The Orange County Power Authority (OCPA) directors voted 4-1 to increase the maximum amount a director can earn in a month from $1,984.50 to $2,646 at their September 14, 2026 meeting. This change allows directors to be compensated for up to eight meetings and activities per month, an increase from the previous limit of six. See full video here: https://vimeo.com/1227409445/ad67e601b8?share=copy&fl=sv&fe=ci

Directors will continue to receive $330.75 for each meeting they attend, meaning that their annual earnings could rise from $23,814 to $31,752 if they reach the new cap. Fullerton Mayor Fred Jung, who proposed the change, explained that the increase gives directors “room to grow,” enabling them to attend more meetings if they choose.

However, not all members supported this decision. Director Glenn Grandis from Fountain Valley voted against the pay increase but did not explain his reasoning during the meeting. Before the vote, he said he donates all his OCPA pay to charity and last time it was to the Boys and Girls Club, noting he has contributed nearly $10,000. (This has not been independently confirmed).

Public comment during the meeting included concerns about the lack of transparency in the decision-making process. A resident argued that increasing paid meetings could reduce public discussion and involvement. She urged the board to focus on enhancing transparency and public engagement instead of holding private, paid meetings.

In response to Johnson’s concerns, no one from the board addressed her remarks on the record during the meeting. The new limit on paid meetings still complies with rules set forth by a related sanitation district, which pays its directors less and imposes stricter meeting limits.

As the meeting continued, the board also approved other significant measures, including an energy market services contract and the agency’s annual power-source disclosure, with limited questions for staff.

The decision to broaden the pay cap raises important questions about how public officials are compensated and the ongoing commitment to keeping the community informed and engaged in local decisions.

Directors are automatically compensated for:
– Board meetings
– Meetings of standing committees or ad hoc committees they serve on
– Meetings of outside government bodies where they represent OCPA
– The California Community Choice Association’s annual conferences
– Required ethics training and sexual harassment prevention training

With approval from both the board chair and the CEO, “on a case-by-case basis,” directors can also be compensated for:
– Meetings with local, regional, state, or national government representatives on issues affecting OCPA
– Meetings, conferences, and seminars related to the business of community choice energy agencies
– Ceremonial events held by OCPA or another organization
– Presentations on OCPA’s behalf to agencies, nonprofits, or service clubs
– Meetings with Authority staff, including telephone conferences when physical attendance is impractical

The policy states that the chair and CEO should only approve these activities if they provide a “benefit to the Authority.”

OCPA’s operating costs, including director compensation, are funded through generation charges on customers’ electric bills. If every director claimed two additional paid meetings each month, this change would cost a maximum of $39,690 per year, raising the total maximum pay for the full board to $158,760. OCPA serves more than 188,000 customer accounts, according to its staff report on the credit line. Spread across those accounts, the increase would amount to about 21 cents per account per year, with all board pay combined totaling about 84 cents.

For comparison, OCPA’s own rate comparison mailer shows a typical Basic Choice residential customer paying $24.92 more per month than they would with Southern California Edison.

What’s Next
During the same meeting, Director Sonne asked staff to propose expanding the five-member board. In July, OCPA’s general counsel suggested allowing each member city to have two directors; however, the board set that proposal aside in a 3-2 vote. Sonne noted that the board is set to shrink to four members once Irvine’s loan to the agency is repaid, and the July minutes link Irvine’s second seat to its share of the agency’s electricity load.

The minutes from the September 14 meeting, including the recorded vote on the pay increase, are scheduled for approval at the board’s next meeting on Monday, October 19, at 2 pm. The meeting will be held at 15310 Barranca Parkway, Suite 250, Irvine.