Here is what happened: The Election is over and we were happy to see that our endorsed candidate Earl McKee handily won the District 2 seat. We love his “no nonsense” plain spoken style as he advocates for smart transit that serves all residents, as well as pressing for fiscal responsibility. We look forward to Earl’s continued leadership as a Commissioner this next term.
Great news also that CHALT endorsed Jamezetta Bedford ran unopposed and will be stepping up as our new County Commissioner this fall. Her expertise in finance and budgets, and overall devotion to community service will be a great asset to Orange County and her Commissioner colleagues.
We are, however, disappointed that our endorsed candidate Brian Crawford lost to former council member Sally Greene for the at – large seat on the County Commission. Brian would have offered a new voice on the County Commission, which is especially needed as our county can no longer afford to simply continue its current path. Brian’s warm and generous spirit will be missed in an elected leadership position, along with his forceful advocacy for education and practical transit. We hope to see him run again, and look forward to his continued engagement and service to Orange County!
In addition, while we did not publicly endorse for the Clerk of Court office, we are very sad to see Jamie Stanford leave office. Stanford has served this county expertly for 17 years, and has built the Office of Clerk of Superior Court into one of the best in the state. The fact he was not reelected is a great loss to the county. Jamie has been welcoming and respectful to the needs of everyone seeking services without prejudice or discrimination against anyone. We all owe him a debt of gratitude and support him in whatever he decides to do next.
Official Election Results Here
CHALT gets involved in county issues. After last fall’s municipal election, CHALT leaders decided that responsibility for school and transportation funding decisions demanded more attention from southern Orange if we are to remain a livable county. First, we joined a successful 2016 county wide campaign to advocate for the passage of county bonds for kids and families which funded school maintenance and affordable housing.
In two local elections we promoted opportunities for parents and the public to meet School Board candidates. We participated in the debate over light rail funding just as these costs escalated and the county’s financial condition deteriorated. We watched in April 2017 in astonishment as a Commission majority voted to adopt a funding plan for light rail that would obligate taxpayer debt out to 2064 – all based upon unrealistic assumptions in sales tax growth! CHALT continues to advocate for affordable transit such as increased county bus service and bus rapid transit on our major corridors, a far more practical choice than light rail.
These concerns and the importance of county elections to CHALT’s mission prompted us to jump in to help the candidates below.
