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Item 08 - Ballot Measure Polling Results
City Manager's Office www.santa-ana.org/cm Item # 8 or City of Santa Ana 20 Civic Center Plaza, Santa Ana, CA 92701 Staff Report March 17, 2026 TOPIC: Ballot Measure Polling Results AGENDA TITLE Ballot Measure Polling Results RECOMMENDED ACTION Direct staff to prepare public information materials, develop a November 2026 ballot measure for City Council consideration, and conduct a tracking survey. GOVERNMENT CODE §84308 APPLIES: No DISCUSSION On November 4, 2025, City Council approved an agreement with True North Research, Inc. (True North) to conduct a baseline poll to test a potential ballot measure. True North has served over 120 jurisdictions in California and has a high success rate with ballot measures passing. In December 2025, True North completed 623 surveys of likely voters with a 3.9% margin of error at a 95% confidence level. Survey methodology and results are detailed in True North's detailed report (Exhibit 1). The survey included warm-up questions and multiple tests of a potential ballot measure to maintain the existing 1.5% local sales tax rate permanently (no increase), using wording that complies with state law. A summary of survey results follows. • Quality of life in Santa Ana: 50% Excellent or Good, 35% Fair • Overall satisfaction with the City: 13% Very, 48% Fairly • An open-ended question for desired changes: Top 3 results were: o Address unhoused issues, o Improve public safety, and o Improve infrastructure/roads • Initial ballot test: 64% definitely or probably yes • After presenting positive arguments, ballot retest: 67% definitely or probably yes • After presenting negative arguments, ballot retest: 63% definitely or probably yes Ballot Measure Polling Results March 17, 2026 Page 2 A November 2026 ballot measure to maintain the 1.5% local sales tax rate permanently requires a simple majority vote to pass. The 1.5% local sales tax has significantly improved the City's ability to provide services to the community. More detailed information is attached to this staff report as Exhibit 2. The $83+ million revenue source has been used for: • Quality of Life Teams (QOLT) to address the impacts of homelessness; • Fixing streets including pavement and right -of way, such as street lights, traffic calming, traffic signals, medians, alleys, and sidewalks; • Keeping pace with the increasing costs of public safety; • Improving the security and maintenance of City parks; • Arts and culture events; • City -owned facility improvements; • Graffiti removal; • Bus shelters; • Bike lane sweeping and tree trimming; • Immigration legal defense support; and • Many programs and facility enhancements to serve the City's youth. The City has been accountable to the public, the Citizens Oversight Committee, and the City Council with detailed spending plans, annual financial reports, and independent auditor review. Local sales tax add-ons have become increasingly common among California cities. Exhibit 3 identifies local sales tax rate comparisons. When the local sales tax decreases to 1.0% on April 1, 2029, the loss of up to $30 million of revenue will impact the City's ability to provide the services noted above. Therefore, staff recommends moving forward to Phase 2 of the True North project, as outlined in the November 4, 2025 staff report. 1. Prepare public information materials. 2. Develop a November 2026 ballot measure for City Council consideration on June 2, 2026. 3. Conduct a tracking survey to test the ballot measure before City Council consideration in June. Separate City Council approval will be required to add a measure to the November 2026 ballot. The recommended action with this report only approves moving forward with preparation. If the City Council approves a ballot measure for November 2026 and it fails, the City will have three years to reduce service levels and find other ways to rebalance the budget. Ballot Measure Polling Results March 17, 2026 Page 3 ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT There is no environmental impact associated with this action. FISCAL IMPACT If the City Council approves the recommended action, staff will utilize up to $160,000 from the Non -Departmental General Fund account 01105015-62300, which may necessitate a future housekeeping adjustment to the Non -Departmental appropriations. Measure preparation, strategy, and communications — 8 months of support from March 2026 through October 2026. $80,000 Tracking Survey $31,500 Prepare and mail a multilingual information piece to all registered voter households $48,500 Total $160,000 EXHIBIT(S) 1. True North Research, Inc. Report 2. Measure X Success 3. Local Sales Tax Rates Submitted By: Kathryn Downs, Assistant City Manager Approved By: Alvaro Nunez, City Manager REVENUE MEASURE SURVEY SUMMARY REPORT FOR BASELINE SURVEY PREPARED FOR THE CITY OF SANTA ANA 1L. �T RUENORTH R. E S E A R C H 1 592 N COAST HIGHWAY 101 ENCINITAS CA 92024 760.632.9900 WWW.TN-RESEARCH.COM DECEMBER 2025 TEAMCIVI/ THIS PAGE INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK T A B L E O F C O N T E N T S List of Tables....................................................................iii Listof Figures....................................................................iv Introduction...................................................................... 1 Motivation for Research ................................................... 1 Overview of Methodology .................................................. 1 Organization of Report .................................................... 2 Acknowledgments....................................................... 2 Disclaimer............................................................. 2 About True North ........................................................ 2 KeyFindings..................................................................... 3 Quality of Life & City Services...................................................... 6 Quality of Life........................................................... 6 Question2.......................................................... 6 Changes to Improve Santa Ana .............................................. 7 Question3.......................................................... 7 Overall Performance Rating ................................................ 8 Question4.......................................................... 8 Initial Ballot Test................................................................ 10 Question5......................................................... 10 Support by Subgroups ................................................... 11 Reasons For Not Supporting Measure ........................................ 12 Question6......................................................... 12 Projects & Services............................................................... 13 Question7......................................................... 13 Service Ratings by Initial Support ........................................... 14 Positive Arguments.............................................................. 15 Question8......................................................... 15 Top Positive Arguments by Initial Support .................................... 16 Interim Ballot Test............................................................... 18 Question9......................................................... 18 Support by Subgroups ................................................... 18 Negative Arguments............................................................. 20 Question10........................................................ 20 Top Negative Arguments by Initial Support .................................... 20 FinalBallot Test................................................................. 22 Question11........................................................ 22 Changein Support............................................................... 23 Alternative Options.............................................................. 25 Support with 20 Year Sunset .............................................. 25 Question12........................................................ 25 Support with Rate Reduction .............................................. 25 Question13........................................................ 26 Background & Demographics..................................................... 27 Methodology.................................................................... 28 Questionnaire Development ............................................... 28 Programming, Pre -Test & Translation ........................................ 28 Sample............................................................... 28 Statistical Margin of Error ................................................. 28 Recruiting & Data Collection ............................................... 29 Data Processing........................................................ 30 Rounding............................................................. 30 Questionnaire & Toplines......................................................... 31 City of Santa Ana True North Research, Inc. © 2025 L I S T O F T A B L E S Table 1 Demographic Breakdown of Support at Initial Ballot Test .................... 1 1 Table 2 Top Projects & Services by Position at Initial Ballot Test ..................... 14 Table 3 Top Positive Arguments by Position at Initial Ballot Test .................... 17 Table 4 Demographic Breakdown of Support at Interim Ballot Test .................. 19 Table 5 Top Negative Arguments by Position at Initial Ballot Test ................... 21 Table 6 Demographic Breakdown of Support at Final Ballot Test .................... 23 Table 7 Movement Between Initial & Final Ballot Test ............................. 24 Table 8 Demographics of Sample ........................................... 27 City of Santa Ana True North Research, Inc. © 2025 L I S T O F F I G U R E S Figure 1 Quality of Life ..................................................... 6 Figure 2 Quality of Life by Years in Santa Ana, Child in Hsld & Survey Language .......... 6 Figure 3 Quality of Life by Age & Homeowner on Voter File & Gender .................. 7 Figure 4 Changes to Improve City ............................................. 7 Figure 5 Satisfaction With City Services ......................................... 8 Figure 6 Satisfaction With City Services by Years in Santa Ana, Child in Hsld & Survey Language........................................................ 9 Figure 7 Satisfaction With City Services by Age, Homeowner on Voter File & Gender ....... 9 Figure 8 Initial Ballot Test .................................................. 10 Figure 9 Reasons for not Supporting Measure ................................... 12 Figure 10 Projects & Services ................................................ 13 Figure 11 Positive Arguments ................................................ 15 Figure 12 Interim Ballot Test ................................................. 18 Figure 13 Negative Arguments ............................................... 20 Figure 14 Final Ballot Test .................................................. 22 Figure 15 Final Ballot Test 20 Year Extension Info ................................. 25 Figure 16 Final Ballot Test Sales Tax Reduction Info ............................... 26 Figure 17 Maximum Margin of Error Due to Sampling .............................. 29 City of Santa Ana True North Research, Inc. © 2025 N T R O D U C T I O N Incorporated in 1886, the City of Santa Ana is Orange County's second largest city with more than 60 distinct neighborhoods. Currently home to a diverse population of 316,188 residentsl, the City has a dedicated team of full-time and part-time employees that provide a full suite of services to residents, visitors, and local businesses. To help keep Santa Ana safe, clean, and well -maintained, in 2018 voters approved a 1 .5 cent local sales tax (Measure X) to maintain effective 911 response, retain firefighters and police offi- cers, address homelessness, fix streets, and maintain parks, youth and senior services. Since its inception, every dime raised by the sales tax has been reinvested back into the community for these purposes. Unless renewed by voters, the local sales tax will be reduced by 0.5 cent in 2029, which will reduce funding for essential city services in Santa Ana by more than $25 million annually. 11MnTI\/AT1^AI ff-^^ nrrr A r%.--I I The primary purpose of this study was to produce an unbiased, statistically reliable evaluation of voters' interest in renewing the Measure X sales tax at the current rate (no increase) to continue funding for essential city services. Additionally, should the City decide to move forward with a renewal measure in 2026, the survey can guide how best to structure the measure so it is consistent with the community's priorities and expressed needs. Specifically, the study was designed to: Gauge current, baseline support for renewing the Measure X sales tax to continue funding general municipal services; Identify the types of services voters are most interested in funding, should the measure pass; Expose voters to arguments in favor of, and against, the proposed tax measure to assess how information affects support for the measure; and Estimate support for the measure once voters are presented with the types of information they will likely be exposed to during an election cycle. It is important to note at the outset that voters' opinions about tax measures are often some- what fluid, especially when the amount of information they initially have about a measure is lim- ited. How voters think and feel about a measure today may not be the same way they think and feel once they have had a chance to hear more information about the measure during the elec- tion cycle. Accordingly, to accurately assess the feasibility of renewing a local sales tax to fund municipal services, it was important that in addition to measuring current opinions about the measure (Question 5), the survey expose respondents to the types of information voters are likely to encounter during an election cycle, including arguments in favor of (Question 8) and opposed to (Question 10) the measure, and gauge how this type of information ultimately impacts their voting decision (Questions 9 & 1 1). OVERVIEW nP nnFTNnnni nGY For a full discussion of the research methods and tech- niques used in this study, turn to Methodology on page 28. In brief, the survey was administered to a random sample of 623 voters in the City of Santa Ana who are likely to participate in the 1. Source: US Census 2024 ACS 1-Year Estimate. City of Santa Ana True North Research, Inc. © 2025 • November 2026 election. The survey followed a mixed -method design that employed multiple • recruiting methods (email, text, and telephone) and multiple data collection methods (telephone and online). Administered in English, Spanish and Vietnamese between December 10 and December 16, 2025, the average interview lasted 16 minutes. — — - A .,� This report is designed to meet the needs of readers who prefer a summary of the findings as well as those who are interested in the details of the results. For those who seek an overview of the findings, the section titled Key Findings is for you. It pro- vides a summary of the most important factual findings of the survey in a Question & Answer for- mat. For the interested reader, this section is followed by a more detailed question -by -question discussion of the results from the survey by topic area (see Table of Contents), as well as a description of the methodology employed for collecting and analyzing the data. And, for the truly ambitious reader, the questionnaire used for the interviews is contained at the back of this report (see Questionnaire & Toplines on page 31), and a complete set of crosstabulations for the survey results is contained in Appendix A. r%%_v.iYVYYLGLj"iviv_ Y 1 .3 True North thanks the City of Santa Ana for the opportunity to assist the City in this important effort. The collective expertise, local knowledge, and insight pro- vided by city staff and representatives improved the overall quality of the research presented here. ^'C`-' A IRArn The statements and conclusions in this report are those of the authors (Dr. Timothy McLarney and Richard Sarles) at True North Research, Inc. and not necessarily those of the City of Santa Ana. Any errors and omissions are the responsibility of the authors. ABOUT TRUE NORTH True North is a full -service survey research firm that is dedicated to providing public agencies with a clear understanding of the values, perceptions, priorities, and concerns of their residents and voters. Through designing and implementing scientific surveys, focus groups, and one-on-one interviews as well as expert interpretation of the findings, True North helps its clients to move with confidence when making strategic decisions in a variety of areas —such as planning, policy evaluation, performance management, establishing fiscal priori- ties, passing revenue measures, and developing effective public information campaigns. During their careers, Dr. McLarney and Mr. Sarles have designed and conducted over 1,500 sur- vey research studies for public agencies, including more than 500 revenue measure feasibility studies. Of the measures that have gone to ballot based on Dr. McLarney's recommendation, 93% have been successful. In total, the research that Dr. McLarney has conducted has led to over $42 billion in voter -approved local revenue measures. City of Santa Ana True North Research, Inc. © 2025 K E Y F I N D I N G S As noted in the Introduction, this study was designed to provide the City of Santa Ana with a sta- tistically reliable understanding of voters' interest in renewing the Measure X sales tax at the cur- rent rate to continue funding public safety, streets and infrastructure, and other essential city services. Whereas subsequent sections of this report are devoted to conveying the detailed results of the survey, in this section we attempt to `see the forest through the trees' and note how the collective results of the survey answer some of the key questions that motivated the research. The following conclusions are based on True North's and TeamCivX's interpretations of the survey results and the firms' collective experience conducting revenue measure studies for public agencies throughout the State. Is it feasible to renew Yes. Santa Ana voters value the services they receive from the City, but Measure x on the also see opportunities to improve the quality of life in Santa Ana by November 2026 ballot? addressing homelessness, improving public safety, and improving the maintenance of city streets and infrastructure. Together, these senti- ments translate into strong natural support (64%) for renewing the Mea- sure X sales tax at the current 1.5 cent rate to fund general city services, such as fire protection, paramedic, and 911 emergency response, crime prevention, graffiti removal, addressing homelessness, and keeping streets, sidewalks, parks and public facilities safe, clean, and well -main- tained. The results of this survey indicate that a Measure X renewal is feasible for the November 2026 ballot provided that it maintains the existing tax rate (no increase), focuses on the projects and services that voters iden- tify as their priorities, and is accompanied by robust community/opinion leader engagement, education, and communication (more on this below). Having stated that a sales tax measure appears feasible, it is important to note that the measure's prospects will be shaped by external factors (not within the City's or an independent campaign's control) and that a recommendation to place the measure on the November 2026 ballot comes with several qualifications and conditions. Indeed, although the results are promising, all revenue measures must overcome challenges prior to being successful. The proposed measure is no exception. The following paragraphs discuss some of the challenges and the next steps that True North and TeamCivX recommend. Which services do Santa A general tax is "any tax imposed for general governmental purposes"2 Ana voters view as prior- and is distinguished from a special tax in that the funds raised by a gen- ities? eral tax are not earmarked for any specific purpose(s). Thus, a general tax provides a municipality with a great deal of flexibility with respect to what is funded by the measure on a year-to-year basis. 2. Section 1 , Article XIIIC, California Constitution. City of Santa Ana True North Research, Inc. © 2025 Although the Santa Ana City Council would have the discretion to decide how to spend the revenues, the survey results indicate that voters are primarily interested in using the proceeds to fund public works and pub- lic safety, including removing graffiti and cleaning up piles of trash and litter along streets, sidewalks, and in public areas (91 % strongly or some- what favor), keeping parks and playgrounds safe, clean, and well -main- tained (90%), fixing potholes and paving/maintaining city streets (90%), providing quick responses to 911 emergencies (89%), repairing aging infrastructure including storm drains, bridges, sidewalks, and public facilities (89%), providing fire protection and paramedic services (88%), and addressing homelessness (84%). How might a public As noted in the body of this report, individuals' opinions about revenue information campaign measures are often not rigid, especially when the amount of information affect support for the proposed measure? presented to the public on a measure has been limited. Thus, in addition to measuring current support for the measure, one of the goals of this study was to explore how the introduction of additional information about the measure may affect voters' opinions about the proposal. It is clear from the survey results that some voters' opinions about the proposed measure are somewhat sensitive to the nature —and amount — of information that they have about the measure. Information about the specific services that could be funded by the sales tax, as well as argu- ments in favor of the measure, were found by many voters to be compel- ling reasons to support the measure. However, voters also exhibited sensitivity to opposition arguments, and there is a risk that voters could be swayed by divisive and hyper -partisan campaigning during the 2026 election cycle. Accordingly, one of the keys to building and sustaining support for the measure will be the presence of an effective, well -orga- nized public outreach effort, as well as an independent campaign that focuses on the need for the measure as well as the many benefits that it will bring. How might changes to A survey is a snapshot in time —which means the results of this study the economic or politi- and the conclusions noted above must be viewed in light of the current cal climate alter support economic and political climates. On the one hand, this should provide for the measure? some reassurances to the reader that the proposed sales tax measure is feasible for 2026. Even in a national environment marred by economic uncertainty, political instability, concerns about tariffs, inflation, and cost of living, and an ongoing narrative that government is the problem, support for renewing Measure X at the Final Ballot Test (63%) was 13 points above the simple majority (50%+1) required for passage of a gen- eral tax in California. On the other hand, the months leading up to the November 2026 elec- tion are likely to be punctuated with significant events on the economic and political fronts. Exactly how these events unfold and may shape vot- City of Santa Ana True North Research, Inc. © 2025 ers' opinions remains to be seen. Should the economy and/or political climate improve, support for the measure could increase. Conversely, negative economic and/or political developments (including devolving into a hyper -partisan environment), skewed voter turnout, and/or com- peting measures could dampen support for the measure below what was recorded in this study. City of Santa Ana True North Research, Inc. © 2025 Q U A L IT Y OF L I F E & CITY S ERVICES The opening section of the survey was designed to gauge voters' opinions regarding the quality of life in Santa Ana, their ideas for how it can be improved, as well as their assessment of the City's performance in providing municipal services. nIJALITY OF LIFE At the outset of the interview, voters were asked to rate the quality of life in the City of Santa Ana using a five -point scale of excellent, good, fair, poor, or very poor. As shown in Figure 1 below, half of voters shared favorable opinions of the quality of life in Santa Ana, with 6% reporting it is excellent and 44% stating it is good. Approximately 35% of voters surveyed rated the quality of life in the City as fair, whereas just 14% used poor or very poor to describe the quality of life in Santa Ana and 1 % were unsure or unwilling to answer the question. Question 2 How would you rate the overall quality of life in Santa Ana? Would you say it is excellent, good, fair, poor or very poor? FIGURE 1 QUALITY OF LIFE Figures 2 and 3 show how ratings of the quality of life Not sure Prefer not to answer in the City of Santa Ana varied by length of residence, 0.5 0.6 presence of a child in the household, survey language, Very poor I Excellent age, home ownership status, and gender. When com- 5.2 5.7 pared to their respective counterparts, quality of life Poor ratings (excellent and good) were highest among voters 8.9 who have lived in the City less than 10 years, those without children in the home, individuals who com- pleted the survey in English or Spanish, and voters Good 43.8 under the age of 30. Ratings were generally consistent Fair by home ownership status and gender. 35.3 FIGURE 2 QUALITY OF LIFE BY YEARS IN SANTA ANA, CHILD IN HSLD & SURVEY LANGUAGE 80 70 60 50 v c 0 40 0a N N 30 20 10 0 City of Santa Ana True North Research, Inc. © 2025 • FIGURE 3 QUALITY OF LIFE BY AGE & HOMEOWNER ON VOTER FILE & GENDER 80 70 60 50 a c Q40 v 30 20 10 0 I Male Female Gender d-1AA nlr.Fc Tn InaaRf%'k1F cnr.ITA All Q The next question in this series asked voters to indicate the one thing that city government could change to make Santa Ana a better place to live, now and in the future. Question 3 was posed in an open-ended manner, allowing respon- dents to mention any aspect or attribute that came to mind without being prompted by or restricted to a particular list of options. True North later reviewed the verbatim responses and grouped them into the categories shown in Figure 4. Question 3 If the city government could change one thing to make Santa Ana a better place to live now and in the future, what change would you like to see? FIGURE 4 CHANGES TO IMPROVE CITY Address homeless issues Improve public safety Improve infrastructure, roads Not sure / Cannot think of anything specific Clean up, beautify City Address parking issues Reduce traffic congestion Provide more affordable housing Enforce traffic laws Improve parks, rec facilities Improve schools, education Other (unique responses) Provide more police presence, response Reduce cost of living Limit growth, development Improve public transportation Address ICE issues Reduce taxes, fees Address rent control issue No changes needed / Everything is fine Address illegal immigration issues Enforce city codes Fix, upgrade rundown buildings Fewer bike lanes Ban illegal fireworks 5 10 1s 20 25 30 % Respondents City of Santa Ana True North Research, Inc. © 2025 Among specific changes desired, addressing homelessness (26%), improving public safety (1 5%), and improving roads/infrastructure (11%) were the most common, followed by cleaning up/ beautifying the City (9%) and addressing parking issues (8%). Approximately 12% of respondents could not think of a change to Santa Ana that they desired or stated flatly that no changes are needed/everything is fine. Given the purpose of this study, it is instructive that many respondents mentioned an issue (homelessness, public safety, streets/infrastructure, etc.) that had a direct nexus to the pro- posed measure. OVERALL PERFORMANCE RATING The final question in this series asked respondents to indicate if, overall, they were satisfied or dissatisfied with the job the City of Santa Ana is doing to provide city services. Because this question does not reference a specific program, facil- ity, or service and requested that the respondent consider the City's performance in general, the findings of this question may be regarded as an overall performance rating for the City. As shown in Figure 5, more than six -in -ten voters surveyed indicated that they were satisfied with the City of Santa Ana's efforts to provide municipal services, with 1 3% saying they were very satisfied and 49% somewhat satisfied. Approximately 31 % reported that they were dissatisfied with the City's overall performance, whereas 8% were unsure or unwilling to state their opinion. Question 4 Generally speaking, are you satisfied or dissatisfied with the job the City of Santa Ana is doing to provide city services? FIGURE 5 SATISFACTION WITH CITY SERVICES Very dissatisfied 13.2 Somewhat dissatisfied 17.3 Not sure 7.4 Prefer not to answer 0.7 Very satisfied 12.9 Somewhat sati sfi ed 48.5 For the interested reader, figures 6 and 7 on the following page display how the percentage of respondents satisfied with the City's overall performance varied across demographic subgroups. The most striking pattern in the figures is the relative consistency of responses, with satisfaction ranging between 57% and 74% across all identified subgroups. City of Santa Ana True North Research, Inc. © 2025 FIGURE 6 SATISFACTION WITH CITY SERVICES BY YEARS IN SANTA ANA, CHILD IN HSLD & SURVEY LANGUAGE 100 90 80 70 v 60 c Co. 50 v � 40 0 30 20 10 0 FIGURE 7 SATISFACTION WITH CITY SERVICES BY AGE, HOMEOWNER ON VOTER FILE & GENDER 100 90 80 70 v 60 c O 50 a v C,� 40 0 30 20 10 0 City of Santa Ana True North Research, Inc. © 2025 N I T I A L B A L L O T T E S T The primary research objective of this survey was to estimate voters' support for renewing the Measure X sales tax at the current 1.5 cent rate to fund general city services, such as fire protec- tion, paramedic, and 911 emergency response, crime prevention, graffiti removal, addressing homelessness, and keeping streets, sidewalks, parks and public facilities safe, clean, and well - maintained. To this end, Question 5 was designed to take an early assessment of voters' support for the proposed measure. The motivation for placing Question 5 near the front of the survey is twofold. First, voter support for a measure can often depend on the amount of information they have about a measure. At this point in the survey, the respondent has not been provided information about the proposed measure beyond what is presented in the ballot language. This situation is analogous to a voter casting a ballot with limited knowledge about the measure, such as what might occur in the absence of an effective campaign. Question 5, also known as the Initial Ballot Test, is thus a good measure of voter support for the proposed measure as it is today, on the natural. Because the Initial Ballot Test provides a gauge of natural support for the measure, it also serves a second purpose in that it provides a useful baseline from which to judge the impact of various informa- tion items conveyed later in the survey on voter support for the measure. Question 5 Next year, voters in Santa Ana may be asked to vote on a local ballot measure. Let me read you a summary of the measure. To maintain funding for city services, such as fire pro- tection, paramedic, and 911 emergency response; crime prevention; graffiti removal; addressing homelessness; and keeping streets, sidewalks, parks and public facilities safe, clean, and well - maintained; shall City of Santa Ana's ordinance renewing the existing 1.5 cent sales tax be adopted at the current rate (no increase), providing approximately 84 million dollars annually for city services until ended by voters, with independent audits, citizen oversight, and all money locally controlled? If the election were held today, would you vote yes or no on this measure? FIGURE 8 INITIAL BALLOT TEST Prefer not to answer Not sure 1.9 9.9 Definitely nc 1 3.4 Probably nc 11.0 Probably yes 32.9 Figure 8 presents the results of the Initial Ballot Test among all respondents. Overall, 64% of likely November 2026 voters surveyed indi- cated that they would support the proposed ?finitelyyes Measure X renewal, whereas 24% stated that 30.9 they would oppose the measure and approxi- mately 12% were unsure or unwilling to share their vote choice. For general taxes in Califor- nia, the level of support recorded at the Initial Ballot Test is approximately 14 percentage points above the simple majority (50%+1) required for passage. City of Santa Ana True North Research, Inc. © 2025 SUPPORT BY SUBGROUPS For the interested reader, Table 1 shows how support for the measure at the Initial Ballot Test varied by key demographic traits. The blue column (Approxi- mate % of Universe) indicates the percentage of the likely November 2026 electorate that each subgroup category comprises. Support for the proposed measure was widespread, exceeding a majority in nearly all identified subgroups and exceeding 60% in most. TABLE 1 DEMOGRAPHIC BREAKDOWN OF SUPPORT AT INITIAL BALLOT TEST Approximate of Voter % Probably or Universe Definitely Yes % Not sure Overall 100.0 63.8 9.9 Less than 5 16.1 79.3 1 1 .1 Years in Santa Ana (Q1) 5 to 9 14.1 78.2 2.6 10 to 14 8.0 60.6 9.8 15 or more 61.9 58.0 10.7 Overall Satisfaction (Q4) Satisfied 66.8 72.9 10.1 Dissatisfied 33 47.6 7.6 Child in Hsld (Ql 5) Yes 27.8 66.2 8.5 No 72.2 64.3 9.9 Fiscal Management Excellent, good 31.1 92.9 1.4 Rating (Q14) Fair 40.8 62.0 13.5 Poor, very poor 28.1 38.1 8.7 Democrat 54.3 70.1 9.6 Party Republican 22.8 53.3 7.3 Other / DTS 22.9 59.2 13.4 Single dem 28.7 76.6 7.3 Dual dem 13.4 63.7 13.2 Household Party Type Single rep 12.4 54.3 6.3 Dual rep 3.9 55.6 8.6 Other 15.2 58.4 14.0 Mixed 26.3 58.6 10.7 English 80.4 64.0 9.7 Survey Language Spanish 13.1 60.3 12.8 Vietnamese 6.5 68.2 7.5 18 to 29 23.0 73.9 14.3 30 to 39 20.3 66.3 8.0 Age 40 to 49 13.7 56.7 9.1 50 to 64 20.0 54.9 9.3 65 or older 23.0 63.4 8.5 Since June 2016 38.6 69.0 10.1 Registration Year Before June 2016 )1 .4 60.5 9.8 Homeowner on Voter File Yes 49.6 60.6 10.3 No 50.4 66.9 9.6 Likely to Vote by Mail Yes 75.1 62.0 10.8 No 24.9 69.2 7.4 Likely Jun 2026 Voter Yes 40.0 59.5 9.8 No 60.0 66.7 10.0 Likely Low Turnout Yes 27.2 61.6 9.8 Election Voter No 72.8 64.6 10.0 Excellent, good 50.1 74.5 9.6 Quality of Life (Q2) Fair 35.7 61.3 11.8 Poor, very poor 14.2 32.5 6.6 Male 50.8 65.8 6.0 Gender Female 49.2 63.9 14.8 City of Santa Ana True North Research, Inc. © 2025 REASONS FOR NOT SUPPORTING MEASURE Respondents who did not support the measure or were unsure at the Initial Ballot Test were subsequently asked if there was a particu- lar reason for their position. Question 6 was asked in an open-ended manner, allowing respon- dents to mention any reason that came to mind without being prompted by or restricted to a particular list of options. True North later reviewed the verbatim responses and grouped them into the categories shown in Figure 9. Among the reasons offered for not supporting the measure, the perception that city funds have been/will be mismanaged or misspent (34%), a belief that taxes are already too high (25%), and a need for more information (16%) were the most common. Question 6 Is there a particular reason why you do not support or are unsure about the mea- sure 1 just described? FIGURE 9 REASONS FOR NOT SUPPORTING MEASURE Money is misspent, mismanaged Taxes already too high Need more information Not sure / No particular reason Money should not go to law enforcement Other ways to be funded Economic, inflation, cost of living concerns It will hurt local economy Do not trust City Reference to other cities with lower tax rates Illegal immigration issues Money will go to employee salaries, pensions Mentioned past ballot measure Oppose some potential spending projects Other higher priorities in community City has enough money 3.7 0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 Respondents Who Do Not Support Measure City of Santa Ana True North Research, Inc. © 2025 P R O J E C T S & S E R V I C E S The ballot language presented in Question 5 indicated that the proposed sales tax measure would be used to fund general city services, such as fire protection, paramedic, and 911 emer- gency response, crime prevention, graffiti removal, addressing homelessness, and keeping streets, sidewalks, parks and public facilities safe, clean, and well -maintained. The purpose of Question 7 was to provide respondents with a full range of projects and services that may be funded by the measure, and to identify which of these projects voters most favored funding with sales tax proceeds. After reading each project or service that may be funded by the measure, respondents were asked if they would favor or oppose spending some of the money on that particular item assum- ing that the measure passes. Descriptions of the projects tested, as well as voters' responses, are shown in Figure 10 below.3 Question 7 The measure we've been discussing will provide funding for a variety of services in your community. If the measure passes, would you favor or oppose using some of the money to: _____, or do you not have an opinion? FIGURE 10 PROJECTS & SERVICES Remove graffiti and clean piles of trash and litter along streets, a sidewalks, and in public areas w Keep parks and playgrounds safe, clean, and well -maintained a Fix potholes and pave/maintain city streets a Provide quick responses to 911 emergencies Repair aging infrastructure including storm drains, bridges, a sidewalks, and public facilities a Provide fire protection and paramedic services is a Address homelessness ^, Provide recreation, education, and employment programs for a youth and seniors L a Provide library services Provide law enforcement services, including crime prevention a and investigations ■Strongly favor ■Somewhat favor 0 10 20 30 40 s0 60 70 80 90 100 Respondents All projects and services tested were popular with Santa Ana voters, with more than seven -in -ten respondents indicating they would favor spending measure proceeds on each of the 10 items tested. That said, the services that resonated with the largest percentage of respondents were removing graffiti and cleaning up piles of trash and litter along streets, sidewalks, and in public areas (91 % strongly or somewhat favor), keeping parks and playgrounds safe, clean, and well- 3. For the full text of the services tested, turn to Question 7 in Questionnaire & Toplines on page 31. City of Santa Ana True North Research, Inc. © 2025 maintained (90%), fixing potholes and paving/maintaining city streets (90%), and providing quick responses to 911 emergencies (89%). SERVICE RATINGS BY INITIAL jUPPORT Table 2 presents the top five services (based on the percentage of respondents who strongly favor each) by position at the Initial Ballot Test. Not surprisingly, individuals who initially opposed the measure were generally less likely to favor spending money on a given service when compared with supporters. Nevertheless, initial sup- porters, opponents, and the undecided did agree on two of the top five priorities for funding. TABLE 2 TOP PROJECTS & SERVICES BY POSITION AT INITIAL BALLOT TEST Position at Initial Ballot %Strongly Test (Q5) Item Project/Service Summary Favor Q7j Address homelessness 79 Q7i Remove graffiti and clean piles of trash and litter along streets, sidewalks, and in 76 public areas Probably or Definitely Yes Q7b Provide quick responses to 911 emergencies 76 (n = 397) Q7f Keep parks and playgrounds safe, clean, and well -maintained 75 Q7a Provide fire protection and paramedic services 73 Q7d Fix potholes and pave/maintain city streets 55 Q7f Keep parks and playgrounds safe, clean, and well -maintained 52 Probably or Definitely No Q7i Remove graffiti and clean piles of trash and litter along streets, sidewalks, and in 51 (n = 152) public areas Q7j Address homelessness 47 We Repair aging infrastructure including storm drains, bridges, sidewalks, and public 46 facilities Q7i Remove graffiti and clean piles of trash and litter along streets, sidewalks, and in 79 public areas Q7f Keep parks and playgrounds safe, clean, and well -maintained 72 Not Sure (n = 62) Q7d Fix potholes and pave/maintain city streets 68 Q7a Provide fire protection and paramedic services 68 Q7b Provide quick responses to 911 emergencies 62 City of Santa Ana True North Research, Inc. © 2025 POSITIVE ARGUMENTS If the City chooses to place a measure on an upcoming ballot, voters will be exposed to various arguments about the measure in the ensuing months. Proponents of the measure will present arguments to try to persuade voters to support a measure, just as opponents may present argu- ments to achieve the opposite goal. For this study to be a reliable gauge of voter support for the proposed sales tax measure, it is important that the survey simulate the type of discussion and debate that will occur prior to the vote taking place and identify how this information ultimately shapes voters' opinions about the measure. The objective of Question 8 was thus to present respondents with arguments in favor of the pro- posed measure and identify whether they felt the arguments were convincing reasons to support it. Arguments in opposition to the measure were also presented and are discussed later in this report (see Negative Arguments on page 20). Within each series, specific arguments were admin- istered in random order to avoid a systematic position bias. Question 8 What 1'd like to do now is tell you what some people are saying about the measure we've been discussing. Supporters of the measure say: ------ Do you think this is a very convinc- ing, somewhat convincing, or not at all convincing reason to SUPPORT the measure? FIGURE 1 1 POSITIVE ARGUMENTS N All money raised by measure will stay local to fund essential 00 services, facilities here in Santa Ana; by law, it can't be taken away by Federal Government, State or County City maintains 454 miles of streets, 90 miles of storm drains, 371 d acres of parks, playfields; measure provides funding we need to keep our streets, infrastructure, parks in good condition Fast emergency response times for 911 critical for saving lives; 00 measure ensures enough law enforcement officers, firefighters, d paramedics to respond quickly to 911 emergencies All money raised by measure will stay local to fund essential cc services and facilities here in Santa Ana; by law, it can't be taken away by State or County v Most of sales tax generated locally goes to State, County; measure ensures higher percentage of sales tax dollars stay in Santa Ana, we d have local control over how those funds are spent b Measure will not increase sales tax your household currently pays; it d simply extends sales tax approved by voters in 2018 at current rate to continue funding important city services Over past 6 yrs, City reinvested every dime of sales tax back into 65 community to fix streets, infrastructure, public safety, graffiti, pay d for city services; voting yes will allow important source of funding to continue -a Measure will help protect quality of life, keep Santa Ana a special cc O' place to live by keeping city safe, clean, well -maintained -0 Measure includes a clear system of accountability incl citizen d oversight, independent audits, public disclosure of how all funds are spent s Much of money raised by sales tax comes from people who visit, cc pass through Santa Ana, don't live here; measure will make sure they pay fair share for facilities, services they use while in city ■very convincing ■Somewhat convincing 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 so 90 100 % Respondents IAm City of Santa Ana True North Research, Inc. © 2025 Figure 11 presents the truncated positive arguments tested, as well as voters' reactions to the arguments. The arguments are sorted from most convincing to least convincing based on the percentage of respondents who indicated that the argument was either a `very convincing' or `somewhat convincing' reason to support the measure. Using this methodology, the most com- pelling positive arguments were: All money raised by the measure will stay local to fund essen- tial services and facilities here in Santa Ana. By law, it can't be taken away by the Federal Government, State or County (76% very or somewhat convincing), The City maintains 454 miles of streets, 90 miles of storm drains, and 371 acres of parks and playfields. This measure pro- vides the funding we need to keep our streets, infrastructure, and parks in good condition (72%), and Fast emergency response times for 9-1-1 calls are critical for saving lives. This measure ensures that we have enough law enforcement officers, firefighters, and paramedics to respond quickly to 911 emergencies (72%). TOP POSITIVE ARGUMENTS BY INITIAL SUPPORT Table 3 on the next page lists the top five most convincing positive arguments (based on the percentage of respondents who cited it as very convincing) according to respondents' vote choice at the Initial Ballot Test. The most striking pattern in the table is that the positive arguments resonated with a much higher percentage of voters who were initially inclined to support the measure when compared to voters who initially opposed the measure or were unsure. Nevertheless, three specific arguments were ranked among the top five most compelling by supporters, opponents, and the undecided. City of Santa Ana True North Research, Inc. © 2025 TABLE 3 TOP POSITIVE ARGUMENTS BY POSITION AT INITIAL BALLOT TEST Position at Initial Ballot % Very Test (Q5) Item Positive Argument Summary Convincing Q8c1 All money raised by measure will stay local to fund essential services and facilities 55 here in Santa Ana; by law, it can't be taken away by State or County Fast emergency response times for 911 critical for saving lives; measure ensures Q8g enough law enforcement officers, firefighters, paramedics to respond quickly to 911 55 emergencies Probably or Definitely Yes Q8c2 All money raised by measure will stay local to fund essential services, facilities here 50 (n = 397) in Santa Ana; by law, it can't be taken away by Federal Government, State or County Q8b Measure includes a clear system of accountability incl citizen oversight, independent 49 audits, public disclosure of how all funds are spent Measure will not increase sales tax your household currently pays; it simply extends Q8a sales tax approved by voters in 2018 at current rate to continue funding important 49 city services Q8cl All money raised by measure will stay local to fund essential services and facilities 1 3 here in Santa Ana; by law, it can't be taken away by State or County Measure will not increase sales tax your household currently pays; it simply extends Q8a sales tax approved by voters in 2018 at current rate to continue funding important 12 city services Probably or Fast emergency response times for 911 critical for saving lives; measure ensures Definitely No Q8g enough law enforcement officers, firefighters, paramedics to respond quickly to 911 11 (n = 152) emergencies Q8c2 All money raised by measure will stay local to fund essential services, facilities here 10 in Santa Ana; by law, it can't be taken away by Federal Government, State or County Most of sales tax generated locally goes to State, County; measure ensures higher Q8e percentage of sales tax dollars stay in Santa Ana, we have local control over how 10 those funds are spent Q8c2 All money raised by measure will stay local to fund essential services, facilities here 33 in Santa Ana; by law, it can't be taken away by Federal Government, State or County Fast emergency response times for 911 critical for saving lives; measure ensures Q8g enough law enforcement officers, firefighters, paramedics to respond quickly to 911 33 emergencies Not Sure Measure will not increase sales tax your household currently pays; it simply extends (n = 62) Q8a sales tax approved by voters in 2018 at current rate to continue funding important 21 city services Q8b Measure includes a clear system of accountability incl citizen oversight, independent 20 audits, public disclosure of how all funds are spent Most of sales tax generated locally goes to State, County; measure ensures higher Q8e percentage of sales tax dollars stay in Santa Ana, we have local control over how 20 those funds are spent City of Santa Ana True North Research, Inc. © 2025 N T E R I M B A L L O T T E S T After exposing respondents to services that could be funded by the measure as well as the types of positive arguments voters may encounter during an election cycle, the survey again presented respondents with the ballot language used previously to gauge how support for the proposed sales tax measure may have changed. As shown in Figure 12, overall support among likely November 2026 voters ticked up to 68%, with 37% of voters indicating that they would definitely vote yes on the measure. Approximately 23% of respondents opposed the measure at this point in the survey, and an additional 10%were unsure or unwilling to state their vote choice. Question 9 Sometimes people change their mind about a measure once they have more infor- mation about it. Now that you have heard a bit more about the measure, let me read you a sum- mary of it again. To maintain funding for city services, such as fire protection, paramedic, and 911 emergency response; crime prevention; graffiti removal; addressing homelessness; and keeping streets, sidewalks, parks and public facilities safe, clean, and well -maintained; shall City of Santa Ana's ordinance renewing the existing 1.5 cent sales tax be adopted at the current rate (no increase), providing approximately 84 million dollars annually for city services until ended by voters, with independent audits, citizen oversight, and all money locally controlled? If the elec- tion were held today, would you vote yes or no on this measure? FIGURE 12 INTERIM BALLOT TEST Definitely n 1 2.3 Probably no 10.3 Prefer not to answer Not sure 2.3 7.6 Probably yes 30.2 definitely yes 3 7.3 SUPPORT B` --UBGROUP.3 Table 4 on the next page shows how support for the measure at this point in the survey varied by key voter subgroups, as well as the percentage change in subgroup support when compared with the Initial Ballot Test. Positive differences appear in green, whereas negative differences in red. Support for the proposed sales tax measure increased or decreased by modest amounts (five percentage points or less) between the Initial and Interim Ballot Tests for most subgroups. Notable exceptions include those living in mixed partisan households (+8%), voters age 40 to 49 (+7%), home owners (+6%), and those likely to participate in low turnout elections (+6%). City of Santa Ana True North Research, Inc. © 2025 TABLE 4 DEMOGRAPHIC BREAKDOWN OF SUPPORT AT INTERIM BALLOT TEST Approxima- Change From of Voter % Probably or Initial Ballot Universe Definitely Yes Test (Q5) Overall 100.0 67.5 +3.7 Less than 5 16.1 81.4 +2.1 Years in Santa Ana (Q1) 5 to 9 14.1 80.8 +2.6 10 to 14 8.0 60.9 +0.3 15 or more 61.9 62.8 +4.8 Overall Satisfaction (Q4) Satisfied 66.8 78.0 +5.2 Dissatisfied 33.2 45.8 -1.8 Child in Hsld (Ql 5) Yes 27.8 66.9 +0.6 No 72.2 69.9 +5.6 Fiscal Management Excellent, good 31.1 94.7 +1 .7 Rating (Q14) Fair 40.8 71.1 +9.1 Poor, very poor 28.1 33.3 -4.8 Democrat 54.3 73.9 +3.8 Party Republican 22.8 56.4 +3.1 Other / DTS 22.9 63.3 +4.0 Single dem 28.7 78.2 +1.6 Dual dem 13.4 65.6 +2.0 Household Party Type Single rep 12.4 57.5 +3.1 Dual rep 3.9 60.2 +4.7 Other 15.2 61.1 +2.7 Mixed 26.3 66.2 +7.6 English 80.4 68.8 +4.8 Survey Language Spanish 13.1 59.5 -0.7 Vietnamese 6.5 68.1 -0.1 18 to 29 23.0 77.7 +3.8 30 to 39 20.3 71.0 +4.6 Age 40 to 49 13.7 63.7 +7.0 50 to 64 20.0 58.7 +3.8 65 or older 23.0 64.2 +0.8 Since June 2016 38.6 73.9 +5.0 Registration Year Before June 2016 61 .4 63.5 +2.9 Homeowner on Voter File Yes 49.6 66.9 +6.3 No 50.4 68.1 +1.2 Likely to Vote by Mail Yes 75.1 65.4 +3.4 No 24.9 73.7 +4.5 Likely Jun 2026 Voter Yes 40.0 63.6 +4.2 No 60.0 70.1 +3.4 Likely Low Turnout Yes 27.2 67.8 +6.2 Election Voter No 72.8 67.4 +2.8 Excellent, good 50.1 79.8 +5.3 Quality of Life (Q2) Fair 35.7 65.3 +4.1 Poor, very poor 14.2 30.1 -2.4 Male 50.8 70.5 +4.6 Gender Female 49.2 66.8 +2.9 City of Santa Ana True North Research, Inc. © 2025 N EGATIVE ARGUMENTS Whereas Question 8 presented respondents with arguments in favor of the measure, Question 10 presented respondents with arguments designed to elicit opposition to the measure. In the case of Question 10, however, respondents were asked if they felt that the argument was a very ' convincing, somewhat convincing, or not at all convincing reason to oppose the measure. The arguments tested, as well as voters' opinions about the arguments, are presented in Figure 13. Question 10 Next, let me tell you what opponents of the measure are saying. Opponents of the measure say: ------ Do you think this is a very convincing, somewhat convincing, or not at all convincing reason to OPPOSE the measure? FIGURE 13 NEGATIVE ARGUMENTS Residents, local businesses have been hit hard by inflation, high interest rates, cost of living increases; many are struggling to a stay afloat; now is not the time to raise taxes Everyone is coming after us for tax increases incl state, county o taxes, school bonds, other taxes that will be on the ballot next Ej year. Enough is enough; we can't afford to keep raising our taxes There are no guarantees on how funds will be spent, which o means City can divert money to pet projects without any say p from voters; we can't trust City with tax dollars they will mismanage money '4 Santa Ana is an expensive place to live, especially for young lu _o families, seniors, those on fixed incomes; passing tax will make a it even less affordable 6 City employees are making too much money in salary, pensions, benefits, that's the problem; City needs to tighten its a belt before asking residents to pay more taxes v dSanta Ana has the highest sales tax of any city in Orange County w This tax will last forever; there is no expiration date a ■very convincing Somewhat convincing 0 10 20 30 40 s0 60 70 80 90 100 % Respondents Among the negative arguments tested, the most compelling were: Residents and local businesses have been hit hard by inflation, high interest rates, and cost of living increases. Many are strug- gling to stay afloat. Now is not the time to raise taxes (75% very or somewhat convincing), Every- one is coming after us for tax increases - including state and county taxes, school bonds, and other taxes that will be on the ballot next year. Enough is enough. We can't afford to keep raising our taxes (67%), and There are no guarantees on how funds will be spent, which means the City can divert the money to pet projects without any say from voters. We can't trust the City with our tax dollars. They will mismanage the money (67%). Tf1P MFr.AT1\/F A0r'11MFMTC DV IMITIAI C11PPPr)T Table 5 on the next page ranks the top five negative arguments (based on % very convincing) according to respondents' vote choice at the Initial Ballot Test. City of Santa Ana True North Research, Inc. © 2025 TABLE 5 TOP NEGATIVE ARGUMENTS BY POSITION AT INITIAL BALLOT TEST Position at Initial Ballot %Very Test (Q5) Item Negative Argument Summary Convincing Residents, local businesses have been hit hard by inflation, high interest rates, cost Q10al of living increases; many are struggling to stay afloat; now is not the time to raise 42 taxes Q10e Santa Ana has the highest sales tax of any city in Orange County 30 Probably or Everyone is coming after us for tax increases incl state, county taxes, school bonds, Definitely Yes Q1 Oc other taxes that will be on the ballot next year. Enough is enough; we can't afford to 27 (n = 397) keep raising our taxes Ql Od City employees are making too much money in salary, pensions, benefits, that's the 27 problem; City needs to tighten its belt before asking residents to pay more taxes There are no guarantees on how funds will be spent, which means City can divert Q10b money to pet projects without any say from voters; we can't trust City with tax 21 dollars they will mismanage money Residents, local businesses have been hit hard by inflation, high interest rates, cost Q10al of living increases; many are struggling to stay afloat; now is not the time to raise 65 taxes Ql Oe Santa Ana has the highest sales tax of any city in Orange County 62 Probably or There are no guarantees on how funds will be spent, which means City can divert Definitely No Q10b money to pet projects without any say from voters; we can't trust City with tax 56 (n = 1 52) dollars they will mismanage money Everyone is coming after us for tax increases incl state, county taxes, school bonds, Q10c other taxes that will be on the ballot next year. Enough is enough; we can't afford to 55 keep raising our taxes Q10d City employees are making too much money in salary, pensions, benefits, that's the 51 problem; City needs to tighten its belt before asking residents to pay more taxes Residents, local businesses have been hit hard by inflation, high interest rates, cost Q10al of living increases; many are struggling to stay afloat; now is not the time to raise 69 taxes Q10e Santa Ana has the highest sales tax of any city in Orange County 48 Not Sure Ql Od City employees are making too much money in salary, pensions, benefits, that's the 36 (n = 62) problem; City needs to tighten its belt before asking residents to pay more taxes Everyone is coming after us for tax increases incl state, county taxes, school bonds, Q10c other taxes that will be on the ballot next year. Enough is enough; we can't afford to keep raising our taxes Q10f This tax will last forever; there is no expiration date City of Santa Ana True North Research, Inc. © 2025 F I N A L B A L L O T T E S T Voters' opinions about ballot measures are often not rigid, especially when the amount of infor- mation presented to the public on a measure has been limited. An important goal of the survey was thus to gauge how voters' opinions about the proposed measure may be affected by the information they could encounter during the course of an election cycle. After providing respon- dents with the wording of the proposed measure, projects and services that could be funded, and arguments in favor of and against the proposal, the survey again asked voters whether they would vote 'yes' or 'no' on the proposed sales tax measure. Question 1 1 Now that you have heard a bit more about the measure, let me read you a sum- mary of it one more time. To maintain funding for city services, such as fire protection, para- medic, and 911 emergency response; crime prevention; graffiti removal; addressing homelessness; and keeping streets, sidewalks, parks and public facilities safe, clean, and well - maintained; shall City of Santa Ana's ordinance renewing the existing 1.5 cent sales tax be adopted at the current rate (no increase), providing approximately 84 million dollars annually for city services until ended by voters, with independent audits, citizen oversight, and all money locally controlled? If the election were held today, would you vote yes or no on this measure? FIGURE 14 FINAL BALLOT TEST Prefer not to answer Not sure 3.1 7 Q Definitely nc 1 2.4 Probably no 13.8 Probably yes 31.2 efinitely yes 31.6 At this point in the survey, support for the measure was found among 63% of likely November 2026 voters surveyed, with 32% indicating they would definitely support the measure. Approxi- mately 26% of respondents opposed the measure at the Final Ballot Test, and 1 1 % were unsure or unwilling to state their vote choice. City of Santa Ana True North Research, Inc. © 2025 C H A N G E I N S U P P O R T Table 6 provides a closer look at how support for the proposed measure changed over the course of the survey by calculating the difference in support between the Initial, Interim, and Final Ballot Tests within subgroups of voters. The percentage of support for the measure at the Final Ballot Test is shown in the column with the heading o Probably or Definitely Yes. The col- umns to the right show the difference between the Final and the Initial, and the Final and Interim Ballot Tests. Positive differences appear in green, and negative differences appear in red. TABLE 6 DEMOGRAPHIC BREAKDOWN OF SUPPORT AT FINAL BALLOT TEST Approximate % Change From Change From of Voter % Probably or Initial Ballot Interim Ballot Universe Definitely Yes Test (Q5) Test (Q9) Overall 100.0 62.8 -1.0 -4.7 Less than 5 16.1 76.6 -2.7 -4.8 Years in Santa Ana (Q1) 5 to 9 14.1 76.0 -2.2 -4.8 10 to 14 8.0 59.9 -0.7 -1.0 15 or more 61.9 57.6 -0.4 -5.2 Overall Satisfaction (Q4) Satisfied 66.8 71.8 -1.0 -6.2 Dissatisfied 33.2 44.8 -2.8 -1.0 Child in Hsld (Ql 5) Yes 27.8 60.7 -5.5 -6.1 No 72.2 65.0 +0.8 -4.8 Excellent, good 31.1 92.9 -0.1 -1.8 Fiscal Management Rating (Q14) Fair 40.8 64.5 +2.5 -6.6 Poor, very poor 28.1 32.9 -5.3 -0.4 Democrat 54.3 68.6 -1.5 -5.3 Party Republican 22.8 51.3 -2.0 -5.1 Other / DTS 22.9 60.4 +1 .2 -2.9 Single dem 28.7 70.9 -5.8 -7.4 Dual dem 13.4 64.0 +0.3 -1.6 Household Party Type Single rep 12.4 54.4 +0.0 -3.1 Dual rep 3.9 53.5 -2.1 -6.8 Other 15.2 60.8 +2.4 -0.4 Mixed 26.3 60.0 +1.3 -6.3 English 80.4 64.5 +0.5 -4.3 Survey Language Spanish 13.1 51.4 -8.9 -8.2 Vietnamese 6.5 65.4 -2.8 -2.7 18 to 29 23.0 76.6 +2.7 -1.1 30 to 39 20.3 61.8 -4.5 -9.1 Age 40 to 49 13.7 53.2 -3.5 -10.5 50 to 64 20.0 53.3 -1.5 -5.3 65 or older 23.0 63.8 +0.4 -0.4 Since June 2016 38.6 70.7 +1.8 -3.2 Registration Year Before June 2016 61 .4 57.8 -2.7 -5.7 Homeowner on Voter File Yes 49.6 61.9 +1 .4 -4.9 No 50.4 63.7 -3.3 -4.5 Likely to Vote by Mail Yes 75.1 61.7 -0.3 -3.7 No 24.9 66.1 -3.0 -7.6 Likely Jun 2026 Voter Yes 40.0 62.3 +2.9 -1.3 No 60.0 63.1 -3.5 -6.9 Likely Low Turnout Yes 27.2 64.5 +2.9 -3.4 Election Voter No 72.8 62.2 -2.4 -5.2 Excellent, good 50.1 76.1 +1 .6 -3.7 Quality of Life (Q2) Fair 35.7 57.8 -3.5 -7.5 Poor, very poor 14.2 29.2 -3.3 -0.9 Gender Male 50.8 67.9 +2.1 -2.5 Female 49.2 60.0 -3.9 -6.8 City of Santa Ana True North Research, Inc. © 2025 As expected, voters generally responded to the negative arguments with a reduction in their sup- port for the sales tax measure when compared with the levels recorded at the Interim Ballot Test. However, the general trend over the course of the entire survey (Initial to Final Ballot Test) was one of stability, averaging -1 % overall. Support for the proposed sales tax measure at the Final Ballot Test (63%) remained 1 3% above the simple majority (50%+1) required for passage. Whereas Table 6 displays changes in support for the measure over the course of the interview at the subgroup level, Table 7 displays the individual -level changes that occurred between the Ini- tial and Final Ballot tests for the measure. On the left side of the table is shown each of the response options to the Initial Ballot Test and the percentage of respondents in each group. The cells in the body of the table depict movement within each response group (row) based on the information provided throughout the course of the survey as recorded by the Final Ballot Test. For example, in the first row we see that of the 30.9% of respondents who indicated that they would definitely support the measure at the Initial Ballot Test, 23.7% also indicated they would definitely support the measure at the Final Ballot Test. Approximately 5.5% moved to the proba- bly support group, 1.2% moved to the probably oppose group, 0.4% moved to the definitely oppose group, and 0.1 % stated they were now unsure of their vote choice. To ease interpretation of the table, the cells are color coded. Red shaded cells indicate declining support, green shaded cells indicate increasing support, whereas white cells indicate no move- ment. Moreover, within the cells, a white font indicates a fundamental change in the vote: from yes to no, no to yes, or not sure to either yes or no. TABLE 7 MOVEMENT BETWEEN INITIAL & FINAL BALLOT TEST Final Ballot Test (Q1 1 ) Definitely Probably Probably Definitely Initial Ballot Test (Q5) support support oppose oppose Not sure Definitely support 30.9% 23.7% 5.5% '. Probably support 32.9% 6.69/6 21.8% Probably oppose 1 1.0% 7.0% Definitely oppose 1 3.4% 2.1% 10.7% Not sure 1 1 .8% 7.4% As one might expect, the information conveyed in the survey had the greatest impact on individ- uals who either weren't sure about how they would vote at the Initial Ballot Test or were tentative in their vote choice (probably yes or probably no). Moreover, Table 7 makes clear that although the information did impact some voters, it did not do so in a consistent way for all respondents. Some respondents found the information conveyed during the course of the interview to be a reason to become more supportive of the measure, whereas a similar percentage found the same information to be a reason to be less supportive. Despite 14% of respondents making a fundamenta14 shift in their opinion about the measure over the course of the interview, the net impact is that support for the measure at the Final Ballot Test (63%) was just one percentage point different than support at the Initial Ballot Test (64%). 4. This is, they changed from a position of support, opposition, or undecided at the Initial Ballot Test to a dif- ferent position at the Final Ballot Test. City of Santa Ana True North Research, Inc. © 2025 ALTERNATIVE OPTIONS To this point in the survey, voters were asked about a measure that would continue the existing 1.5 cent sales tax until ended by voters. For those who were unsure or opposed to the measure at the Final Ballot Test (Question 1 1), the surveyed followed up with alternative options. SUPPORT WITH ?n YFAR SUNSET Adding a 20 year sunset to the measure had little appreciable impact on support for the proposal, as shown in Figure 15. just 1% of respondents switched to a supportive position with the addition of a sunset, bringing total support for this option to 64%. Question 12 What if the measure extended the sales tax at the current 1.5 cent rate for a set period of 20 years? Under these circumstances, would you vote yes or no on this measure? FIGURE 15 FINAL BALLOT TEST 20 YEAR EXTENSION INFO Prefer not to Not sure answer 6.7 ] 3.1 Definitely 1 7.4 Probably 8.6 Probably yes 1.4 Definitely yes 0.0 efinitelyyes @ 1 .5 cents 62.8 Respondents who were unwilling to support the proposal at Question 12 were subsequently asked whether they would support the measure if it reduced the sales tax rate from 1.5 cent to 1.25 cents until ended by voters (see Figure 16). An additional 8% of respondents switched to a supportive position if the measure involved a rate reduction, bringing total support for this option to 72%. City of Santa Ana True North Research, Inc. © 2025 Question 13 What if the measure reduced the sales tax from the current 1.5 cent rate to 1.25 cents until ended by voters? Under these circumstances, would you vote yes or no on this mea- sure? FIGURE 16 FINAL BALLOT TEST SALES TAX REDUCTION INFO Prefer not to Not sure answer 6.3 ] 3.3 Definite 1 0.: Probably 8.1 Probably 5.1 Definitely yes 2.7 Definitely yes @ 1 .5 cents for 20 yrs 1.4 )efi nitely yes @ 1 .5 cents 62.8 City of Santa Ana True North Research, Inc. © 2025 B A C K G R O U N D & D E M O G R A P H I C S TABLE 8 DEMOGRAPHICS OF SAMPLE Total Respondents 623 Years in Santa Ana (Ql ) Less than 5 15.8 5 to 9 13.9 10to 14 7.9 15 or more 61.0 Prefer not to answer 1.5 Child in Hsld (Ql 5) Yes 26.0 No 67.6 Prefer not to answer 6.4 Gender Male 48.3 Female 46.9 Non -binary 0.5 Prefer not to answer 4.3 Party Democrat 54.3 Republican 22.8 Other / DTS 22.9 Age 18 to 29 23.0 30 to 39 20.3 40 to 49 13.7 50 to 64 20.0 65 or older 23.0 Registration Year Since June 2016 38.6 Before June 2016 61.4 Household Party Type Single dem 28.7 Dual dem 13.4 Single rep 12.4 Dual rep 3.9 Other 15.2 Mixed 26.3 Homeowner on Voter File Yes 49.6 No 50.4 Likely to Vote by Mail Yes 75.1 No 24.9 Likely Jun 2026 Voter Yes 40.0 No 60.0 Likely Low Turnout Election Voter Yes 27.2 No 72.8 Survey Language English 80.4 Spanish 13.1 In addition to questions directly related to the proposed measure, the study collected basic demographic informa- tion about respondents and their households. Some of this information was gathered during the interview, although much of it was collected from the voter file. The profile of the likely November 2026 voter sample represented in this report is shown in Table 8. City of Santa Ana True North Research, Inc. © 2025 M E T H O D O L O G Y The following sections outline the methodology used in the study, as well as the motivation for using certain techniques. 0I11:STIONNAIRE DEVELOPMENT Dr. McLarney of True North Research worked closely with the City of Santa Ana to develop a questionnaire that covered the topics of interest and avoided possible sources of systematic measurement error, including position -order effects, wording effects, response -category effects, scaling effects, and priming. Several questions included multiple individual items. Because asking the items in a set order can lead to a system- atic position bias in responses, items were asked in random order for each respondent. Some questions asked in this study were presented only to a subset of respondents. For exam- ple, only individuals who did not support the sales tax measure (or were unsure) at the Initial Bal- lot Test (Question 5) were asked Question 6 regarding their reasons for not supporting the measure. In some cases, two versions of a project or argument were tested to identify how word- ing or framing differences impact perception of the item. In such cases, half of the sample received the item with version 1 wording (e.g., Question 8, item C1) and the other half received version 2 (e.g., Question 8, item C2). The questionnaire included with this report (see Question- naire & Toplines on page 31) identifies the skip instructions that were used during the interview to ensure that each respondent received the appropriate questions. IrKU(,K/AiviiVIINC,, F'KL- I LS I & I KANSLA I IUN Prior to fielding the survey, the ques- tionnaire was CATI (Computer Assisted Telephone Interviewing) programmed to assist interview- ers when conducting telephone interviews. The CATI program automatically navigates skip patterns, randomizes the appropriate question items, and alerts the interviewer to keypunching mistakes should they occur. The survey was also programmed into a passcode-protected online survey application to allow online participation for sampled voters. The integrity of the question- naire was pre -tested internally by True North and by dialing into voter households in the City prior to formally beginning the survey. Once finalized, the questionnaire was professionally translated into Spanish and Vietnamese to allow for data collection in three languages. SAMPLE The survey was administered to a stratified and clustered random sample of regis- tered voters in the City who are likely to participate in the November 2026 general election, with a subset who are also likely to participate in the lower -turnout June 2026 primary. Consistent with the profile of this universe, the sample was stratified into clusters, each representing a com- bination of age, gender, and household party type. Individuals were then randomly selected based on their profile into an appropriate cluster. This method ensures that if a person of a par- ticular profile refuses to participate, they are replaced by an individual who shares their same profile. PT A -1-1 - A - - - - "`-'"' "r- r- -- -- By using the probability -based sampling design noted above, True North ensured that the final sample was representative of voters in the city who are likely to participate in the November 2026 general election. The results of the survey can thus be used to estimate the opinions of all voters likely to participate in said election. Because not all voters participated in the study, however, the results have what is known as a sta- tistical margin of error due to sampling. The margin of error refers to the difference between City of Santa Ana True North Research, Inc. © 2025 i i what was found in the survey of voters for a particular question and what would have been found if all of the estimated 78,658 likely November 2026 voters identified in the city had been sur- veyed for the study. Figure 17 provides a graphic plot of the maximum margin of error in this study. The maximum margin of error for a dichotomous percentage result occurs when the answers are evenly split such that 50% provide one response and 50% provide the alternative response. For this survey, the maximum margin of error is ± 3.9% at the 95% confidence level. FIGURE 17 MAXIMUM MARGIN OF ERROR DUE TO SAMPLING 14% 12% 0 w 8% 0 c 6% ro 4% 2% 0% 0 100 200 300 400 500 600 700 800 900 1000 1100 1200 1300 1400 1500 1600 Sample Size (Number of Respondents) Within this report, figures and tables show how responses to certain questions varied by sub- groups such as age, gender, and partisan affiliation. Figure 17 is thus useful for understanding how the maximum margin of error for a percentage estimate will grow as the number of individ- uals asked a question (or in a particular subgroup) shrinks. Because the margin of error grows exponentially as the sample size decreases, the reader should use caution when generalizing and interpreting the results for small subgroups. RFC'RIIITINC. % nATA r01 I FC'TION The survey followed a mixed -method design that employed multiple recruiting methods (telephone, text, and email) and multiple data collection methods (telephone and online). Telephone interviews averaged 17 minutes in length and were conducted during weekday evenings (5:30PM to 9PM) and on weekends (1 OAM to 5PM). It is stan- dard practice not to call during the day on weekdays because most working adults are unavail- able and thus calling during those hours would likely bias the sample. Voters recruited via email and text were assigned a unique passcode to ensure that only voters who received an invitation could access the online survey site, and that each voter could com- V Q 0 i;�;d City of Santa Ana True North Research, Inc. © 2025 i i plete the survey only one time. A total of 623 surveys were completed between December 10 and December 16, 2025. LjATA PROCESSING Data processing consisted of checking the data for errors or inconsis- tencies, coding and recoding responses, weighting, and preparing frequency analyses and cross - tabulations. oni ip-iriimr- Numbers that end in 0.5 or higher are rounded up to the nearest whole num- ber, whereas numbers that end in 0.4 or lower are rounded down to the nearest whole number. These same rounding rules are also applied, when needed, to arrive at numbers that include a decimal place in constructing figures and tables. Occasionally, these rounding rules lead to small discrepancies in the first decimal place when comparing tables and charts for a given question. City of Santa Ana True North Research, Inc. © 2025 Q U E S T I ON N A I RE & T O P L I N E S )T UENORTH City of Santa Ana Baseline Sales Tax Feasibility Survey Final Toplines (n=623) December 2025 Hi, may I please speak to ------ My name is _____, and I'm calling from TNR on behalf of the City of Santa Ana. We're conducting a confidential survey of voters about important issues in the city and I'd like to get your opinions. If needed: This is a survey about important issues in your community. I'm NOT trying to sell anything and I won't ask for a donation. If needed: The survey should take about 12 minutes to complete. If needed: If now is not a convenient time, can you let me know a better time so I can call back? If the person asks why you need to speak to the listed person or if they ask to participate instead, explain: For statistical purposes, at this time the survey must only be completed by this particular individual. Section 2: Quality of Life & City Services I'd like to begin by asking you a few questions about what it is like to live in Santa Ana. Ql How long have you lived in Santa Ana? 1 Less than 1 year 3% 2 1 to 4 years 13% 3 5 to 9 years 14% 4 10 to 14 years 8% 5 15 years or longer 61 % 99 Prefer not to answer 1 % Q2 How would you rate the overall quality of life in Santa Ana? Would you say it is excellent, good, fair, poor or very poor? 1 Excellent 6% 2 Good 44% 3 Fair 35% 4 Poor 9% 5 Very poor 5% 98 Not sure 0% 99 Prefer not to answer 1 % True North Research, Inc. © 2025 City of Santa Ana Page 1 True North Research, Inc. © 2025 City of Santa Ana Baseline Sales Tax Extension Survey December 2025 Q3 Q3 If the city government could change one thing to make Santa Ana a better place to live now and in the future, what change would you like to see? Verbatim responses recorded and later grouped into categories shown below. Address homeless issues 26% Improve public safety 1 5% Improve infrastructure, roads 11% Not sure /Cannot think of anything specific 10% Clean up, beautify City 9% Address parking issues 8% Reduce traffic congestion 5% Provide more affordable housing 5% Enforce traffic laws 4% Improve parks, rec facilities 4% Improve schools, education 3% Reduce taxes, fees 3% Provide more police presence, response 3% Improve public transportation 3% Limit growth, development 3% Reduce cost of living 3% Address ICE issues 3% Enforce city codes 2% Address illegal immigration issues 2% Address rent control issue 2% Fix, upgrade rundown buildings 2% Ban illegal fireworks 2% Fewer bike lanes 2% No changes needed /Everything is fine 2% Q4 Generally speaking, are you satisfied or dissatisfied with the job the City of Santa Ana is doing to provide city services? Get answer, then ask: Would that be ve City of Santa Ana True North Research, Inc. ©2025 City of Santa Ana True North Research, Inc. © 2025 City of Santa Ana Baseline Sales Tax Extension Survey December 2025 Section 4: Projects & Services The measure we've been discussing will provide funding for a variety of services in your community. Q7 If the measure passes, would you favor or oppose using some of the money to: _____, or do you not have an opinion? Get answer, if favor or oppose, then ask: Would that be strongly (favor/oppose) or somewhat (favor/op ose)? Randomize o £ a o`v �n E� N O O 2 a v, O o Z b d o A Provide fire protection and paramedic 65% 22% 3% 3% 5% 3% services B Provide quick responses to 9-1-1 emergencies 67% 23% 2% 3% 3% 2% C Provide law enforcement services, including 51% 21% 8% 9% 7% 5% crime prevention and investigations D Fix potholes and pave/maintain city streets 68% 22% 2% 4% 1 % 2% Repair aging infrastructure including storm E drains, bridges, sidewalks, and public 63% 26% 4% 3% 2% 2% facilities F Keep parks and playgrounds safe, clean, and 69% 21% 2% 3% 3% 1 % well -maintained c; Provide recreation, education, and 54% 26% 6% 7% 5% 2% employment programs for youth and seniors H Provide libra What I'd like to do now is tell you what some people are saying about the measure we've been discussing. Q8 Supporters of the measure say: ------ Do you think this is a very convincing, somewhat convincing, or not at all convincing reason to SUPPORT the measure? Randomize. Split Sample Cl/C2 T O N w O N o Z a Z a� a This measure will not increase the sales tax your household currently pays. It simply A extends the sales tax approved by voters in 36% 33% 12% 10% 6% 3% 2018 at the current rate to continue funding important city services. City of Santa Ana True North Research, Inc. ©2025 City of Santa Ana Baseline Sales Tax Extension Survey December 2025 The measure includes a clear system of B accountability including citizen oversight, 36% 31% 11% 15% 5% 3% independent audits, and public disclosure of how all funds are spent. All money raised by the measure will stay C1 local to fund essential services and facilities 39% 32% 9% 12% 5% 3% here in Santa Ana. By law, it can't be taken away b the State or County. All money raised by the measure will stay local to fund essential services and facilities C2 here in Santa Ana. By law, it can't be taken 38% 38% 8% 9% 6% 1 away by the Federal Government, State or County. This measure will help protect our quality of p life and keep Santa Ana a special place to live 34% 33% 12% 14% 4% 2% by keeping our city safe, clean and well - maintained. Most of the sales tax generated locally goes to the State of California and Orange County. E This measure ensures that a higher 35/ 34% 11% 13% 4% 3% percentage of our sales tax dollars stay here in Santa Ana and we have local control over how those funds are spent. The City maintains 454 miles of streets, 90 miles of storm drains, and 371 acres of parks F and playfields. This measure provides the 35% 37% 11% 10% 5% 3% funding we need to keep our streets, infrastructure, and arks in good condition. Fast emergency response times for 9-1-1 calls are critical for saving lives. This measure G ensures that we have enough law 41 % 31 % 11% 10% 5% 3% enforcement officers, firefighters, and paramedics to respond quickly to 9-1-1 emergencies. Much of the money raised by the sales tax comes from people who visitor pass through H Santa Ana, but don't live here. This measure 26% 33% 18% 1 5% 6% 2% will make sure they pay their fair share for the facilities and services they use while in our city. Over the past six years, the City has reinvested every dime of the sales tax revenues back into the community to fix our I streets and infrastructure, improve public 34% 35% 10% 1 5% 4% 2% safety, remove graffiti, and pay for essential city services. Voting 'yes' on this measure will allow this important source of funding to continue. City of Santa Ana True North Research, Inc. ©2025 City of Santa Ana Baseline Sales Tax Extension Survey December 2025Section 7: Negative Arguments Section 6: Interim Ballot Test Sometimes people change their mind about a measure once they have more information about it. Now that you have heard a bit more about the measure, let me read you a summary of it again. To maintain funding for city services, such as: • Fire protection, paramedic, and 9-1-1 emergency response • Crime prevention • Graffiti removal • Addressing homelessness • And keeping streets, sidewalks, parks and public facilities safe, clean, and well- Q9 maintained shall City of Santa Ana's ordinance renewing the existing 1.5 (one point five) cent sales tax be adopted at the current rate (no increase), providing approximately 84 million dollars annually for city services until ended by voters, with independent audits, citizen oversight, and all money locally controlled? If the election were held today, would you vote yes or no on this measure? Get answer, then ask: Would that be definite) (es/no) or robabl (es/no)? 1 Definitely yes 37% 2 Probably yes 30% 3 Probably no 10% 4 Definitely no 12% 98 Not sure 8% 99 Prefer not to answer 2% Next, let me tell you what opponents of the measure are saying. Q10 Opponents of the measure say: ------ Do you think this is a very convincing, somewhat convincing, or not at all convincing reason to OPPOSE the measure? rn = rn s c _ rn roc a v o `w Randomize. Split Sample Al/A2 > v �" a " O N o Z a 0-0Z a� a Residents and local businesses have been hit Al hard by inflation, high interest rates, and cost 50% 24% 10% 6% 7% 2% of living increases. Many are struggling to stay afloat. Now is not the time to raise taxes. Santa Ana is an expensive place to live, A2 especially for young families, seniors, and 25% 38% 16% 10% 7% 3% those on fixed incomes. Passing this tax will make it even less affordable. City of Santa Ana True North Research, Inc. ©2025 City of Santa Ana Baseline Sales Tax Extension Survey December 2025 There are no guarantees on how funds will be spent, which means the City can divert the B money to pet projects without any say from 30% 37% 14% 9% 8% 2% voters. We can't trust the City with our tax dollars. The will mismanage the money. Everyone is coming after us for tax increases - including state and county taxes, school C bonds, and other taxes that will be on the 35% 33% 1 5% 9% 6% 3% ballot next year. Enough is enough. We can't afford to keep raisin our taxes. City employees are making too much money D in sala Now that you have heard a bit more about the measure, let me read you a summary of it one more time: To maintain funding for city ser• vices, such as: • Fire protection, paramedic, and 9-1-1 emergency response • Crime prevention • Graffiti removal • Addressing homelessness And keeping streets, sidewalks, parks and public facilities safe, clean, and well- Qll maintained shall City of Santa Ana's ordinance renewing the existing 1 .5 (one point five) cent sales tax be adopted at the current rate (no increase), providing approximately 84 million dollars annually for city services until ended by voters, with independent audits, citizen oversight, and all money locally controlled? If the election were held today, would you vote yes or no on this measure? Get answer, then ask: Would that be definite) (es/no) or robabl (es/no)? 1 Definitely yes 32% Skip to Q14 2 Probably yes 31 % Skip to Q 14 3 Probably no 14% Ask Q12 4 Definitely no 12% Ask Q12 98 Not sure 8% Ask Q12 99 Prefer not to answer 3% Skip to Q14 City of Santa Ana True North Research, Inc. ©2025 City of Santa Ana Baseline Sales Tax Extension Survey December 2025 What if the measure extended the sales tax at the current 1.5 Q12 (one point five) cent rate for a set period of 20 years? Under these circumstances, would you vote yes or no on this measure? Get answer, then ask: Would that be definite) (es/no) or probably (es/no)? Def, prob yes @ 1.5 cents 63% 1 Definitely yes 0% Skip to Q14 2 Probably yes 1 % Skip to Q14 3 Probably no 9% Ask Q13 4 Definitely no 1 7% Ask Q13 98 Not sure 7% Ask Q13 99 Prefer not to answer 3% Skip to Q14 Q13 What if the measure reduced the sales tax from the current 1.5 (one point five) cent rate to 1.25 (one point two five) cents until ended by voters? Under these circumstances, would you vote yes or no on this measure? Get answer, then ask: Would that be definite) (es/no) or probably (es/no)? Def, prob yes @ 1.5 cents 63% Def, prob yes @ 1.5 cents for 20 years 1 1 Definitely yes 3% 2 Probably yes 5% 3 Probably no 8% 4 Definitely no 10% 98 Not sure 6% 99 Prefer not to answer 3% Thank you so much for your participation. I have just two background questions for statistical purposes. Q14 In your opinion, has the City of Santa Ana done an excellent, good, fair, poor or very poor job of managing its financial resources? 1 Excellent 4% 2 Good 22% 3 Fair 35% 4 Poor 12% 5 Very poor 12% 98 Not sure 11% 99 Prefer not to answer 3% City of Santa Ana True North Research, Inc. ©2025 City of Santa Ana Baseline Sales Tax Extension Survey December 2025Post-Interview & Sample Items Ql 5 Do you have children under the age of 18 living in your household? 1 Yes 26% 2 No 68% 99 Prefer not to answer 6% Those are all of the questions that I have for you. Thanks so much for participating in this important survey. S1 Gender 1 Male 48% 2 Female 47% 3 Non-bina City of Santa Ana True North Research, Inc. ©2025 Santa Ana Baseline Sales Tax Extension December 2025 S5 Household Party Type M j 1 Single Dem 29% 2 Dual Dem 13% 3 Single Rep 12% 4 Dual Rep 4% 5 Single Other 12% 6 Dual Other 3% 7 Dem & Rep 7% 8 Dem & Other 14% 9 Rep & Other 3% S6 0 Homeowner 1 Mixed (Dem + Rep + Other) on Voter File Yes 2% 50% 2 No 50% S7 Likely to Vote by Mail 1 Yes 75% 2 No 25% S8 Likely November 2026 Voter 1 Yes 100% 2 No 0% S9 Likely June 2026 Voter 1 Yes 40% 2 No 60% S10 Likely Low Turnout Election Voter 1 Yes 27% 2 No 73% True North Research, Inc. O 2025 Page 10 City of Santa Ana True North Research, Inc. © 2025 Santa Ana Baseline Sales Tax Extension December 2025 S1 1 Survey Language 1 English 80% 2 Spanish 13% 3 Vietnamese 6% True North Research, Inc. O 2025 Page 11 City of Santa Ana True North Research, Inc. © 2025 I w WWA: a A: 4 r-� Table of Contents Overview 1 City Manager's Office 2 City Clerk's Office 4 Community Development 8 Finance 17 Human Resources 20 Information Technology 22 Library 24 Planning and Building 28 Police Department 38 Parks, Recreation, & Community Services 41 Public Works 45 Overview In November 2018, the City's voters approved a 1.5% local sales tax that became effective on April 1, 2019. The tax has raised more than $500 million of revenue for the City over 6.5 years (an average of nearly $80 million per year). As outlined in the 2018 ballot measure, the City has used this revenue to address homelessness, fix streets, maintain effective 911 response, maintain parks, retain firefighters, and provide youth services. The City has implemented and improved many other public services to improve the quality of life in Santa Ana, such as graffiti removal and tree trimming on public property. Each year, the City prepares a full accounting of every dollar spent and posts it on the City's website at: https://www.santa-ana.org/measure-x-oversight- committee/. The report is reviewed by the Measure X Citizens' Oversight Committee and the City's independent auditor, which is a firm of Certified Public Accountants. The City also prepares an annual spending plan detailed in the budget document adopted by City Council. As promised to the community, the City holds itself accountable for responsible spending of the voter -approved local sales tax. The following pages outline success stories funded by the Santa Ana local sales tax. Measure X Success 1 City Manager's Office Measure X Success City Manager's Office The local sales tax provides a recurring allocation for: • The Universal Legal Defense fund for immigration issues, helping a number of families in the community. • The revenue also funds a Vietnamese Community Liaison which has been pivotal to improve communications and strengthen City Hall relationships with the Vietnamese community, leading to an annual business exposition and robust participation in annual lunar new year celebrations. • Finally, the revenue has paid for contracted City Council aides who assist each Councilmember with policy research and community engagement. Measure X Success 3 eity Clerk's Office Measure X Success City Clerk's Office The City Clerk's Office has expanded its capacity and improved service delivery through additional staffing and funding. Since the adoption of Measure X (effective April 1, 2019), the City Clerk's Office has benefitted from increased staffing capacity — including the addition of two new positions overall, one of which (Senior Deputy City Clerk / Records Manager) was specifically funded through the FY 22-23 Measure X Service Enhancements budget. The increased staffing has directly enhanced our ability to deliver more projects, respond to community needs, and improve overall efficiency in key areas. Specifically, with the increased staffing levels, we have been able to: • Improve response times: By increasing staffing, we have reduced processing times for requests and services, enabling faster turnaround and more efficient service to the public. • Increase capacity for compliance and monitoring: With the additional staff, we have ensured more consistent oversight of regulatory requirements, further enhancing the city's ability to meet its legal obligations and avoid penalties. (Conflict of Interest Statements/Form 700, Lobbyist Registration and Reporting, Public Records Requests) • Expand outreach and engagement: We have improved our public communication efforts by providing better access to city records and meeting agendas and by supporting public transparency initiatives. The increased staff capacity has enabled more community outreach (including attendance and tabling at citywide community events) and educational efforts on city governance and the election process. • Improve recordkeeping and archiving: The additional resources have facilitated better organization and storage of public records, contracts, and minutes, improving compliance with state regulations and ensuring easier access for the public and staff • Improve public records access and compliance: With the addition of a Senior Deputy City Clerk (Records Manager), we implemented a dedicated records management and archiving system. As a result, we launched NextRequest, a modern online Public Records Act (PRA) portal, which has streamlined how the public submits and tracks records requests. Since NextRequest went live, we have seen an increase in PRA requests submitted online. This improvement enhances compliance with the CPRA (Gov. Code §§ 7920 et seq.) and demonstrates better service delivery. New Lobbyist Registration — The addition of a dedicated staff member allowed us to implement a formal Lobbyist Program, including online registration and report disclosures via a portal (e.g., using NetFile). This has improved transparency around lobbying activity, in compliance with lobbying - disclosure requirements under the Political Reform Act and the Santa Ana Municipal Code. Since inception, we have registered five (5) active lobbyists, and allowed public tracking of who is influencing City decisions. This adds an important layer of accountability. Notary Services & Intake of Claims, Subpoenas, Summons — With increased staffing, the City Clerk's office now offers notary services internally for official documents and externally as a publicly available service for city residents. The office maintains the capacity to accept legal documents (claims, subpoenas, summons) on behalf of the City. This reduces the risk of missed legal filings and ensures the timely handling of liability -related documents, aligning with requirements under the Government Claims Act (Gov. Code §§810 et seq.) and general legal -administrative needs. Measure X Success 5 City Clerk's Office From FY18-19 to FY24-25, the number of Public Records Act requests processed increased by 1,397 requests, a % increase. The per -year breakdown is below: 500 000 500 oao Soo 000 Soo 0 Public Records Request per Fiscal Years 2018.2019 2019.202C 2020-2021 2021-2022 2022.2023 2023-2024 2024-2025 Measure X Success 6 City Clerk's Office The following Resolution and Ordinance data is provided for general information. The need for resolutions and ordinances comes from the type of Council action required by the individual agencies/departments of the City. 140 120 100 so 60 40 20 h 30 25 20 15 10 5 0 Resolutions 2019-2020 2020-2021 2021-2022 2022-2023 2023-2024 2024-2025 2025-2026 Ordinances 2019-2020 2020-2021 2021-2022 2022-2023 2023-2024 2024-2025 2025-2026 Measure X Success 7 Community Development Measure X Success Community Development Measure X has been instrumental in enhancing the Community Development Agency's (CDA) ability to deliver programs that improve residents' quality of life. While CDA's services are not required by law to be provided, the programs and activities of CDA are important for residents who need assistance with housing services, employment services, business services, and to help with arts and cultural enhancement within the community. These programs and activities provide for the healthy development of the community. Homeless Services Division Carnegie Navigation Center - City Shelter Measure X provides important funding ($75,000) for homeless services that supplement the funding received from the Department of Housing and Community Development from the State of California. These Measure X funds are used by CDA to address one-time expenses at Carnegie or for other homeless services during the year. Staff Funding Measure X is also utilized to support the salary of two (2) positions in the Homeless Services Division, the full-time Homeless Services Manager position (currently vacant), and the part-time Homeless Services Manager position. Both of these positions are funded through Measure X revenue, and are important for overseeing the grants received by the Department of Housing and Community Development from the State of California - the Homeless Housing, Assistance and Prevention Grant Program and the Permanent Local Housing Allocation Grant Program. These Homeless Services Manager positions assist the City in monitoring these funds that are utilized to contract with City Net for outreach and engagement services with homeless encountered in the City; and to contract with Illumination Health and Home to operate and provide for the daily needs of residents at the Carnegie Navigation Center. In addition to overseeing these services the part-time Homeless Services Manager provides significant coordination with the Santa Ana Police Department Quality of Life Team, the encampment contractor Landscape West and to connect unhoused individuals with resources provided by the County of Orange, non -profits and community - based organizations serving homeless residents. Measure X Success 9 Community Development Economic Development Division Economic Development Staffing. Measure X provides funding for one (1) full-time Economic Development Specialist I position. This staff member has assisted with outreach to the business community, worked extensively on the Division's Strategic Plan, and responds to phone calls on the business hotline. In addition to this staff assistance, the following provides information on programs that have been successfully implemented in other workgroups of the Economic Development Division: WORK Center - Santa Ana Youth (SAY) Employment Program WORK Center staff applied for and received Youth Service Corps Competitive Grant funding in September 2024 of $2 Million through the Governor's Initiative - California Volunteers. This grant funding is supplemented with $550,000 from Cannabis Revenue and over $170,000 from Measure X funds. The Measure X funds are important to enhance the SAY program that supports paid youth employment in areas such as education, food insecurity, climate, and public service. Measure X has allowed Santa Ana youth to obtain job -readiness training. Through SAY, 354 youth were able to participate in the 200 hours, $20 per hour, part-time program. Most importantly 64 youth were able to secure longer -term employment following their completion of the SAY Program. The WORK Center's SAY Program offers flexible, paid work experience to youth that is designed to accommodate school schedules. Measure X Success 10 Community Development Arts and Culture Office of the Economic Development Division Graffiti Arts Program Measure X funding allowed the Arts and Culture Office of the Economic Development Division work on a mural program with youth called the Graffiti Arts Program. The G.A.P. program is aimed at inspiring civic leadership and community pride in youth through the creation of murals. The program is a 6-month program where students work alongside professional mural artists to learn different art techniques, research, design, and installation of public murals. The Santa Ana Unified School District was selected as the top -rated proposal and the first G.A.P. project culminated with the installation of a mural on the top floor of the City -owned parking structure located on 420 N. Main Street. DTSA Artwalk Sponsorship Measure X funding has provided funding for a Sponsorship agreement of $150,000 for the Frida Cinema that independently organizes a monthly artwalk program. The Downtown Santa Ana (DTSA) First Saturday Art Walk is a free, family -friendly monthly event that celebrates local artists and creative culture in the heart of DTSA, which has become an important economic and cultural impact for the City. • Organized independently by The Frida Cinema since January 2023, the event features over 20 art galleries, live performances, local food vendors, and interactive art experiences. • The ArtWalk has become a key driver of downtown vitality —stimulating foot traffic, supporting small businesses, and fostering community engagement. Measure X Success 11 Community Development Since its inception, $56,000 has been paid directly to 186 local artists and musicians, demonstrating a strong local economic impact. According to the 2023 Santa Ana Visitor Analysis by Travel Santa Ana and Zartico, the ArtWalk ranked as the second most -visited destination in the City, only behind Santa Ana College. The DTSA ArtWalk now outpaces major attractions such as the Santa Ana Zoo and MainPlace Mall. The DTSA ArtWalk has helped: • Strengthen Santa Ana's cultural identity, • Activate historic buildings and public spaces, • Support new gallery openings, and • Reinforce the City's arts ecosystem in the downtown core. 2nd-Highest Place Visited in Santa Ana According to the 2023 Santa Ana Visitor Analysis conducted by Travel Santa Ana and tourismidestination research company Zartico, DTSA First Saturday ArtWalk ranked as the second - highest visited destination in Santa Ana in 2023, behind only Santa Ana College, and ahead of such notable locations as Santa Ana Zoo and Mainpiace Mall. - - ZARTICQ it" Ik 'z Measure X Success 12 Community Development Artists Grant Funding - Investing in the Artist Grant Program Measure X is also vital for funding artists grants annually with $200,000 funded for Fiscal Year 2025-26 for the Investing in the Artist Grant Program. The City of Santa Ana supports creative projects that explore the dynamic relationship between arts & culture and economics. This encourages local artists to engage with the city's economic and cultural fabric through participatory and interactive works, inviting the community to actively reflect on and contribute to the conversation, specifically how the arts and creative industries impact the city's eco-nomic landscape, cultural identity, and community well-being. enwxTuitiiisirirauia RT n AM.RTMI %M u.. ME D pals I)MckrlalrmBig a10[glknib&a ...... Calk Luahr Nara ,vr i.:r.z .ai:r•-tip: 2)FiniEpp lidiERui&OCuahrMara �ic+Vts�rua aEdhauWE FraEdBhwk Mrmlc ':HENErlEsed MNOYtMr! irPE 1iEH1j�Htl lhi Alfiiil! I:~ r 4 AiI-d6iEll =iiidELismTdsiP sFliiS]F.i]u'i Raimp a pruee.iteEpEHuwtTaiio. #p,.& r mow& AW ■-E.—.,_ arrE emu, VOTEDT. REST ARTWALK IN BRA NGECc�uNTY+* laWEEKLY Daily Pilot V010E,,i'3C REGISTER Tripadvisor Measure X Success 13 Community Development The Arts and Culture Office invites submissions from artists working in various mediums such as: visual arts, performance, music, creative writing, and digital media. Artists can explore the intersection of arts & culture and economics by designing projects that involve direct participation from residents and businesses in Santa Ana. In Fiscal Year 2024-25, 21 different groups received artists grants between $3,000 and $14,000 that provided various artistic programs for the community. The following provides a sample of the 21 programs implemented by groups that were successful in receiving the grants awarded by the Arts and Culture Commission: Dance Music Initiative • 600+ student engagements • 100+ unique students • 8 instructors (+2 new volunteers during program) • 4 graduates • 15+ student/graduate DJ bookings Delhi Center - Art and Literacy Program • Collaboration with Monroe Elementary • 21 students from 4th and 5th grades • literacy lessons with engaging art -based activities • Partnering with Artsy 101 for non -school day camps Measure X Success 14 Community Development Getting Residents Engaged in Empowering Neighborhoods - Madison Park Neighborhood Association - GREEN-MPNA mural workshop that promotes: • Youth Educational Initiatives • Health Equity • Safe & Clean Environment • Community Empowerment Project Kinship - PK Photo Project • Host a Photo Exhibition • Youth's Printed Photographs • Renowned Artist provide instruction • Kevin Gonzalez • Quinn Stirdivant • Estevan Oriol c, Ryan Hack o Manny Camacho MURAL WOO SHoR JUNE LB, 2025 At ., F Jon ti& vio" cp on Wedrmdey, Jane lath from 20O PM - &WPM to 6c pan d ft morel p10op5—d*Wg + and Bet Yam. Ow He 53,,61$.YW lu—C.-d Uke home Y--all' k LWAb- rMe Tres aria weet with Pcmona St Relampago Del Cielo - 50th Anniversary Cultural Festival and Dance Concert • Host a free family community event • Free full-length Dance Concert Measure X Success 15 Community Development BUILDING A STRONGER FOUNDATION • Economic Development Division launched an internal Sttaiegic Plan with the intent to stroamline business processes and enhance business friendly services t [ja v.Three Economic Development Specialists joined the team to effectively and .- efficiently respond to kncr"seo qusiness needs and deliver hkrh irnpac i prograrr' - '� * CAIE0 awarded and rocoErrxed Santa Ana's Economic Development Team Measure Our Mission $ 95,636 To conIin umnly enhance the cil"ity of life by collecttvey coll"Iing economic and eidetic wealllt in SlrttaAm Our Vision To he a w odd -class destinatton at the heart of Grange Canty - where cmatrvity and inrw�vation flourish, entreprenetrial drearrv. take root, bt minesse3 Rive, and we prosper toVethw- 30C+ 250t 100% Business v�. a siness Hotline Bu3ixss Workshop Assiitod Q�!' Calls i Sxti$fatrion SAY Employment Measure Santa Ana Youth Employment $1i0'2i0 Investing in our Youth I Empowering Local Businesses $551,240 2 million 354 64 65 + 165 SAY Emptorm*nt CA Forward Program Youth Participants Ucurrrd EmploMent Workskes knowing funding Positions Bridging the G.A.P. Graffiti Arts Program A partnership with SAU50 that launched of v*-part workshop series engaging students from two high schools with at promise student artists Q-a SUf@ to comptetea mural arts training and protessionat development program $ 25,000 Ex•mptifsos how pubti€ art can inspire, educate, and empower the next generation of artists and community Leaders Arts and Culture Santa Ants rich arts R culture is supported and and promoted as a dynarnic creative economy, poritioningthe city asa pmmierdestinlition. $150,000 21 Completed DTSA Artwatk Artist Grants Sahuayo Sister City Mural Spon sorship $50 sq. ft mural Measure $ 93,242AM �rYT �wr caldomia For Ail Gayeatoes lniti tiW surml cote$ -Jk i Measure X Success 16 Finance Measure X Success 17 Finance With the support from Measure X funds, the Finance department was able to hire additional staffing to support the Payroll division: Payroll Technician • This position directly supports essential payroll functions, improves operational efficiency, and lessens City liability by: o Processing 22% of Citywide retroactive payments to employees, significantly speeding up the processing time and ensuring employees received accurate and timely pay. This work directly decreased potential City liability related to delayed or incorrect payments. o Supported the completion of multiple Mass Salary Increases (MSI), helping reduce the time required to review reports, TUG (Temporary Upgrade) calculations, and payroll entries from a full day to half a day. This has enhanced workflow efficiency across payroll operations. • Assisted with cross -training new staff to ensure smooth operations and strengthen team capacity during staffing changes and workload fluctuations. • Streamlined garnishment processing by updating and developing new Excel tools, leading to faster and more accurate mandated deductions. o Updated outdated payroll flyers, ensuring that employees now have access to accurate, user-friendly, and current payroll information. o Improved the employee without pay process by enhancing the Excel calculator used to determine payments automatically. This change reduced manual calculations, minimized errors, and increased processing consistency. Measure X has allowed the City to contract with multiple consulting firms to increase revenue by the following: • A Users Utility Tax: auditing company reviews electric, gas, and telecommunications accounts to ensure accurate reporting and recovery of owed revenues. A recent audit of SoCal Edison identified miscalculations in issued Climate Credits, resulting in a $70,000 recovery in Q2 2025. • A property tax consulting firm: to assist with property tax forecasting, ensuring the City's property tax estimates align with receipts. Since property tax is the second -highest revenue source for the City, accurate forecasting is essential. In FY2024-25, property tax receipts were within 0.6 % of the original estimates. • A sales tax consulting firm: to assist with multi -year sales tax forecasting, ensuring the City's sales tax revenue estimates align with receipts. Sales Tax (both Bradley Burns and Measure X) accounts for the City's largest revenue source. In FY2024-25, sales tax receipts were within 0.5% of the original estimates. • These additional revenues and forecasting services help the City offset the cost of providing services to the community and ensure the budget accurately reflects available resources. Measure X Success 18 Finance Infosend is the City's contracted mailer for large-scale public communication. support from Measure X funds, Finance utilized the Infosend contract to help offset the cost of providing City services by supporting revenue generation efforts. The following is a highlight: • In collaboration with the Sewer & Water Enterprise, the City initiated a consistent outreach approach to approximately 45,000 water customers and 33,000 business operators. In 2024, the City updated its Municipal Code to comply with the Water Shutoff Protection Act, which significantly increased the number of required notifications sent to residential water customers. Although these expanded notifications raised mailing costs, they also helped settle long-standing overdue balances, resulting in higher Water and Sewer revenue. • The contract with Infosend allowed the City to participate in the Franchise Tax Board's City/County Business Tax Program, which significantly increased the volume of business license renewal notices and billing statements mailed through InfoSend. This resulted in the City surpassing Business License Tax revenue projections. In FY2024-25, Business License Tax revenue exceeded estimates by approximately $1.5 million. Since the inception of Measure X in 2019, the City has used Measure X revenues to cover ongoing cost increases, including an estimated 4.5% annual increase for fire services provided by the Orange County Fire Authority (OCFA) and an average 4.6% annual increase in Falck emergency medical transportation services. In FY 2024-25, the City covered nearly $15 million in additional costs without reducing service levels or emergency response times. Measure X Success 19 Human Resources Measure X Success 20 Human Resources Measure X allowed for the hiring of a one-time Human Resources Technician position to assist the Santa Ana Police Department with the recruitment of police officers: • Assisted with police department recruitments for Police Officers and Correctional Officers. • Conducted one -day hiring events on a monthly basis that were regularly scheduled for faster hiring. • Organized Physical Agility Tests that included first -round interviews and initial background check interviews to move those who pass through the process more quickly. Measure X Success 21 Information Technology Measure X Success 22 Information Technology Through Measure X funding, one (1) additional position was added to the Infrastructure Division: • To continue supporting and maintaining new and existing Information Technology systems • Support all of the various application upgrade projects that are in process • Accela Land Management project- a government -focused enterprise software platform used by Planning and Building and Public Works to manage regulatory processes (permitting, plan check, inspections, Code Enforcement and compliance, fees assessment and online payment processing, reporting and analytics) • The Oracle ERP project - It will be used by all City departments for employee timekeeping, purchasing, contract management, and project accounting; and used by Finance and Human Resources for many other applications. • HdL -a business tax system offering a more user friendly system to register business in the City. • Two additional staff (2) in the Applications Support Division • Upgrade project for Accela- an application used by Planning and Building for zoning o Upgrade the HdL business tax and licensing project - the portal through which people can apply for a business license with the City Measure X Success 23 Library Measure X Success 24 Library Measure X funding has played a critical role in expanding the Library Department's ability to deliver high -quality, community -focused services. Although the Library's annual Measure X allocation may not always represent a significant portion of the City's total Measure X revenue, SAPL has strategically leveraged these dollars to increase outreach, build innovative programs, and ensure equitable access to library resources across Santa Ana. Through careful planning and cross -department collaboration, the Library has significantly strengthened both youth and senior services, demonstrating the outsized impact possible when Measure X investments are paired with creative service delivery. Expanding Citywide Access Through the Knowledge Mobile Measure X funding provided the stability needed to continue the operation, maintenance, and staffing of the Knowledge Mobile, one of the most impactful outreach tools for families, students, and educators across Santa Ana. The Knowledge Mobile directly serves neighborhoods with limited access to physical library branches, ensuring that literacy, enrichment, and learning opportunities reach residents where they live, work, and play. Major Knowledge Mobile Achievements (2021-2025): • 84,967 total patron visits and 35,592 checkouts • 2,548 library cards issued, strengthening long-term engagement • 1,358 programs delivered, including storytimes, crafts, STEAM, robotics, and creative arts • 450 school visits, benefiting campuses with limited or no library resources • 285 community stops, 408 park visits, and 104 events The Knowledge Mobile has seen especially strong school -based engagement, peaking at over 36,000 patron visits in 2022-23. Teachers across Santa Ana Unified and charter schools consistently express gratitude for access to books, storytimes, and hands-on learning, especially at schools with limited library staffing or collections. Knowledge Mobile Community Impact Highlights: • A hesitant four -year -old became a weekly reader through Knowledge Mobile storytimes. • Families follow the Knowledge Mobile from stop to stop to participate in programs. • Charter schools rely on the Knowledge Mobile as their primary library service. • Students experience STEAM tools for the first time, sparking interest in technology and creativity. science i4mness! BOOK CHeCK OUT! �y «s..�.. 4 _� ., a "fv 1 - Measure X Success 2S Library Strengthening Senior Services Through Technology & Literacy Programs Measure X has also enabled SAPL to expand vital senior -focused programming at the Santa Ana Senior Center and the Southwest Senior Center. Through a combination of technology instruction, creative learning, and social engagement, the Library is addressing digital equity and reducing isolation among older adults. Appy Hour & Appy Hour Extreme Launched in 2023 and expanded in 2024 with Measure X support, these programs offer hands-on digital literacy assistance, helping seniors navigate devices, apps, online services, and the City of Santa Ana App and website. • Attendance grew from originally 5-10 participants to now a steady 20-30 weekly seniors • Seniors receive personalized help with phones, tablets, and online services • Creative technology offerings include Cricut workshops, online arts and culture applications, and gaming for cognitive engagement In addition, the Library's Memory Lab program, featuring photo preservation using a Kodak Dock Printer, has become a deeply meaningful resource for seniors wishing to preserve family history and create memory albums. Bien Leidos Bien Vividos - A Growing Senior Book Club Launched in 2025, this Spanish -language book club quickly became one of the Senior Center's most sought-after programs. • Grew from 10 participants to 15, with additional attendees joining discussions for the purpose of connecting with • their peers, although they have not read the book. • Regular waitlists demonstrate sustained demand • Participants report greater connection, shared cultural experience, and improved emotional well-being Together, these programs illustrate how even limited Measure X funding can drive high impact services that elevate quality of life for older adults. Measure X Success 26 Library Measure X -Funding Alllocations rifle awsinn % MX Executive Secretary Administration IOD% Librarian Adult 5ervicos 1t Librarian Outreach Services 100% Librarian Outreach Servic es 10D% Library Capital Improvement Projects Project Dame Main Library Delhi Library Branch Newhope Library Outdoor Library at Jerome Park Equipment Arnount MX Scope Construction; Moving& 5torage Services; DesignlFabricationlinstallationof new Children's S 3,90QOOO.O0 Euhibits; Furniture and Equipment; 1owVoItage Cabling; Security Camera and Card Reader Consultants Design & Engineering Services; Furniture and $ 55Q000.00 Equipment; Construction Management; new Security Camera System $ 77,000.00 Construction S 122,600•00 Signale Design Services; Construction Management; Construction Iyp a Amount MX Scope 2nd Book Mobile (KnowMobile) $ 414,922.00 Procurement of second, larger book mobile Measure X Success 27 Planning and Building Measure X Success 28 Planning and Building The Planning and Building Agency (PBA), which encompasses 102 full-time and 14 part-time budget positions, benefits from Measure X primarily in its Code Enforcement and Building Safety Divisions through $269,210 in additional funding (FY 25-26). The impacts of Measure X on PBA include: •Two (2) Code Enforcement Officers in the Code Enforcement Division •One (1) Permit Services Technician in the Building Safety Division •Funds for Training in both divisions ($12,500) While the $269,210 in funding is insufficient to fully fund the three positions in the Building Safety and Code Enforcement divisions, the employees who utilize such funds also utilize time exception sheets for other activities that supplement the budgeting of their positions. For example, several Code Enforcement Officers utilize time exception sheets to allocate their hours to the Quality of Life Team (QOLT) account when handling quality -of -life enforcement issues. The QOLT funds are also used for staff training to ensure that the Code Enforcement team stays updated and aligned with best business practices. Measure X Success 29 Planning and Building Code Enforcement Services In Fiscal Year 2023-24 The Planning and Building Agency received approximately $324,000 in Service Enhancement QOLT funding. Code Enforcement operates on reactive and proactive enforcement basis. The areas of enforcement using QOLT funds are as follows: • Cannabis & Vice -related • Vacant Properties; Structures and Lots • Flood Channels/Riverbeds Monitoring • Commercial Properties • Illegal Gaming & SAPD Misc. Public Nuisance • Vendor Detail • Right of Way Enforcement Since 2021, approximately 75 commercial properties have been boarded and secured at locations due to illegal gambling, cannabis violations, unpermitted sales at smoke shops, and illegal activity at massage parlors. QOLT enforcement and supportive activities include: • Cannabis and Vice * 121 cannabis business licenses issued since 2019. 200 citations issued for violations at vacant lots and structures since 2021. Ongoing monitoring of 102 vacant lots and 39 vacant structures. Ongoing permitting and renewal activities at 75 cannabis locations, including the opening of 6 new locations in 2025. Measure X Success 30 Commercial Property Cleanups Funded by Measure X .......................................................................................................................................................................... Commercial Property Cleanups Funded by Measure X ............................................................................................................................................................................................................. Commercial Property Cleanups Funded by Measure X Measure X Success 31 After Be L J37f A h9if-11 Ir 6-Mp" -Ar Before 14111r E-d� Santa Ar , g 2M i101Flip � 1?2,wr, sm After 14 BeforeAll qeTOre After Before L -MW- loom*. A MAW Planning and Building Building Safety Division The Building Safety Division, which is responsible for plan check intakes, plan checking, permit issuance, inspections, and certificates of occupancy, has been able to hire a Permit Services Technician position using Measure X funding. For FY 24-25, the position was responsible for: • 1,400 permits issued • Approximately $50 million in construction valuation of those permits • 20-percent reduction in customer wait times and permit processing times at the public counter, where the employee works • Electronic plan reviews • Staffing PBx, the Planning and Building Agency's express permits program Measure X Success 33 Major Measure X Building Division Permit Projects Rafferty in Downtown transformed a vacant office building formerly occupied by the First American Title Company into 2 18 luxury residential units, including 7 7 offordoble units to very -love income households, and 13,000 sq. ft. of leasable commercial retail space. Its permits were processed using staff funded by Measure X The South Coast Technology Center transformed an obsolete office park into o 313,000-sq. ft. modern industrial campus for manufacturing, research and development, and other jobs -rich employment. its perinits were processed using staff funded by Measure X Major Measure X Building Division Permit Projects The Row at Whiff transformed a vacant industrial office campus into 7,100 luxury apartment units and 80,000 sq. ft. of leasable commercial retail space. Its permits were processed using staff funded by Measure X Central Pointe, t►nder construction, will transform a vacant 8-acre site into a vibrant 644-unit luxury apartment community with 75,000 sq. ft. of leasable commercial retail space. Its permits were processed using staff funded by Measure X Measure X Success 34 � v f t J _ Joe— — irt _ op our Company } 'W" December 2, 2025 at 11 :06 A Santa Ana, CA Y I II - +rI f; ' 2'31-40 P " `;ti p : • k"t >. r , •'S . r i At Ap 1814 & 1818 E. First St, (Before); Measure X Success 36 AOi107 E. Seventeenth St. (Before) 2107 E. Seventeenth St. (Before Ji1-""51- la•7f4-4u�-71/OS .Irr..�..r.......-�-.... Jl l.l.if1.I lf,'1T4 2UI tf Fi^11fl�rtl 2107 E. Seventeenth St. (After)-`" Measure X Success 37 Police Department Measure X Success 38 Police Department Through Measure X funding, the Police Department has expanded its staffing by twenty-six (26) positions to better support public safety services: • (18) Police Officers • (2) Forensic Specialist I • (1) Police Service Officer • (1) Police Evidence and Supply Specialist • (1) Graphics Designer • (3) Senior Office Assistant The department filled the 18 Police Officer positions during the period of December 2019 to April 2020. There have been a few vacancies for brief periods of time since then. From the hire dates for these officers through November 2025, these officers have accomplished the following: • Call for Service Responses- 115,200 • Officer -Initiated Activity Incidents- 33,296 • Police Reports Written- 22,638 • Arrests Made- 4,173 • Citations Written- 2,697 Measure X enabled the Crime Scene Investigation Unit to increase staffing from seven to nine full-time Forensic Specialist I positions, allowing the distribution of the workload, resulting in the following benefits: • Added additional shifts for more field coverage; increased from 6 shifts to 8 shifts • Allowed personnel to complete the processing of evidence collected to completion instead of one person booking the evidence and another colleague completing the processing; • Reduced error rates; allowing personnel to take the time needed to methodically process a crime scene thoroughly and not rushing; • Decreased sick time; personnel weren't consistently covering unfillable shifts; • Decreased overtime; additional personnel were able to distribute the workload within their assigned work hours Measure X Success 39 Police Department During the period of February 2020 - February 2025, the newly added Police Service Officer to the Traffic Division handled a total of 1,322 total traffic collisions (7% of the total collisions during this period). These collisions included 399 injury traffic collisions, 596 hit-and-run collisions, 45 DUI -involved collisions, and 13 on -duty emergency vehicle collisions. The ability of a Police Service Officer to respond, handle, and investigate traffic collisions allowed sworn personnel to respond to other law enforcement -related calls/activities. The Police Evidence and Supply Specialist position assigned to the Central Distribution Center (CDC) helps provide internal staff (police officers, detectives, professional staff) with necessary equipment and supplies. With one full-time position frozen in the General Fund budget, this additional position helped fill the gap in order to provide longer hours of service to drop off and pick up vehicles at Fleet, receive deliveries, procure and maintain inventory, etc. The Graphics Designer position is an integral member of the department's Public Information team, helping with social media posts, press releases, community outreach, engagement, messaging, and transparency. Having a dedicated professional with the necessary technical skillset and experience to perform these tasks allows the department to better utilize sworn personnel resources to focus on their core functions. The various PD social media sites with content posted by the Graphics Designer include: • https://www.facebook.com/santaanapd • https://www.instagram.com/santaana_pd/ • https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCzivM413SCt9W688osllc3Q • https://x.com/SantaAnaPD • https://www.instagram.com/santaana_pdexplorers/ • https://www.instagram.comAoinsantaana_pd/ The three (3) Senior Office Assistant positions provide clerical and administrative support to each of the Internal Affairs, Traffic, and Criminal Investigations Divisions. This support ranges from maintaining and filing records, providing public assistance at the Traffic Lobby counter, responding to inquiries in person, by phone, and through electronic systems, tracking complaints and requests, and directing matters to appropriate staff while maintaining detailed and accurate records in Internal Affairs databases. The tasks and functions performed by these professional staff positions enable the sworn officers and detectives to focus on investigative matters and calls for service. Measure X total funding spent by the Police Department can be obtained from the Finance Department via their expenditure reports submitted to the Measure X Committee. Measure X Success 40 Parks, Recreation, and Community Services Measure X Success 41 Parks, Recreation, and Community Services With the support from Measure X funds, the Parks, Recreation, and Community Services division was able to enhance services throughout the department: Personnel • Following the implementation of the Athletic Facility Reservation Policy in January 2022, the Parks, Recreation, and Community Services (PRCSA) Athletics Section —supported by the addition of a Recreation Program Coordinator, a Recreation Specialist, and part-time staff —has significantly expanded its capacity to serve both youth and adult user groups through the development and administration of athletic facility permits. • The Recreation Program Coordinator manages the day-to-day operations of two annual permitting cycles (January -June and July -December) • The Recreation Specialist coordinates schedules for part-time staff to ensure that organizations and teams are assigned the correct field locations, times, and permits for their activities. • This operation is carried out seven days a week across the entire City of Santa Ana park system. Since the Policy's implementation in FY 2021-22, the Athletics Section has generated more than $2.4 million in cost recovery through its management of City athletic fields and facilities, while simultaneously increasing access for both adult and youth user groups. In addition to expanding personnel resources needed to administer the Athletic Facility Reservation Policy and permitting procedures, Measure X has provided supplemental funding across all PRCSA Sections to enhance services, activities, and events for the Santa Ana community. Events • Within the Special Events Section, Measure X funding has enabled the delivery of significant, culturally relevant events, including the Chicano Heritage Festival, the Tet Lunar New Year Festival, and Fiestas Patrias. Sports • Measure X also plays a critical role in expanding Youth Sports Programs within the Athletics Section, supporting offerings such as youth baseball/softball, flag football, volleyball, and basketball. Aquatics • With the return of aquatics programming as an in-house service, Measure X funding has allowed PRCSA to acquire essential instructional tools for Learn -to -Swim participants, including kickboards, instructional toys, and life jackets. Measure X additionally supports the operations of three Summer Splash Day Camps —held at Salgado Recreation Center, Jerome Recreation Center, and El Salvador Community Center —which provide special presentations, arts and crafts activities, weekly excursions, and recreational programming. Health and Wellness • Measure X funding advances the City's Youth Gardening initiative by supporting the operation of five community gardens, along with their monthly workshops and signature events. PRCSA continues to deliver measurable success across its program areas. The Aquatics section provided more than 4,000 Learn -to -Swim lessons in Summer 2025, representing a 166% increase from Summer 2023. The Athletics Section has grown its Youth Softball Program into the largest softball program in the City, demonstrating strong community demand and effective program management. The Health & Wellness Section received the CPRS Creating Community: Community Health & Wellness Award of Excellence for its Community Teaching Gardens: A Pathway to Health & Wellness initiative, highlighting its impact on community wellbeing. Additionally, the Special Events Section has consistently produced world -class events since emerging from the pandemic in Spring 2022, with attendance increasing year over year and continued opportunities for expansion through targeted sponsorships and partnerships. Measure X Success 42 Parks, Recreation, and Community Services Santa Ana Zoo Veterinary Care Measure X funds allowed greater investment in the zoo's program of veterinary care, including initial expansion of the veterinary contract, which led to the development of the full-time Veterinarian and part-time Veterinarian Technician positions, which have direct benefits: • Addressed outstanding Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) concerns and contributed in large part to our AZA accreditation. • Allows us to meet the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and other state/federal regulatory requirements. • Enhances well-being for the animals at the zoo • Reduces time, labor, and cost, and removes barriers in the animal acquisition process • Closes gaps in necessary animal medical care, including routine and emergency care. Landscape Maintenance • Before the implementation of Measure X, the zoo shared a city contract that provided only one person for grounds maintenance and landscaping, with no one assigned to address irrigation issues. Now the zoo has its own landscaping contract with a full team that performs every day, routine maintenance and regular improvements, which has resulted in overall more beautiful and much safer facilities, with less vandalism, better irrigation (less water loss), which also results in greater preservation of the urban forest (trees were routinely dying and hazardous before). Zoo Operations Coordinator Position: • Meet industry standards for ticketing and visitor services • Supervision over cash -handling and compliance with Finance Department's audit and best practices for the zoo • Enhanced culture of safety in organization • Ongoing commitment to internal zoo safety committee to exceed City standards • Oversight of zoo maintenance and landscaping Security: • On -site and virtual security systems which were absent before Measure X. Adding these layers of security addressed a major concern for regulatory bodies. Vendors: • Plumbing, electrical and other service vendors have dedicated funding to help us preserve and prepare infrastructure so our facilities last longer into the future and remain safe (i.e. replacement of hazardous electrical panels in the zoo, failing cast iron pipes are able to be repaired in a timely fashion or preventatively replaced) • Construction supplies - purchased: lumber for replacing defunct zoo fencing, and restrooms for better public access at north end of zoo. Measure X Success 43 Parks, Recreation, and Community Services Deferred Maintenance Funds: • The maintenance funds help us address facility maintenance that extend the life of the structures and improve safety for employees, visitors, and animals. The items addressed with Measure X funds over several years would most certainly come up as AZA deficiencies and represent a lack of investment in the ongoing care of our facility. There is always more to do, but this revenue stream is integral to help maintain our facilities when it comes to routine wear and tear. • Updates to zoo office building - • this funding covered the cost of releveling the building foundation o new flooring as the original linoleum flooring was coming up and a tripping hazard • full roof replacement as the building was reroofed over three times already and there were areas where it was buckling • conversion from gas utility to electric since we no longer have a gas service line to the building and thus had no functioning central heat • updates in office restrooms and new water heater • Updates to cafe/gift shop building - • New roof - the old roof leaked and was original to the 1980s building o Replacement of outdated HVAC unit • Updates to veterinary hospital trailer - • Foundation releveling • Exterior painting and repair of siding to weatherproof the structure and extend the life of the building. It looks remarkably good for a 25 year old trailer because of the ongoing maintenance investment which is much less than constructing a brand new building. • Pathway maintenance and repair o Seal coat and repair of asphalt pathways in the zoo to extend their life and lessen tripping hazards Measure X Success 44 Public Works Measure X Success 45 Public Works Measure X funding has played a key role in advancing the Public Works Agency's efforts to enhance and improve City services and infrastructure: • Additional dedicated crews for QOLT Clean-up 0 20 work shifts per week for clean up * Strengthened City's ability to address municipal code violations related to homelessness • Over 500 new Streetlights have been installed o In-house staff to quickly respond and repair streetlight outages due to extreme weather, traffic collisions, and vandalism. • Approximately 250,000 square feet of alley corridor improvements over the past three fiscal years. The City is on track to complete approximately 100,000 square feet of improvements per year, provided recurring funding levels remain unchanged. • Approximately 60,000 square feet of sidewalk defects and trip hazards each year, making meaningful progress toward reducing an estimated 4,000 sidewalk locations needing replacement. • Traffic signals installation at Segerstrom Ave & Spruce, traffic signal modification at Segerstrom Ave & Raitt St and Segerstrom Ave & Flower St., pedestrian hybrid beacon installation at Edinger Ave & Towner St., speed humps installation along Deodar St, Willits St, Elder Ave and Center St., and speed feedback installation at 8 locations including along McFadden Ave, Broadway, Fairhaven Ave, and Bristol St. • Helped enhance City's roadway quality by rehabilitating distressed streets and repairing concrete o During FY 2024/25, the City rehabilitated approximately 2.4 million square feet of residential streets. Projects include Local Street Preventative FY 22/23 (23- 6907), Local Street Preventative Maintenance FY 23/24 (24-6907) and Local Street Preventative Maintenance FY 24/25 (25-6907). Measure X Success 46 Public Works • Funding supported replanting and irrigation improvements of barren meaians throughout the City including Bristol Street, First Street, Edinger Avenue, Raitt Street, Grand Avenue, totaling approximately 2.5 miles. • Maintain year-round operation of at least two pothole repair trucks, improving response times. • Improved traffic signals (MacArthur Blvd & Flower St), high visibility crosswalks and audible pedestrian signals (APS) • Bristol Widening between Warner and St. Andrew (project is under construction) • Improvement of park amenities, infrastructure, public safety, and an additional 12 FT staff for park maintenance • Helped fund 11 crossing guards at 11 crosswalks out of the 45 crosswalk locations • Trimming of 6,460 out of 50,000 trees annually as recommended by arbor standards and reducing risk of limb failures that could impact public safety and infrastructure • Subsidized ongoing maintenance costs of the Santa Ana Regional Transportation Center, such as custodial services, security, utilities, routine and preventative maintenance, and building systems that are not fully recoverable through leases. • 6 full-time staff for engineering and plan check = average utility plan check improved from 6 weeks to 2 weeks. • Adding Graffiti technicians improved the abatement response time to 24 hours or less. • Bristol Parking Lot Improvements project • 13 new bus shelters, including replacements of benches, at high -use transit stops throughout the City. Measure X Success 47 Public Works • One-time funding allowed the City to develop a Fleet Electrification Master Plan, positioning Santa Ana to meet sustainability goals, reduce emissions, and strategically plan infrastructure investments. • Funding was reallocated to fully fund the City Yard Fueling Station Software • City Yard Digital Media Billboard- Project in progress; aims to promote and advertise City events and potentially revenue -generating ads. • Measure X funding supplemented 3 Engineers and 2 Assistant Landscape Planners to remain for the entire fiscal year to allow for a transition plan to take effect. They supported critical engineering and park planning projects, accelerating project design, delivery, and grant implementation. • Funding allows for enhancing the maintenance of the busiest transit corridors, such as 1st St., Bristol St., Harbor Blvd, Main St., 17th St., and many more arterials. • There are 649 bus stops in the City of Santa Ana. Funding allows for enhancing the maintenance of the busiest transit corridors, such as 1st St., Bristol St., Harbor Blvd, Main St., 17th St., and many more arterials. • Measure X one-time funding supported the installation of EV charging infrastructure, advancing sustainability goals and supporting the City fleet and public use. Measure X Success 48 Exhibit 3 Local Sales Tax Rates City County Base County Sales Tax Rate Local Add -On Total Sales Rate Tax Rate Comments Santa Ana Orange 7.75% 1.50% 9.25% 0.5% sunsets in 2029 and the remaining 1.0% sunsets in 2039 Westminster Orange 7.75% 1.50% 9.25% 1.0% sunsets in 2043 and the remaining 0.5% is permanent Los Alamitos Orange 7.75% 1.50% 9.25% No sunset Seal Beach Orange 7.75% 1.50% 9.25% No sunset Stanton Orange 7.75% 1.00% 8.75% No sunset Buena Park Orange 7.75% 1.00% 8.75% No sunset Garden Grove Orange 7.75% 1.00% 8.75% No sunset La Palma Orange 7.75% 1.00% 8.75% No sunset La Habra Orange 7.75% 1.00% 8.75% No sunset Placentia Orange 7.75% 1.00% 8.75% No sunset Fountain Valley Orange 7.75% 1.00% 8.75% Sunsets in 2037 Lancaster Los Angeles 9.75% 1.50% 11.25% No sunset Palmdale Los Angeles 9.75% 1.50% 11.25% No sunset Azusa Los Angeles 9.75% 1.00% 10.75% No sunset Compton Los Angeles 9.75% 1.00% 10.75% No sunset Culver City Los Angeles 9.75% 1.00% 10.75% 0.5% sunsets in 2033 and 0.25% has no sunset date Glendora Los Angeles 9.75% 1.00% 10.75% No sunset Irwindale Los Angeles 9.75% 1.00% 10.75% No sunset Lynwood Los Angeles 9.75% 1.00% 10.75% No sunset Pico Rivera Los Angeles 9.75% 1.00% 10.75% No sunset Santa Fe Springs Los Angeles 9.75% 1.00% 10.75% No sunset Santa Monica Los Angeles 9.75% 1.00% 10.75% No sunset South Gate Los Angeles 9.75% 1.00% 10.75% No sunset