Officials in the City of Orange are the latest in OC debating becoming a charter city, with one city councilwoman proposing the idea as an effort to dig the city out of potential municipal bankruptcy after a sales tax increase failed at the ballot two years ago.
General law cities like Orange follow the state’s rules of governance while charter cities like Anaheim, Irvine and Huntington Beach have some broader authority to set their own select rules on levying taxes and public contract bidding.
Reggie Mundekis, a resident and local government watchdog, called on officials to focus on addressing the city’s bleak financial situation and said the effort to become a charter city was politically motivated…