After a year-long process, the Orange County Board of Commissioners approved a comprehensive Five-Year Strategic Plan for the county at its Feb. 20 meeting. The plan lays out the priorities to guide policies and budget decisions from 2024 through 2028.
The commissioners adopted the plan with the addition of a subcommittee of commissioners and staff to refine the recommended performance measures.
The effort began during the Commissioners’ retreat in 2022, when the board directed staff to use a data-driven strategic planning process grounded in the principles of equity to position the county to address challenges of the future in a fiscally sustainable manner.
“I am happy to celebrate the adoption of our county-wide strategic plan,” said Orange County Chair Jamezetta Bedford. “The time, energy and funding spent to engage the public, including a statistically valid survey, along with many board sessions and so much work from department directors, provides a data-informed guide to making tough budgeting and programming decisions to best serve the residents of Orange County.”
BerryDunn, a consultant with nationwide experience in local government strategic planning, was chosen to lead the process after a formal request for proposals process in fall 2022.
During the first half of 2023, the consulting team worked with staff and the Board of Commissioners to conduct an environmental scan that included stakeholder interviews and focus groups, an online engagement portal, Countywide community surveys, and visioning sessions. More than 2,000 individuals—county employees, community members and stakeholders—filled out a survey to provide input to the goals and priorities.
The first draft was released for public comment in December 2023, and the Board of Commissioners finalized the mission, vision, guiding principles, and strategic goals during its retreat in January 2024.
During this same time, department directors created an implementation plan and performance measures for each priority.
The plan includes seven Guiding Principles: Communication and Awareness; Inclusivity and Engagement; Dedication and Respect; Stewardship and Advocacy; Partnership and Collaboration; Social Justice; and Climate Action and Sustainability.
The plan identifies six strategic priorities, as well as objectives and performance measures for each priority:
- Environmental Protection and Climate Action
- Healthy Community
- Housing for All
- Multi-Modal Transportation
- Public Education/Learning Community
- Diverse and Vibrant Economy
Staff teams will monitor progress on achieving the Board's Strategic Goals and will provide quarterly progress reports to the County Manager's Office.
Twice each year, the County Manager's Office will prepare an update to the Board for each Strategic Goal, including specific milestones and challenges. Each year, the County Manager's Office will prepare an update detailing progress on each Strategic Goal.