The Santa Ana city council has taken a firm stance against the County of Orange’s plans to transform an aging juvenile rehabilitation facility into a coordinated reentry center for formerly incarcerated individuals. City officials argue that the county has consistently overlooked their input and unfairly burdened Santa Ana with social service facilities.
At a recent city council meeting, members unanimously voted to direct the city manager to draft a resolution formally opposing the proposed reentry center. This decision comes amidst growing tensions between Santa Ana leaders and the Orange county Board of Supervisors over what city officials perceive as a pattern of exclusion and disregard for their concerns.
City Officials Cite Lack of Consultation and Fair Distribution
Santa Ana Mayor Valerie Amezcua, a former probation officer, emphasized that the city is not opposed to rehabilitation programs but argues that the county has failed to engage with city officials or consider the equitable distribution of such facilities. “We cannot continue to allow Santa Ana to be the only city where these sites open,” Amezcua stated. “There are 34 cities in this county. We need to make sure the board of supervisors understand that we’re not the only show in town.”
Councilman David Penaloza echoed these sentiments, stating that Santa Ana has long been the “dumping ground” for the county’s social service programs. “That’s definitely something that is a never-ending and reoccurring episode that we see here in Santa Ana with the County of Orange,” Penaloza said. “They continue to dump, literal dumping on our city and our residents of all the social services and these types of programs that exist out there.”
County Officials Defend Their Plans and Outreach Efforts
County spokeswoman Molly Nichelson maintained that the county has been working for years to diversify the locations of critical social service programs. She noted that the proposed reentry center would temporarily house and assist formerly incarcerated residents in reintegrating into society, as well as provide substance abuse treatment and mental health services for homeless individuals willing to participate.
Nichelson also addressed the city’s concerns about consultation, stating that county officials have attempted to meet with city leaders but have faced scheduling conflicts. She clarified that the project is still in the planning phase and requires final approval from the Board of Supervisors. “At this time, this project is in the planning phase but needs to come before the Board before final approval,” Nichelson wrote in an email.
City council members have directed City Attorney Sonia Carvalho to evaluate potential legal actions to prevent the center from being built in Santa Ana. Carvalho raised concerns about the county’s environmental impact review process, questioning whether the city was properly notified or given the opportunity to comment. “We need to look into whether we received notice, whether we were given the opportunity to comment, and what’s more is whether the document itself is defective,” Carvalho said.
The formal opposition to the proposed reentry center comes as the Orange County Board of Supervisors has already set aside $21 million for the project, using $75 million in reserves to balance their books. Despite this allocation, Nichelson emphasized that the reentry center still requires approval to be built and that the Santa Ana location is not yet locked in.
As the debate continues, Santa Ana officials remain steadfast in their demand for meaningful dialogue and equitable distribution of social service facilities. Councilman Johnathan Hernandez summed up the city’s position, stating, “There should be no decision made without Santa Ana’s input. That is not a decision that the county should unilaterally make.”
