The Orange County Board of Supervisors unanimously selected Chief Information Officer KC Roestenberg as the county’s new interim chief executive officer Tuesday, with current Interim CEO Michelle Aguirre set to retire Friday.
Roestenberg’s work with the county dates back to 1982.
The supervisors went through several rounds of recruiting a new permanent CEO without any success, and last year convinced Aguirre to sign on for another year as interim CEO. Roestenberg will take over for Aguirre on Friday with an annual salary of $430,000, with total compensation amounting to $656,968 including benefits.
Roestenberg “brings two decades of county experience and knowledge of county operations,” Orange County Board Vice Chair Katrina Foley said. “He’s been shadowing our CEO for the past few weeks. We look forward to working with you. This summer is going to be a lot of work getting ready for the fall.”
Orange County Board Chairman Doug Chaffee told Roestenberg, “We all join in congratulations and thank you for stepping up.”
The supervisors praised Aguirre during Tuesday’s board meeting.
“I think it’s appropriate you go out on a date when we have more than 135 items on our agenda,” Foley joked.
Aguirre was given a vase with 37 flowers to symbolize the number of years she spent working for the county.
“I have valued your insight, your mentorship; your institutional knowledge is unmatched,” Foley said.
Foley noted that Aguirre started her county career working as a secretary while majoring in clinical psychology in college.
“I think those courses are helping throughout the 37 years,” Foley joked. “You are often the therapist and adviser for all your team, for all of us.”
Supervisor Don Wagner recalled how he quickly realized when he got on the board how much Aguirre knew the ins and outs of the county.
“You really took one for the team” when she agreed to step in as interim CEO, Wagner said.
When the board’s searches for a new CEO didn’t pan out, “we recognized that the perfect candidate was you,” Wagner said.
“Can we get you to stay longer?” Wagner joked. “You stepped in and did a great job. Those clinical psychologist skills really helped with the management of the five of us. I recognize we’re not the easiest board … Oh my gosh, you have been a godsend to this board for the past several years.”
Supervisor Vicente Sarmiento praised Aguirre for her “willingness to step in this uncertain time.”
He added, “What I’ve admired the most is you’ve always cared about the least among us.”
Chaffee acknowledged the difficult search for a new CEO.
“The problem we keep running into is no one is even close to the CEO we have,” Chaffee said. “I admire your tenacity. You actually say no to supervisor requests and that is not a strength everybody has … I like how you taught us so much about the county … I have to remember all you’ve taught me. It’s been a lot.”
Former Orange County CEO Frank Kim praised Aguirre and Roestenberg in an interview Monday with City News Service.
“When I left (Aguirre) was the most qualified executive at the county because she’s been there 30-plus years and worked so many positions with the county that she had a good understanding of the administration,” Kim said. “It’s never easy working in that position. It’s a big organization with competing interests, and for her to step in and keep the county moving forward I think she’s done a very good job.”
Kim said he worked with Roestenberg for about 20 years.
“He’s a good person, a person anyone would want to work with,” Kim said. “He’s someone you’d want to spend time solving problems with together, so he’s somebody I would have a lot of confidence in firstly as a good person and secondly as somebody dedicated … He’s fantastic at working with people, and that’s an important trait.”
The supervisors on Tuesday also approved a $10.5 billion budget for the 2026-27 fiscal year, which is down from the current year’s $10.8 billion spending plan.
Officials have tightened spending with cuts across the board as the county negotiates settlements from the October 2024 Airport Fire that was accidentally sparked by the county’s public works department.
Before Tuesday, the county had spent about $133 million settling 1,269 claims. On Tuesday, the supervisors approved multiple other claims, including $2 million for one family, $3.5 million for another, $1.5 million for another household and $2.5 million for another family.
In addition, the supervisors also approved a $6.9 million mediator’s proposal to settle a lawsuit with Cal Fire regarding costs fighting the Airport Fire.
The general fund budget, which offers the most flexibility, is projected at $5.2 billion, down from the current fiscal year’s $5.4 billion. The remainder of the budget is generally restricted by law, limiting the county’s ability to adjust how those funds are used.
The county does not intend to lay off employees after 314 positions that were vacant have been deleted.
The county expects general purpose revenue of $1.3 billion, $63.6 million more than the current budget. That’s mostly due to a $57.6 million increase in property taxes.
Officials expect 4.5% growth in general fund property tax revenue over the current fiscal year.
The half-cent public safety sales tax revenue is projected to be $439 million, which is a 2.7% increase, or $11.4 million, compared to the current fiscal year.
Proposition 172 sales tax revenue allots 80%, or $351.2 million, to the Orange County Sheriff’s Department, and 20%, or $87.8 million, to the District Attorney’s Office.
Revenue from the state for “realignment” is projected at $890.6 million and includes $642.3 million for public safety and social services, $237.4 million for health, mental health and social services and $10.9 million for juvenile justice. That revenue is down 5.7%, or $53.9 million, over last year.
Overall, the county is expected to spend $253.2 million less than this year.