As a Certified Public Accountant and Certified Financial Planner, John Moorlach began his career in public service 20 years ago when he warned that then Orange County Treasurer-Tax Collector Robert Citron’s risky investment strategies would lead to bankruptcy. Moorlach’s warnings proved true when Orange County filed for bankruptcy protection in December of 1994, becoming the largest municipal bankruptcy in U.S. history.

In the aftermath, the Board of Supervisors appointed John Moorlach to serve out the term of County Treasurer-Tax Collector, where he took immediate steps to reorganize County finances, cut losses, lessen risk, and create efficiencies within government. Moorlach became well known nationally for his bold and effective steps in recovering the County’s financial outlook, as well as for his drive for greater transparency in government financial operations.

John Moorlach was twice re-elected to Treasurer Tax Collector; then in 2006, voters elected John to serve in his first of two terms on the Board of Supervisors, where he continued his focus on reforming the County’s budget practices and sounding the alarm on the County’s growing unfunded pension and retiree medical liabilities. His reform of retiree medical in Orange County has saved taxpayers more than $100 million annually.

In March 2015, John Moorlach won a hotly contested special election for California’s open 37th Senate District. In his first half-year, Moorlach led the effort to block proposed gas tax increases, and he exposed the waste and inefficiency at Caltrans. Additionally, his legislative opinions and expertise have been repeatedly featured in newspapers and broadcast news outlets throughout California.

Prior to serving as Orange County Treasurer-Tax Collector, John Moorlach was a Certified Public Accountant, Certified Financial Planner, and Vice President of Balser, Horowitz, Frank & Wakeling, an Accountancy Corporation, and was the administrative partner of its Costa Mesa office.

Moorlach passed the C.P.A. exam in 1978 and completed his studies for the Certified Financial Planner designation in 1987. He earned a Certificate in Public Finance from the University of Delaware, Division of Continuing Education in 1995, the Certificate of Achievement in Public Plan Policy (CAPPP) in Employee Pensions in 1999 and the Trustees Masters Program in 2003 through the International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans, and the New Supervisors Training Institute in 2007 from California State University in Sacramento in cooperation with their Center for California Studies.

Moorlach graduated from California State University in Long Beach in 1977 and was recognized in 2014 as the CSU Long Beach College of Business Administration Alumnus of the Year.