Over the past 20 years, I have been privileged to serve my local community as a small business owner, through the Parent Teachers Association, City Council, school board and as the first directly elected mayor of Costa Mesa. In March 2021, voters in my hometown and throughout Orange County elected me to the Board of Supervisors to complete the remaining two years of Congresswoman Steel’s term.
For too long, politicians paid lip service to the issues facing our communities without actually taking the difficult steps necessary to solve these challenges. My decades of public service consistently focused on promoting policy solutions that improve our quality of life. My first year on the Board of Supervisors has been no different. I’ve worked with laser focus — standing up to Sacramento, taking steps to solve the homelessness crisis, all while continuing to support and enhance public safety for everyone who calls Orange County home.
Sacramento continues to fail Orange County, especially when it comes to the proliferation of illegal sober living homes in our quiet residential neighborhoods. For years, unscrupulous group home operators profited while patients suffered, exacerbated the addiction crisis and defrauded insurance companies. Despite countless safety infractions that drain public safety resources, operators maintain their state licenses. But instead of just blaming Sacramento, we solved the problem locally. As mayor, I helped craft the first legal strategy to defend reasonable regulations and prosecute these bad actors who refuse to comply. The courts continue to rule in favor of the city’s regulations and the legal ordinance has proven to protect our neighborhoods from over concentration. While on the board, I’ve brought our groundbreaking ordinances countywide, and Newport Beach is set to implement a similar ordinance soon.
I’ve long believed the county’s failure to take responsibility for the regional issue of homelessness has exacerbated the problem. Past county leaders left individual cities to figure out how to fund shelters and services with their scarce general funds, instead of the county using the funding it receives annually for homelessness solutions.
The county continues to struggle to assign regular patrols and clear encampments in its flood channels and parks, forcing cities to tackle the issue. Immediately after joining the board, I initiated a first-of-its-kind audit of all county dollars spent on homelessness to assess what is working, cut wasteful spending and find solutions for our entire region. I’ll continue building on my previous success of reducing homelessness by converting dilapidated, unsafe motels into permanent supportive housing, while continuing to fund the clearing of encampments in parks and flood channels. A regional collaborative approach requires public safety, mental health social workers, public health, our faith based community and a true city-county partnership.
Throughout my years of service, I’ve supported public safety with a 100% voting record. Even in the most difficult economic times, I’ve advocated against reductions to public safety. This last year as your county cupervisor, I’ve protected our neighborhoods by fully funding Orange County’s law enforcement agencies, including funding for increased staffing, body cameras, to clear rape kit backlogs, combat the alarming rise of hate crimes and prevent retail slash and grabs in our communities.
When addressing public safety, we cannot ignore the existential risk coastal erosion and wildfires pose for our homes and economy. While on the board, I defended our coastal communities by reducing pollution from John Wayne Airport, led the emergency response on the Orange County oil spill, successfully advocated for sand replenishment funding and began creating the first Climate Action plan in county history — an approach that will ensure future generations enjoy our Orange County paradise.
After redistricting, I am seeking re-election as your county supervisor in the fabulous Fifth District. If you have questions for me or ideas for our communities, please email me at Hello@KatrinaFoley.com.
Katrina Foley is a member of the Orange County Board of Supervisors . She’s seeking re-election to the county’s Fifth Supervisorial District.
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