Unincorporated Areas Program
The State Legislature has long recognized that pockets of unincorporated territory surrounded or substantially surrounded by incorporated cities present service delivery inefficiencies.
Better, Cost-Efficient Service
The County of Orange governs the unincorporated areas by providing municipal services that include public safety, land use planning, library and other local services. Following municipal bankruptcy in 1994, the County identified the provision of regional services as its key focus and recognized that the unincorporated areas may be more efficiently and cost-effectively served by surrounding cities.
In June 2000, to support an effort to annex unincorporated areas to adjacent cities, the Commission, in partnership with the County of Orange, established the Unincorporated Areas Program, and over the last 20 years, the Commission has annexed over 50 areas.
