and X.
| | We are proud to announce that the Government Finance Officers Association of the United States and Canada (GFOA) has awarded the County of Orange the Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting for its Annual Comprehensive Financial Report (ACFR) for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2024. This year marks the 30th consecutive year that Orange County has received this distinguished award, an exceptional streak that underscores the County’s long-standing commitment to transparency, integrity, and excellence in financial reporting. The Certificate of Achievement is the highest form of recognition in governmental accounting and financial reporting. The County’s ACFR was evaluated by an impartial panel and judged to meet the rigorous standards of the GFOA’s Certificate Program. These standards require governments to go beyond minimum reporting requirements and demonstrate a strong “spirit of full disclosure” to clearly communicate their financial story. In addition to the Certificate of Achievement, the Auditor-Controller’s Office will also receive the Award of Financial Reporting Achievement (AFRA), presented to the department primarily responsible for preparing the County’s award-winning report. Thank you to the Financial Reporting and Mandated Costs Team (FRMC) for their diligence and hard work every year compiling the report! | | We announced the calculation of Fiscal Year (FY) 2025–26 property tax rates to support voter-approved debt service requirements. The Orange County Board of Supervisors adopted the rates at its September 9, 2025 meeting, as required by state law. This year, 29 K–12 school districts, 3 community college districts, and 7 local taxing agencies will levy indebtedness rates to generate the revenue needed to pay for voter approved obligations. Each year, the Auditor-Controller’s Office calculates the property tax rates by factoring in debt service requirements, assessed property values, and estimated delinquencies in tax collections. Once adopted by the Board of Supervisors, the rates are applied to assessed values determined by the County Assessor. These rates, along with direct charges levied by local taxing entities, are then transmitted to the Treasurer-Tax Collector for billing and collection. The basic and debt service taxes for FY 25-26 are close to $8.9 billion, which is about $500 million of increase from FY 24-25. The total amount of direct charges levied by local taxing entities has increased from last year to $834 million. Debt service tax rates are levied to ensure taxing jurisdictions have sufficient revenue to meet their annual debt obligations in accordance with Article XIII A, Section 1(b) of the California Constitution. The adopted Fiscal Year 2025–26 Property Tax Rates are available in Attachment 1 to the Board of Supervisors resolution. | | On December 17th, our office had our annual Holiday Luncheon at Freedom Hall at Miles Square Park! It's an event that everyone looks forward to to every year for great food and great company. Congratulations to all the drawing winners and thank you to Jeannine Watanabe (OCCR) and her team, Administrative Services, Executive Management, and all our volunteers who helped make our luncheon a huge success! | | On November 18th, we had our annual Friendsgiving Potluck at the A-C Headquarters Building! Every year, we look forward to gathering and reflecting on everything we are thankful for while feasting on Thanksgiving food. Thank you to the planning committee, volunteers, Administrative Services, and all senior managers for all their contributions! | Salloween Unit Decorating & Costume Contest | | |
On October 30th, we had our annual Salloween costume contest, and this year we brought back our unit decorating contest. Each year at the A-C Headquarters Building Dane Corsaut (Administrative Services) decorates the lobby with incredible detail and Halloween spirit. Because of his contribution to the true spirit of Salloween, the Unit Decorating Contest is now being named after Dane. The Admin unit received a special lunch, contest winners won a pizza party, and the runner-ups won an ice cream party.
The winner of the Inaugural Dane Corsaut Unit Decorating Contest:
1770 General Accounting
The runner-up of the Inaugural Dane Corsaut Unit Decorating Contest:
Social Services Agency (SSA) - General Accounting
The winner of the Costume Contest:
Erika Huerta of SSA General Accounting - dressed as La Catrina
The runner-up of the Costume Contest:
Carlos De Mora of Property Tax - dressed as the Mandalorian
| | OCWR Holiday Decorating Contest | | OC Waste & Recycling (OCWR) hosted their first annual Holiday Decorating Contest, which included OCWR A-C! Our unit won Winter Wonderland – Most Sustainable Design! | | Annual Exec/Admin Holiday Lunch | | Every year, Executive Management, Administrative Services, Internal Audit, Financial Services, and Human Resources go out for our annual holiday lunch. This year, we went to Mrs. Knott's Chicken Dinner Restaurant at Knott's Berry Farm! | | Each year at the A-C Headquarters Building Dane Corsaut (Administrative Services) decks out the lobby with holiday decorations! | | Our A-C Headquarters Building organized a Thanksgiving Food Drive for the OC Rescue Mission. We delivered over 250 pounds of perishable and non-perishable items, directly contributing to meals and support for individuals and families in need this holiday season. We also donated four frozen turkeys bringing the total to nearly 350 pounds of food. Grateful for our office's heart for service and working alongside people who consistently show up for our community. | | On November 7th, our office hosted our annual Senior Managers Meeting to highlight the many initiatives our staff are leading and to share the great accounting services our Office provides to the County. It's always a special time to come together, learn from one another, and reflect on our collective hard work. A big thank you to the Orange County Fire Authority for being such wonderful hosts! | | On October 16th, the ERP team and Cynthia Kaui (PIO) attended the OCIT Open House. The ERP team had a booth and presentation to showcase the progress on the ERP implementation project. | | Every year, Executive Management visits our seven satellite locations to see our staff who handle all the accounting services for the different government agencies (CEO Finance Accounting, Health Care Agency Accounting, John Wayne Airport Accounting, OC Community Resources Accounting, OC Public Works Accounting, OC Waste & Recycling Accounting, Social Services Agency Accounting). It is always great seeing and hearing from all of our employees during these visits, including seeing some of them in action assisting the public through the services they provide. | | On October 7th, Executive Management and the ERP team received an update from the ERP Steering Committee and engaged in a team bonding exercise over breakfast. | | CalSACA Annual Conference | | From October 21st-October 23rd, Executive Management attended the 80th Annual County Auditors Conference in Lake Arrowhead. | | What's Going on Outside the A-C Office | | Cynthia Kaui (PIO) gained public sector communication skills and represented our office at the California Public Information Officials (CAPIO) Leadership Summit in Newport Beach. | | | | |
