An investigation by Voice of OC has revealed that 15 cities in Orange County, including Brea, La Habra, and Yorba Linda, do not provide health benefits to their city council members. This practice raises questions about the necessity of taxpayer-funded health care for elected officials who do not serve full-time.

Yorba Linda serves as a noteworthy example: over a decade ago, residents decided to discontinue healthcare benefits for their council members. David Christian, who formerly held the position of assistant city manager in Yorba Linda, articulated community concerns about council members receiving health benefits akin to those of full-time employees, stating, “[Council members] were getting this health benefit, the same health benefits that were offered to the full-time employees, and I think there was probably some rumblings in the community that the council wasn’t really full-time,” he said.”

The report indicates that health benefits payouts for city councils across Orange County in 2024 vary significantly: Santa Ana spent a comparatively modest $13,828, while Laguna Hills spent a staggering $107,431.

For the City of Fullerton, medical benefits expenses totaled $23,413 for its five-member council, which meets approximately twice monthly (24 times per year). Recently, the council voted to cut five of those meetings from its schedule for next year, potentially underscoring the argument against providing full benefits to part-time officials. (Stay tuned as we try to find out what other council perks could be removed to further increase annual savings.)

To delve deeper into the details of these findings, the full report titled “How Much Do OC Taxpayers Spend on Local Politicians’ Health Benefits?” authored by Nicole Kayos, Sarah Hart, and Annie Lewis is available at Voice of OC. The report raises important questions about governance, accountability, and the prudent use of taxpayer funds. Click here to go to the full report. 

Chart below from City of Fullerton shows the amount of money paid out by the city for healthcare in the first 9 months of 2025 for each participating council member (Councilmember Shana Charles does not participate in the city health insurance program. Councilmembers Jung and Dunlap each received $11,050 (the maximum allowed), plus $574 in vision and dental for Dunlap,  and $185 in vision for Jung. Councilmember Zahra and Valencia opted out and each received $425 in Flex payments. Councilmember Valencia also received $389 in dental services. )

Chart below from Transparent California (transparentcalifornia.com) shows data from 2023 the most recent year available so leaves out newly elected Valencia.