Revising the charter initiative petition process by lowering petition requirements for charter amendments from 10 percent of registered voters in each commission district to 5 percent in each commission district, and for ordinances from 7 percent in each district to 3 percent in each district; removing signature withdrawal procedures; and revising financial impact statement, public hearing, legal review, and petition affidavit requirements. Estimated financial impact: $7,000 savings per proposed ballot question.
Amending the County Charter to require the continued existence of an Affordable Housing Trust Fund used to create and preserve affordable housing, which may be funded by fees from new commercial and residential development and other sources, all as directed by the County Commission, and to provide for purposes, revenue sources, appropriation and expenditure of funds, annual audit, continuing nature, implementation by ordinance, administration, and oversight of the Trust Fund. No financial impact.
Amending the Orange County Charter to provide that in elections for Charter offices (currently the County Mayor and County Commissioners), write-in candidates shall not count toward the number of qualified candidates (three or more) necessary to trigger an election at the August primary. No financial impact.
Amending the County Charter to require that no later than October 2025, the County shall adopt a fiscal sustainability analysis methodology and process to enable the County to evaluate the impacts of proposed Urban Service Area expansions and proposed development in Rural Settlements and Rural Service Area on the County's capacity to efficiently provide and maintain infrastructure and services over the County Comprehensive Plan’s longest-range planning period. Comptroller estimated financial impact: Indeterminate financial impact.
Amending the Orange County Charter to establish an office of the County Attorney, who shall be the County’s chief legal counsel, appointed by the County Mayor and confirmed by a majority of the full County Commission, and removed by either the County Mayor or a majority of the full County Commission. No financial impact.
Amending the Orange County Charter to increase the number of County Commission districts from six single-member districts to eight single-member districts, resulting in a nine-member County Commission (eight Commissioners plus County Mayor) effective for the 2026 General Election, while ensuring that term limits on sitting County Commissioners continue to apply upon the transition to eight districts. Estimated financial impact: One Time Costs - $2.6 million; Annual Recurring Costs - $1.3 million.
Amending the Orange County Charter to create a Transportation Mobility Advisory Commission empowered to hold public hearings and make recommendations to the County Commission on: (1) proposed expenditures for transportation purposes prior to inclusion in the proposed County annual budget; (2) transportation and mobility innovation; and (3) review of past transportation expenditures; and to provide for County Commission appointment, funding of operating expenses, organization, and staff assistance. Comptroller estimated financial impact: $725,000 cost annually.
Amending the Orange County Charter to define “County Protected Lands” as County owned (in whole or in part), operated, or maintained public parks and recreation areas, and environmentally sensitive lands acquired by the County for environmental, ecological, or recreational purposes; and requiring that any County Commission action authorizing the disposition of County Protected Lands or change to another use must be approved by a majority-plus-one County Commission vote. No financial impact.
Establishing a Rural Area (unincorporated lands located outside the County's Urban Service Area, municipal joint planning areas, Growth Centers, Innovation Way Overlay, Horizon West Villages, and Boggy Creek Expansion Area on the effective date) where County comprehensive plan amendments increasing density or intensity, and ordinances removing lands from the Rural Area, must be approved by a majority-plus-one vote of the entire membership of the County Commission.
Amend the charter to establish Orange County as the authority for voluntary municipal annexation to allow the comprehensive plan and land development regulations of Orange County to exclusively govern within the rural area when lands are subsequently annexed into a municipality with Orange County having the authority to approve or deny voluntary annexations by an affirmative vote of not less than a majority plus one vote of the entire county commission.