Fullerton Mayor Fred Jung faces a challenge from Buena Park Councilmember Carlos Franco for a seat on Orange County’s transportation board, as the agency confronts difficult decisions over public transit funding.

On November 5, representatives from seven Orange County cities will decide who gets a seat on one of the county’s most influential public agencies. The Orange County Transportation Authority (OCTA) oversees a roughly $2 billion annual budget supporting public transportation, roads, freeways, rail services, and other transportation infrastructure throughout the county. Yet the decision about who represents Fullerton and six neighboring cities on the agency’s board won’t be made by voters directly. It will be made by a committee of city mayors, or their designated representatives.

Two councilmembers seeking the position are Fullerton Mayor Fred Jung, who currently holds the seat, and Buena Park Councilmember Carlos Franco. Their written applications reveal noticeably different approaches to the position.

Applicants were asked what they hoped to accomplish during their term and what qualifications they would bring to OCTA. Jung, who has served on OCTA since 2023 and currently serves as its vice chair, offered a brief response to the first question:
“Continue to execute large and small capital projects and bring state and federal funding to Orange County.” Asked what qualifications or skills he would bring to the position, Jung answered with four words: “Leadership and work ethic.”

Franco, meanwhile, submitted a considerably longer response emphasizing transportation outcomes. He identified safer streets, improved public transit, reduced traffic congestion, and infrastructure investments connecting residents with jobs, schools, and businesses among his priorities. “Ultimately, I believe transportation is about more than moving people – it’s about creating opportunities and improving quality of life,” Franco wrote. In discussing his qualifications, Franco emphasized his local government experience, fiscal responsibility, strategic planning, and community engagement. He also described regional collaboration and transparency as important elements of the position.

The contrast is notable. Of course, the length of an application does not necessarily indicate how effectively someone will serve on a governing board. But Jung’s existing record also gives the public something else to evaluate.

One of OCTA’s most consequential recent decisions has involved funding for Metrolink, Southern California’s regional commuter rail service.

Earlier this year, OCTA established a roughly $46 million annual operating funding target for Metrolink, approximately 10% below its previous level of support. The reduction became part of a larger dispute between Metrolink and the regional transportation agencies responsible for financing its operations.

In June, OCTA’s board unanimously approved its fiscal year 2026-27 budget, which incorporated the reduced Metrolink funding target. Jung was serving as the agency’s vice chair. In September, OCTA approved up to $10.5 million for Metrolink’s second-quarter operating expenses, compared with approximately $12 million requested by Metrolink. OCTA officials have defended their funding limits, citing reduced ridership, rising operating expenses, and the exhaustion of temporary state and federal funding used to support rail operations following the pandemic.

Metrolink’s proposed budget would eliminate approximately 29% of weekday trains and 40% of weekend trains compared with the service schedule budgeted for the previous fiscal year. Orange County is among the areas facing the most significant reductions. The proposed service changes have not yet received final approval. Metrolink has postponed consideration of its budget and schedule changes until November 13.

The dispute presents an important question about the future of transportation in Orange County: how should public officials balance funding for existing transit services against other infrastructure needs? Jung’s application emphasizes capital projects and obtaining additional state and federal funding. Franco’s application explicitly prioritizes improving public transportation.

Unlike most public offices, OCTA’s city-representative seats are not filled through a direct election. Ten of OCTA’s 18 board members are city representatives selected through the Orange County City Selection Committee, a body composed of mayors from across the county. For the Fourth Supervisorial District’s one-city-one-vote seat, seven cities participate:

• Anaheim
• Brea
• Buena Park
• Fullerton
•  La Habra
• Placentia
• Stanton

Each city receives one vote, regardless of its population. A candidate must secure at least four votes to obtain the appointment. The current seat is held by Jung, whose term expires on December 31. The next appointment will run from January 1, 2027, through December 31, 2028.