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HomeMy WebLinkAboutItem 22 - Consider Ballot Measure to Remove Sunset on Local Sales TaxCity Manager's Office www.santa-ana.org/cm Item # 22 City of Santa Ana 20 Civic Center Plaza, Santa Ana, CA 92701 Staff Report July 7, 2026 TOPIC: Consider Ballot Measure to Remove Sunset on Local Sales Tax AGENDA TITLE Consider Ballot Measure to Remove Sunset on Local Sales Tax RECOMMENDED ACTION 1. Adopt a Resolution calling for the placement of a measure on the November 3, 2026 General Municipal Election ballot to remove the rate reduction and sunset on the local general sales transactions measure in Santa Ana. RESOLUTION NO. 2026-XXX entitled A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SANTA ANA GIVING NOTICE OF A GENERAL MUNICIPAL ELECTION TO BE HELD IN THE CITY OF SANTA ANA ON NOVEMBER 3, 2026 AND CALLING FOR THE PLACEMENT ON THE BALLOT OF A MEASURE FOR SUBMISSION TO THE QUALIFIED VOTERS OF A PROPOSED ORDINANCE AMENDING THE LOCAL GENERAL TRANSACTIONS AND USE TAX TO REMOVE THE RATE REDUCTION AND THE SUNSET PROVISION 2. Adopt a Resolution authorizing written arguments for or against the above - referenced measure. RESOLUTION NO. 2026-XXX entitled A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SANTA ANA AUTHORIZING WRITTEN ARGUMENTS FOR THE BALLOT MEASURE SUBMITTED FOR THE NOVEMBER 3, 2026 GENERAL MUNICIPAL ELECTION REGARDING AMENDING THE LOCAL GENERAL TRANSACTIONS AND USE TAX TO REMOVE THE RATE REDUCTION AND THE SUNSET PROVISION GOVERNMENT CODE §84308 APPLIES: No DISCUSSION On November 6, 2018, the City's voters approved Measure X to impose a local 1.5-cent transactions and use tax (referred to as local sales tax) which became effective April 1, Consider Ballot Measure to Remove Sunset on Local Sales Tax July 7, 2026 Page 2 2019. The voter -approved local sales tax Ordinance includes a rate decrease to 1-cent on April 1, 2029, and a complete sunset on April 1, 2039. Annual local sales tax collection peaked at $86.8 million in FY22-23 and has been decreasing towards an expected collection of $82.8 million in FY25-26. Local sales tax has funded park maintenance, graffiti removal, pothole repairs, 911 response, homelessness mitigation, City streets and sidewalks repairs, and much more. Local sales tax is an important revenue source for the City, as it currently accounts for 20% of the General Fund budget. There are 3 other cities in Orange County with a local sales tax add -on of 1.50% resulting in a total 9.25% sales tax rate: Los Alamitos (no sunset), Seal Beach (no sunset), and Westminster (1.00% sunsets in 2043 and 0.50% has no sunset). Cities in Los Angeles County have much higher sales tax rates, as the base countywide rate is 9.75%. Examples of cities with high rates include Long Beach (10.50%), Pasadena (10.50%), Santa Monica (10.75%), and Torrance (10.25%). On March 17, 2026, City Council approved the staff recommendation to prepare public information materials regarding local sales tax, develop a November 2026 ballot measure to eliminate the local sales tax rate reduction and sunset, and to conduct a tracking survey. The City's survey and ballot measure consultant worked with staff to prepare public information materials available in three languages on the City's website at: https://www.santa-ana.org/localfunding/. The tracking survey was conducted at the end of May with 508 completed surveys. The complete report is attached at Exhibit 3. Tracking -survey results vs. the December survey results follow. December 2025 Survey Tracking Survey Initial ballot test 64% definitely or probably 64% definitely or probably es yes After presenting positive 67% definitely or probably 64% definitely or probably arguments, ballot retest yes yes After presenting negative 63% definitely or probably 61 % definitely or probably arguments, ballot retest yes yes A resolution with the proposed November 2026 ballot measure and Ordinance is attached to this staff report as Exhibit 1. The proposed November 2026 ballot measure to maintain the 1.5% local sales tax rate permanently requires a simple majority vote to pass. Consider Ballot Measure to Remove Sunset on Local Sales Tax July 7, 2026 Page 3 Staff recommends the City Council adopt the proposed Resolution to ask Santa Ana voters to decide whether the rate reduction and sunset should be eliminated from the local sales tax. Additionally, Elections Code Section 9280 provides that the legislative body may direct the city elections official to transmit a copy of the Measure to the city attorney. The city attorney shall prepare an impartial analysis of the Measure showing the effect of the measure on the existing law and the operation of the Measure. The analysis shall be printed preceding the arguments for and against the Measure. The analysis shall not exceed 500 words in length. Pursuant to the requirements at Section 9282 of the California Elections Code, the legislative body may authorize any member(s) of the City Council to write arguments for or against any measure. In addition, Elections Code Section 9285 provides that the author or a majority of the authors of an argument relating to the Measure may prepare and submit a rebuttal argument or may authorize in writing another person or persons to prepare, submit, or sign the rebuttal argument. Any rebuttal statement shall be filed no later than ten (10) days after the final filing date for the primary argument. The second resolution provides City Council the ability to designate a member or members to author and file an argument in favor or against the Measure on behalf of the City Council. Arguments will be due no later than 5:00 P.M. on Monday, July 20, 2026. Rebuttal arguments will be due no later than 5:00 P.M. on Thursday, July 30, 2026. ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT There is no environmental impact associated with this action. FISCAL IMPACT The estimated election cost for the proposed ballot measure is up to $17,000. If City Council approves the staff recommendation, FY25-26 expenditure savings will be recommended for carryover to FY26-27 to fund the election cost at 01107031-62300. EXHIBIT(S) 1. Proposed Resolution to Place Measure on Ballot 2. Proposed Resolution Authorizing Written Arguments 3. True North Summary Report for Tracking Survey dated June 2026 Submitted By: Kathryn Downs, Assistant City Manager Approved By: Alvaro Nunez, City Manager RESOLUTION NO. 2026-XXX A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SANTA ANA GIVING NOTICE OF A GENERAL MUNICIPAL ELECTION TO BE HELD IN THE CITY OF SANTA ANA ON NOVEMBER 3, 2026 AND CALLING FOR THE PLACEMENT ON THE BALLOT OF A MEASURE FOR SUBMISSION TO THE QUALIFIED VOTERS OF A PROPOSED ORDINANCE AMENDING THE LOCAL GENERAL TRANSACTIONS AND USE TAX TO REMOVE THE RATE REDUCTION AND THE SUNSET PROVISION WHEREAS, pursuant to California Elections Code Section 9222, the City Council has authority to place measures on the ballot to be considered at a General Municipal Election; and WHEREAS, pursuant to the law of the State of California, the City Council has, by Resolution No. 2026-021, called and ordered to be held in the City of Santa Ana, California, on Tuesday, November 3, 2026, a General Municipal Election; and WHEREAS, Revenue and Taxation Code Section 7285.9 authorizes the City of Santa Ana ("City"), subject to approval by a majority vote of the qualified voters of the City voting in an election on the issue, to levy a transactions and use tax pursuant to the Transactions and Use Tax Law at a rate of 0.125% or any multiple thereof for general purposes and projects; and WHEREAS, Section 2(b) of Article XIII C of the California Constitution, added by Proposition 218 effective November, 1996, requires that the measure proposing a general tax be submitted to the voters at an election consolidated with a regularly scheduled general election for members of the governing body of the local government; and WHEREAS, On November 6, 2018, Santa Ana voters approved Measure X to impose a local transactions and use tax rate of 1.5% that became effective on April 1, 2019, decreasing to 1.0% on April 1, 2029, and fully sunsetting on April 1, 2039; and WHEREAS, the City of Santa Ana desires to ask its voters to make the local transactions and use tax permanent at 1.5%, with no rate reductions, to preserve service levels; and WHEREAS, pursuant to California Constitution Article XIII C, Section 2 and Elections Code Section 10201, the City has determined to submit a proposition to the voters at the next regular election to amend the previously enacted ordinance approved by the voters to remove the rate reduction from 1.5% to 1 % which was to be effective April 1, 2029 and to remove the sunset provision (April 1, 2039) from the local transactions and use tax. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SANTA ANA, AS FOLLOWS: Section 1. The City Council hereby finds and determines that the foregoing recitals are true and correct and are hereby incorporated by reference. Section 2. The California Elections Code directs that the City Council approve the form of the ballot question to be submitted to the voters and the City Council of the City of Santa Ana desires, on its own motion, to submit to the voters of the City the following question at the General Municipal Election to be held on November 3, 2026 regarding a proposed amendment to the previously adopted Transactions and Use Tax in Chapter 35 of the Santa Ana Municipal Code: MEASURE # : SANTA ANA STREETS, PUBLIC SAFETY, Yes ESSENTIAL CITY SERVICES MEASURE To maintain city services, such as fixing potholes; keeping streets, sidewalks, parks, and playgrounds safe and clean; removing graffiti and litter; providing fire protection, paramedic, crime prevention, and No 911 emergency response, shall City of Santa Ana's ordinance be amended to maintain the 1.5 cent sales tax without sunset providing approximately $84,000,000 annually for services until ended by voters, with independent audits, resident oversight, and all money locally controlled? Section 3. That the text of the Ordinance amendment to be submitted to the voters is attached to this Resolution as Exhibit A and incorporated herein by this reference ("Ordinance"). Section 4. Should said measure be approved by the requisite vote, a majority of the votes cast on it at the election, the Ordinance amendment attached hereto as Exhibit A and incorporated by this reference shall be enacted. Section 5. That pursuant to Elections Code Section 9280, the City Council hereby directs the City Clerk to transmit a copy of the Ordinance to the City Attorney to prepare an impartial analysis of the Ordinance which shall not exceed 500 words in length. The impartial analysis shall show the effect of the Ordinance on existing law and the operation of the Ordinance. It shall also include a statement indicating whether the Ordinance was placed on the ballot by a petition signed by the requisite number of voters or by the City Council. The impartial analysis shall be filed no later than the deadline for direct arguments. Section 6. In accordance with Sections 10002 and 10403 of the Elections Code, the Board of Supervisors of Orange County is hereby requested to consent to the Registrar of Voters rendering election services to the City as may be requested by the City Clerk of said City, the County of Orange to be reimbursed in full for such services as are performed. The Board of Supervisors of Orange County is also requested to consent and agree to the consolidation of the General Election with any other election occurring on November 3, 2026, and the City hereby consents to any such consolidation and to hold and conduct the consolidated election in the manner prescribed in Election Code Section 10418. Section 7. The election services which the City requests of the Registrar of Voters, or such other official as may be appropriate to perform, and which such officer is hereby authorized and directed to perform if the said Board of Supervisors consents, include: the preparation, printing, and mailing of sample ballots and voter information guides; the establishment or appointment of precincts, voting centers, and election officers; opening and closing of voting centers, and making such publications as are required by law in connection therewith; the furnishing of ballots, voting booths, and other necessary supplies or materials for voting centers; the canvassing of the returns of the election and the furnishing of the results of such canvassing to the City Clerk; and the performance of such other election services as may be requested by said City Clerk. Section 8. That the polls for the election shall be open at seven o'clock a.m. on the day of the election and shall remain open continuously from that time until eight o'clock p.m. of the same day when the polls shall be closed, pursuant to California Elections Code Section 10242 and Section 14212, except as provided in California Elections Code Section 14401 or any other provision of law. The precincts, ballot drop box locations and hours of operations, vote center locations and hours of operations, vote -by -mail procedures and timing, and election officers, an all other persons and procedures for the General Municipal Election shall be the same as those utilized by the County of Orange. Section 9. All persons qualified to vote at municipal elections in the City on the day of the election herein provided for shall be qualified to vote on the Ordinance hereby submitted at the General Municipal Election. Section 10. In all particulars not recited in this Resolution, the election shall be held and conducted as provided by law for holding general municipal elections in the City. Section 11. Notice of the time and place of holding the General Municipal Election is given and the City Clerk is authorized, instructed and directed to give further or additional notice of the election, in the time, form and manner as required by law. Section 12. The City Clerk shall receive the canvass as it pertains to the General Municipal Election, and shall certify the results to this City Council, as required by law. Section 13. If any section, subsection, sentence, clause, phrase or provision of this Resolution or the application thereof to any person or circumstances is held invalid or unconstitutional by any court of competent jurisdiction, such invalidity or unconstitutionality shall not affect the validity of any other provision or applications, and to this end the provisions of this Resolution are declared to be severable. The City Council hereby declares that it would have passed this Resolution and each section, subsection, sentence, clause, phrase or provision thereof, irrespective of the fact that any one or more sections, subsections, sentences, clauses, phrases or provisions thereof be declared invalid or unconstitutional. Section 14. Pursuant to California Elections Code Section 9295, this Resolution and the attached Ordinance will be available for public examination for no fewer than ten (10) calendar days prior to being submitted for printing in the voter information guide. Section 15. This Resolution shall take effect immediately upon its adoption by a majority of the City Council. Section 16. The City Clerk of the City of Santa Ana is hereby directed to certify to the passage and adoption of this Resolution and to file a certified copy of this Resolution with the Board of Supervisors of Orange County and the Registrar of Voters of Orange County at least eighty-eight (88) days before the date of the election. ADOPTED this day of July, 2026. Valerie Amezcua Mayor APPROVED AS TO FORM: Sonia R. Carvalho, City Attorney By: LU)'-0- Laura A. Rossini Chief Assistant City Attorney AYES: Councilmembers NOES: Councilmembers ABSTAIN: Councilmembers ABSENT: Councilmembers CERTIFICATE OF ATTESTATION AND ORIGINALITY I, JENNIFER L. HALL, City Clerk, do hereby attest to and certify the attached Resolution No. 2026-XXX to be the original resolution adopted by the City Council of the City of Santa Ana on July , 2026. Date: Jennifer L. Hall City Clerk, Elections Official City of Santa Ana ORDINANCE NO. NS--XXXX MEASURE" AN ORDINANCE OF THE PEOPLE OF THE CITY OF SANTA ANA AMENDING PORTIONS OF ARTICLE VII OF CHAPTER 35 OF THE SANTA ANA MUNICIPAL CODE RELATED TO A PREVIOUSLY ADOPTED TRANSACTIONS AND USE TAX ALREADY ADMINISTERED BY THE STATE BOARD OF EQUALIZATION The People of the City of Santa Ana do ordain as follows: SECTION 1. Authority. The People of the City of Santa Ana hereby adopt this ordinance amending portions of Article VII of Chapter 35 of the Santa Ana Municipal Code modifying a previously adopted Transactions and Use Tax in accordance with the authority granted to cities by Article XI, Section 7 of the California Constitution and Section 7285.9 of the California Revenue and Taxation Code (underlined language is added and stricken language is deleted in .) SECTION 2. Section 35-204 of Article VII of Chapter 35 of the Santa Ana Municipal Code is hereby amended to read as follows: Sec. 35-204. - Imposition of transactions and use tax —Rate. For the privilege of selling tangible personal property at retail, a tax is hereby imposed upon all retailers in the incorporated territory of the city at the rate of one and one half cents (1.5) of any gross receipts of the retailer from the sale of all tangible personal property sold at retail in the city on and after the operative date of this article0I Marsh 31, 2029 and then of the rota of nne Gent (1) u ptil NAornh 3 2039. SECTION 3. Section 35-206 of Article VII of Chapter 35 of the Santa Ana Municipal Code is hereby amended to read as follows: Sec. 35-206. - Imposition of use tax —Use tax rate. An excise tax is hereby imposed on the storage, use, or other consumption in the city of tangible personal property purchased from any retailer on or after the operative date of this article, at the rate of one and one-half cents (1.5) of the sales price of the property subject to the tax URtil MaFGh 31, 2n''�d-then at, r the rate e Gnie Gent (1) of the soles urine of the propertyeGt W the tax until MaFGh 31, 2039. The sales price shall include delivery charges when such charges are subject to state sales or use tax regardless of the place to which delivery is made. Page 6 SECTION 4. Section 35-213 of Article VII of Chapter 35 of the Santa Ana Municipal Code is hereby amended to read as follows: Sec. 35-213. —Reserved. TeFMinatien SECTION 5. Section 35-217 of Article VII of Chapter 35 of the Santa Ana Municipal Code is hereby amended to read as follows: Sec. 35-217. — Reserved. S Rset pFE) ioi-n 07IliGTt�:fe7Si7aTiZ•=:Z1tNUM". .!lELAWMI■:T7�T.IRST. 9• SECTION 6. If any section, sentence, clause or phrase of this ordinance is for any reason held to be invalid or unconstitutional by a decision of a court of competent jurisdiction, such decision shall not affect the validity of the remaining provisions of this Ordinance. The People of the City of Santa Ana hereby declare that they would have adopted this Ordinance irrespective of the invalidity of any particular portion thereof and intends that the invalid portions should be severed and the balance of the Ordinance be enforced. SECTION 7. Pursuant to California Elections Code section 9222, this Ordinance must be approved by a majority of the eligible voters of the City of Santa Ana voting at the General Municipal Election of November 3, 2026. SECTION 8. This Ordinance shall become effective ten days (10) days after the City Council has certified the results of the General Municipal Election by resolutions. SECTION 9. Following the City Clerk's certification that the citizens of Santa Ana have approved this Ordinance, the Mayor shall sign this Ordinance and the City Clerk shall cause the same to be entered in the book or original ordinances of said City; and shall cause the same, or a summary thereof, to be published as required by law. PASSED, APPROVED, and ADOPTED by the People of the City of Santa Ana this 3rd day of November, 2026. Mayor Page 7 ATTEST: City Clerk Page 8 RESOLUTION NO. 2026-XXX A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SANTA ANA AUTHORIZING WRITTEN ARGUMENTS FOR THE BALLOT MEASURE SUBMITTED FOR THE NOVEMBER 3, 2026 GENERAL MUNICIPAL ELECTION REGARDING AMENDING THE LOCAL GENERAL TRANSACTIONS AND USE TAX TO REMOVE THE RATE REDUCTION AND THE SUNSET PROVISION WHEREAS, a General Municipal Election of the City of Santa Ana will be held on November 3, 2026, at which there will be submitted to the qualified electors of the City a ballot measure related to whether to amend the local general transactions and use tax to remove the rate reduction and the sunset provision ("the Measure"); WHEREAS, pursuant to the requirements at Section 9282 of the Elections Code of the State of California, the legislative body may authorize any member(s) of the City Council to write arguments for or against any measure; and WHEREAS, pursuant to Elections Code Section 9285, the author or a majority of the authors of an argument relating to the Measure may prepare and submit a rebuttal argument or may authorize in writing another person or persons to prepare, submit, or sign the rebuttal argument. Any rebuttal statement shall be filed ten (10) days after the primary argument. BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SANTA ANA AS FOLLOWS: Section 1. The City Council of the City of Santa Ana hereby finds, declares, and determines that, to the extent the City Council determines that, members of the City Council would like to author an argument in favor or against the Measure, the following member(s) of its body are authorized to file written arguments in favor of or against the Measure: Member Name In Favor: Against: 1. 2. 3. Section 2. The City Council, as the legislative body of the City of Santa Ana, hereby authorizes the City Clerk to give preference and priority to any member or members of the City Council (up to five members), then to voters as set forth in California Elections Code Section 9287, to file a written argument in favor of or against the Measure set forth above, and to change said argument until and including Monday, July 20, 2026, after which no arguments for or against said City Measure may be submitted. Arguments in favor of or against the measure shall not exceed 300 words. Resolution 2026-XXX Page 1 of 3 Section 3. The City Council of the City of Santa Ana also finds that pursuant to Elections Code Section 9285, a rebuttal statement may be filed not to exceed 250 words until and including Thursday, July 30, 2026. Section 4. The argument(s) shall be filed with the City Clerk, signed, with the printed name(s) and signature(s) of the author(s) submitting it, or if submitted on behalf of an organization, the name of the organization, and the printed name and signature of at least one of its principal officers who is the author of the argument, The arguments shall be accompanied by the Form of Statement to be filed by the authors of the argument as provided for in Elections Code Section 9600. Section 5. The City Council for the City of Santa Ana finds that if more than one argument for or against the measure is submitted to the City Clerk within the time prescribed, the City Clerk shall give preference and priority, in the order set forth in Elections Code Section 9287, to the arguments in favor/against submitted by 1) the legislative body, or member(s) of the legislative body authorized by that body, 2) bona fide associations of citizens, 3) individual voters who are eligible to vote on the measure. Section 6. This Resolution shall take effect immediately upon its adoption by the City Council, and the City Clerk shall attest to and certify the vote adopting this Resolution. ADOPTED this day of July, 2026. APPROVED AS TO FORM: Sonia R. Carvalho City Attorney By:o Cana . ��✓u Laura A. Rossini Chief Assistant City Attorney Valerie Amezcua Mayor Resolution 2026-XXX Page 2 of 3 AYES: Councilmembers NOES: Councilmembers ABSTAIN: Councilmembers ABSENT: Councilmembers CERTIFICATE OF ATTESTATION AND ORIGINALITY I, JENNIFER L. HALL, City Clerk, do hereby attest to and certify that the attached Resolution No. 2026-XXX to be the original resolution adopted by the City Council of the City of Santa Ana on July 2026. Date: Jennifer L. Hall City Clerk, Elections Official City of Santa Ana Resolution 2026-XXX Page 3 of 3 4 MEASURE X RENEWAL SUMMARY REPORT FOR TRACKING SURVEY PREPARED FOR THE CITY OF SANTA ANA 41(e TRUENORTH R E S E A R C H • • 1 592 N COAST HIGHWAY 1 01 ENCINITAS CA 92024 760.632.9900 WWW.TN-RESEARCH.COM DUNE 2026 TFAmCiv,A/ THIS PAGE INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK TABLE OF CONTENTS Table of Contents..................................................................i Listof Tables....................................................................ii Listof Figures....................................................................iii Introduction...................................................................... 1 Motivation for Research ................................................... 1 Overview of Methodology .................................................. 2 Organization of Report .................................................... 2 Acknowledgments....................................................... 2 Disclaimer............................................................. 2 About True North ........................................................ 2 KeyFindings..................................................................... 3 Quality of Life & City Services...................................................... 6 Quality of Life........................................................... 6 Question.......................................................... 6 Changes to Improve Santa Ana .............................................. 7 Question3.......................................................... 8 Overall Performance Rating ................................................ 8 Question4.......................................................... 9 Initial Ballot Test................................................................ 11 Question5......................................................... 11 Support by Subgroups ................................................... 12 Reasons For Not Supporting Measure ........................................ 13 Question6......................................................... 13 Projects & Services............................................................... 14 Question7......................................................... 14 Service Ratings by Initial Support ........................................... 15 Positive Arguments.............................................................. 16 Question8......................................................... 16 Top Positive Arguments by Initial Support .................................... 17 Interim Ballot Test............................................................... 19 Question9......................................................... 19 Support by Subgroups ................................................... 19 Negative Arguments............................................................. 21 Question10........................................................ 21 Top Negative Arguments by Initial Support .................................... 21 Final Ballot Test................................................................. 23 Questionll........................................................ 23 Changein Support............................................................... 24 Background & Demographics..................................................... 26 Methodology.................................................................... 27 Questionnaire Development ............................................... 27 Programming, Pre -Test & Translation ........................................ 27 Sample............................................................... 27 Statistical Margin of Error ................................................. 27 Recruiting & Data Collection ............................................... 28 Data Processing........................................................ 29 Rounding............................................................. 29 Questionnaire & Toplines......................................................... 30 City of Santa Ana True North Research, Inc. © 2026 L I S T O F T A B L E S Table 1 Demographic Breakdown of Support at Initial Ballot Test .................... 12 Table 2 Top Projects & Services by Position at Initial Ballot Test ..................... 15 Table 3 Top Positive Arguments by Position at Initial Ballot Test .................... 18 Table 4 Demographic Breakdown of Support at Interim Ballot Test .................. 20 Table 5 Negative Argument by Position at Initial Ballot Test ........................ 22 Table 6 Demographic Breakdown of Support at Final Ballot Test .................... 24 Table 7 Movement Between Initial & Final Ballot Test ............................. 25 Table 8 Demographics of Sample ........................................... 26 City of Santa Ana True North Research, Inc. © 2026 L I S T O F F I G U R E S Figure 1 Quality of Life by Study Year .......................................... 6 Figure 2 Quality of Life by Years in Santa Ana, Child in Hsld & Home Ownership Status .... 7 Figure 3 Quality of Life by Age, Survey Language & Gender ......................... 7 Figure 4 Changes to Improve City ............................................. 8 Figure 5 Overall Satisfaction ................................................. 9 Figure 6 Overall Satisfaction by Years in Santa Ana, Child in Hsld & Quality of Life ........ 9 Figure 7 Overall Satisfaction by Homeowner on Voter File, Age, Survey Language & Gender......................................................... 10 Figure 8 Initial Ballot Test .................................................. 1 1 Figure 9 Reasons for not Supporting Measure ................................... 13 Figure 10 Projects & Services ................................................ 14 Figure 1 1 Positive Arguments ............................................... 16 Figure 12 Interim Ballot Test ................................................. 19 Figure 13 Negative Arguments ............................................... 21 Figure 14 Final Ballot Test .................................................. 23 Figure 15 Margin of Error @ 95% Confidence Interval .............................. 28 City of Santa Ana True North Research, Inc. © 2026 N T R O D U C T I ON 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 residents, 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 funding for city services, such as keeping streets, side- walks, parks and public facilities safe, clean, and well -maintained, fixing potholes, removing graffiti/litter, and providing fire protection, paramedic, crime prevention, and 911 emergency response. 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. The primary purpose of this tracking survey was to pro- duce an unbiased, statistically reliable, up-to-date evaluation of voters' interest in renewing the Measure X sales tax at the current rate (no increase) to continue funding for essential city ser- vices. Additionally, should the City decide to move forward with a renewal measure for the November 2026 ballot, the survey can guide how best to structure the measure so it is consis- tent with the community's priorities and expressed needs. Specifically, the study was designed to: Gauge support in the current environment 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). 1. Source: US Census 2024 ACS 1-Year Estimate. City of Santa Ana True North Research, Inc. © 2026 For a full discussion of the research methods and tech- niques used in this study, turn to Methodology on page 27. In brief, the survey was administered to a random sample of 508 voters in the City of Santa Ana who are likely to participate in the 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 May 26 and June 1, 2026, the average interview lasted 16 minutes. 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 30), and a complete set of crosstabulations for the survey results is contained in Appendix A. 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. A special thanks also to Charles Heath (TeamCivX) for contributing to the design of the sur- vey. 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. True North is a full -service survey research firm that is dedicated to providing public and private agencies with a clear understanding of the values, opinions, priori- ties, and concerns of their residents, voters, and customers. Through designing and implement- ing 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 deci- sions in a variety of areas —such as planning, policy evaluation, performance management, establishing fiscal priorities, passing revenue measures, and developing effective public informa- tion campaigns. During their careers, True North's Principals (Dr. McLarney and Mr. Sarles) have designed and conducted over 1,500 survey research studies for public agencies, including more than 500 rev- enue measure feasibility studies. Of the measures that have gone to ballot based on True North's recommendation, 93% have been successful. In total, the research that True North has con- ducted has led to over $42 billion in voter -approved local revenue measures. City of Santa Ana True North Research, Inc. © 2026 K E Y F I N D I N G S As noted in the Introduction, this tracking survey was designed to provide the City of Santa Ana with an up-to-date, statistically reliable understanding of voters' interest in renewing the Mea- sure X sales tax at the current rate to continue funding public safety, streets and infrastructure, and other essential city services. Whereas subsequent sections of this report are devoted to con- veying 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. Does a Measure X Yes. Santa Ana voters value the services they receive from the City, but renewal still appear fea- continue to see opportunities to improve the quality of life in Santa Ana sible for the November by addressinghomelessness, improving 2026 ballot? p g 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 keeping streets, sidewalks, parks and public facilities safe, clean, and well -maintained, fixing potholes, removing graffiti/litter, and provid- ing fire protection, paramedic, crime prevention, and 911 emergency response. Moreover, despite the recent war in Iran, spiking fuel prices, and consumer sentiment reaching a record low in the past month, natu- ral support for the proposed sales tax has remained steady at 64%, unchanged from the level recorded in the baseline survey conducted in December 2025. The results of this tracking survey indicate that a Measure X renewal con- tinues to be feasible for the November 2026 ballot provided that it main- tains the existing tax rate (no increase), focuses on the projects and services that voters identify as their priorities, and is accompanied by robust community/opinion leader engagement, education, and commu- nication (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. City of Santa Ana True North Research, Inc. © 2026 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. 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 fixing potholes and paving/maintaining city streets (88% strongly or somewhat favor), repairing infrastructure including storm drains, bridges, sidewalks, and public facilities (87%), keeping parks and playgrounds safe, clean, and well -maintained (86%), removing graffiti and cleaning up piles of trash and litter along streets, sidewalks, and in public areas (8S%), providing fire protection and paramedic ser- vices (83%), and providing quick responses to 911 emergencies (82%). 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 resented to the public on a measure has been limited. Thus, in addition proposed measure? p 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, which effectively cooled support for the proposed measure down to 61 % at the Final Ballot Test. There is also a risk that some voters could be swayed by 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 effec- tive, well -organized 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 Measure X renewal is feasible for the November 2026 ballot. Even in a national environment marred by economic uncertainty, political instability, concerns about 2. Section 1 , Article XIIIC, California Constitution. City of Santa Ana True North Research, Inc. © 2026 war, tariffs, and inflation, rising cost -of -living pressures, consumer senti- ment reaching record lows, and broader skepticism about government spending, 64% of voters were supportive of the proposed measure on the natural, which is approximately 14 percentage points above the sim- ple majority (50%+1) required for passage. 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, both domestically and internationally. Exactly how these events unfold and may shape voters' 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 escalation of the war in Iran, sustained high fuel prices, local opposition, and devolving into a hyper -partisan environ- ment), skewed voter turnout, and/or competing measures could dampen support for the measure below what was recorded in this study. City of Santa Ana True North Research, Inc. © 2026 Q U A L IT Y OF L I F E & CITY SERVICES 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. 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, 45% voters shared favorable opinions of the quality of life in Santa Ana, with 5% reporting it is excellent and 40% stating it is good. Approximately 38% of voters sur- veyed rated the quality of life in the City as fair, whereas 1 5% used poor or very poor to describe the quality of life in Santa Ana and 2%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 BY STUDY YEAR Prefer not to Not sure answer 1.2 0.5 Very poor Excellent 5.2 5.2 Poor 3�� Good 40.2 Fair s 38.4 Figures 2 and 3 on the next page show how ratings of the quality of life in the City of Santa Ana varied by length of residence, presence of a child in the household, homeownership status, age, survey language, and gender. When compared to their respective counterparts, positive quality of life ratings (excellent and good) were highest among voters who have lived in the City less than 5 years or for 10-14 years, and seniors (age 65 or older). Ratings were generally consistent by home ownership status, whether there was a child in the household, and gender. City of Santa Ana True North Research, Inc. © 2026 0 FIGURE 2 QUALITY OF LIFE BY YEARS IN SANTA ANA, CHILD IN HSLD & HOME OWNERSHIP STATUS 70 60 50 40 0 a v 30 v 20 10 0 FIGURE 3 QUALITY OF LIFE BY AGE, SURVEY LANGUAGE & GENDER 70 60 50 C 40 c 0 Q v 30 3° 20 10 0 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 on the next page. City of Santa Ana True North Research, Inc. © 2026 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 Clean up, beautify City (graffiti, landscaping) Reduce traffic congestion Improve infrastructure, roads Not sure /Cannot think of anything Address parking issues Enforce traffic laws Improve City -resident communication Provide more affordable housing Improve parks, rec facilities Enforce City codes Provide more police presence, response Address rent control issues Reduce taxes, fees Finish construction faster Improve public transportation Improve fiscal management, budget Ban illegal fireworks Reduce police funding Address mental health issues Improve street lighting J 5 10 15 20 25 Respondents Among specific changes desired, addressing homelessness (20%) and improving public safety (16%) were the most common, followed by cleaning up/beautifying the city (9%), reducing traffic congestion (9%), and improving roads/infrastructure (8%). Less than one -in -ten respondents could not think of a change to Santa Ana that they desired (7%) or stated flatly that no changes are needed/everything is fine (1 .5%).3 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 proposed measure. 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 on the next page, just shy of 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 46% somewhat satisfied. Approximately 35% reported that they were dissatisfied with the City's overall performance, whereas 7% were unsure or unwilling to state their opinion. 3. The latter category is not shown in the graphic since it is below 1 .6%. City of Santa Ana True North Research, Inc. © 2026 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 OVERALL SATISFACTION Very dissatisfied 13.1 Somewhat dissatisfied 21.8 Prefer not to answer Not sure 0.3 Very satisfied 6.4 % 12.6 W .,�mewhat satisfied 45.6 For the interested reader, figures 6 and 7 display how the percentage of respondents satisfied with the City's overall performance varied across demographic subgroups. When compared to their respective counterparts, overall positive satisfaction ratings (very and somewhat satisfied) were highest among voters who have lived in the City between 5-9 years, those who rated the quality of life in Santa Ana (excellent or good), and respondents who took the survey in Vietnam- ese. FIGURE 6 OVERALL SATISFACTION BY YEARS IN SANTA ANA, CHILD IN HSLD & QUALITY OF LIFE 100 90 80 70 v 60 0 50 a 40 30 20 10 0 City of Santa Ana True North Research, Inc. © 2026 9 FIGURE 7 OVERALL SATISFACTION BY HOMEOWNER ON VOTER FILE, AGE, SURVEY LANGUAGE & GENDER 100 90 80 70 v 60 o 50 a 40 30 20 10 0 City of Santa Ana True North Research, Inc. © 2026 N I T I A L B A L L O T T E S T The primary research objective of this tracking survey was to estimate voters' support for renew- ing the Measure X sales tax at the current 1.5 cent rate to maintain funding for city services, such as keeping streets, sidewalks, parks and public facilities safe, clean, and well -maintained, fixing potholes, removing graffiti/litter, and providing fire protection, paramedic, crime preven- tion, and 911 emergency response. 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 as a useful baseline from which to judge the impact of various information items con- veyed later in the survey on voter support for the measure. Question 5 Later this 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 keep- ing streets, sidewalks, parks and public facilities safe, clean, and well -maintained; fixing pot- holes; removing graffiti/litter; and providing fire protection, paramedic, crime prevention, and 911 emergency response; 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 Definitely no 18.9 Probably n( 6.5 Prefer not to answer Not sure 2.1 8.5 Probably yes 27.5 Figure 8 presents the results of the Initial Ballot Test among all respondents. Over- all, 64% of likely November 2026 voters surveyed indicated that they would sup- port the proposed Measure X renewal, :)efinitelyyes whereas 25% stated that they would 36.5 oppose the measure and approximately 11% were unsure or unwilling to share their vote choice. For general taxes in Cal- ifornia, 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. © 2026 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 APPf0Xirnd a %o of Voter % Probably or Universe Definitely Yes % Not sure Overall 100.0 64.0 8.5 Less than 5 15.1 81.5 9.1 Years in Santa Ana (Q1) 5 to 9 1 1 .5 68.7 7.010 to 14 9.0 61.7 8.6 15 or more 64.4 60.4 7.8 Overall Satisfaction (Q4) Satisfied 62.5 76.1 7.9 Dissatisfied 37.5 41.1 9.8 Child in Hsld (Q12) Yes 28.6 69.6 7.0 No 71.4 66.1 9.9 Excellent, good 46.2 79.8 4.6 Quality of Life (Q2) Fair 55.3 15.2 Poor, very poor 40.1 3.9 Registration Year Since ,June 2016 42.2 71 .2 11.2 Before ,June 2016 57.8 58.8 6.5 Homeowner on Voter File Yes 47.6 59.1 6.4 No 52.4 68.5 10.4 Likely to vote by mail Yes 79.6 65.8 9.3 No 20.4 56.9 5.5 18 to 29 24.6 77.5 13.3 30 to 39 19.6 62.9 15.1 Age 40 to 49 14.1 64.6 4.9 50 to 64 19.3 64.1 3.2 65 or older 22.4 49.8 4.3 Likely Jun 2026 Voter Yes 40.8 55.3 6.2 No 59.2 70.0 10.1 Likely Low Turnout Yes 25.5 61.7 4.4 Election Voter No 74.5 64.8 9.9 Democrat 52.8 72.9 5.2 Party Republican 23.5 49.4 7.9 Other / DTS 23.7 58.8 16.5 Single dem 25.5 68.8 5.3 Dual dem 18.9 75.7 7.3 Household Party Type Single rep 12.0 50.5 4.4 Dual rep 4.5 52.9 0.0 Other 16.8 64.5 10.3 Mixed 22.3 57.8 15.7 English 81.6 65.1 8.6 Survey Language Spanish 13.4 56.3 4.7 Vietnamese 5.0 66.5 16.2 Gender Male 49.8 62.7 9.9 Female 50.7' 67.0 8.3 City of Santa Ana True North Research, Inc. © 2026 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 (36%), a belief that taxes are already too high (26%), and no stated reason/not sure (1 7%) 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 Not sure / No particular reason Money will go to employee salaries, pensions Economic, inflation, cost of living concerns Do not trust City Need more information Other ways to be funded Reference to other cities with lower tax rates Money should not go to law enforcement Illegal immigration issues It will hurt local economy Mentioned past ballot measure Oppose some potential spending projects 36.2 26.0 16.9 — 8.1 _ 7.8 7.2 7.1 - 5.8 - 5.6 ■ 4.6 ■ 4.3 04.0 12.4 1.6 0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 Respondents Who Do Not Support Measure City of Santa Ana True North Research, Inc. © 2026 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 maintain funding for city services, such as keeping streets, sidewalks, parks and public facilities safe, clean, and well -maintained, fixing potholes, removing graffiti/litter, and providing fire protection, paramedic, crime prevention, and 911 emergency response. 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 fund- ing 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.4 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 Fix potholes, pave/maintain city streets a Repair aging infrastructure including storm drains, d bridges, sidewalks, public facilities o Keep parks, playgrounds safe, clean, well -maintained Remove graffiti, clean piles of trash, litter along streets, d sidewalks, in public areas o Provide fire protection, paramedic services a Provide quick responses to 911 emergencies zr a Address homelessness Provide law enforcement services, including crime d prevention, investigations Strongly favor Somewhat favor �1 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 8o 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 seven of the eight items tested. That said, the services that resonated with the largest percentage of respondents were fixing potholes and paving/maintaining city streets (88% strongly or somewhat favor), repairing infrastructure including storm drains, bridges, sidewalks, and public facilities (87%), keeping 4. For the full text of the services tested, turn to Question 7 in Questionnaire & Toplines on page 30. City of Santa Ana True North Research, Inc. © 2026 0 14 parks and playgrounds safe, clean, and well -maintained (86%), and removing graffiti and clean- ing up piles of trash and litter along streets, sidewalks, and in public areas (85%). 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 three 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 Q7b Keep parks, playgrounds safe, clean, well -maintained 79 Q7g Address homelessness 77 Probably or Definitely Yes Q7a Remove graffiti, clean piles of trash, litter along streets, sidewalks, in public areas 77 (n = 325) Q7c Fix potholes, pave/maintain city streets 74 Q7e Repair aging infrastructure including storm drains, bridges, sidewalks, public facilities Q7e Repair aging infrastructure including storm drains, bridges, sidewalks, public 45 facilities Q7f Provide fire protection, paramedic services 44 Probably or Definitely No Q7c Fix potholes, pave/maintain city streets 44 (n = 129) Q7a Remove graffiti, clean piles of trash, litter along streets, sidewalks, in public areas 42 Q7d Provide quick responses to 911 emergencies 40 Q7f Provide fire protection, paramedic services 63 Q7a Remove graffiti, clean piles of trash, litter along streets, sidewalks, in public areas 62 Not Sure (n = 43) Q7c Fix potholes, pave/maintain city streets 60 Q7b Keep parks, playgrounds safe, clean, well -maintained 59 Q7e Repair aging infrastructure including storm drains, bridges, sidewalks, public 58 facilities City of Santa Ana True North Research, Inc. © 2026 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. 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 11 POSITIVE ARGUMENTS City maintains 454 mi of streets, 90 mi of storm drains, 371 d acres of parks, playfields, measure provides funding we need to keep streets, infrastructure, parks in good condition All money raised by measure will stay local to fund essential Co services, facilities here in Santa Ana; by law, it can't be taken away by Federal Government, State or County Fast emergency response times for 91 1 critical for saving lives; 00 measure ensures enough law enforcement officers, firefighters, a paramedics to respond quickly to 911 emergencies 0 Measure will help protect quality of life, keep Santa Ana a Co a special place to live by keeping city safe, clean well -maintained City of Santa Ana has $900M in unfunded projects that need to abe completed; the longer we wait to fix streets, infrastructure, facilities, the more expensive it will become v Measure will not increase sales tax your hsld currently pays; it a simply removes sunset on 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 into community to fix streets, infrastructure, public safety, graffiti, a pay for services; voting yes will allow important source of funding to continue Most of sales tax generated locally goes to State, County; Co measure ensures higher percentage of sales tax dollars stay in a Santa Ana, we have local control over how those funds are spent Measure includes a clear system of accountability incl citizen d oversight, independent audits, public disclosure of how all funds are spent In these uncertain times, we can't rely on State or Federal Co government; measure provides stable, predictable funding for a city services that is locally controlled Measure makes good financial sense; some money raised by a sales tax comes from people who visit or pass through Santa Ana. but don't live here ■very convincing ■Somewhat convincing 0 10 20 30 40 so 60 70 80 90 100 % Respondents City of Santa Ana True North Research, Inc. © 2026 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 21). Within each series, specific arguments were admin- istered in random order to avoid a systematic position bias. Figure 1 1 on the previous page presents the truncated positive arguments tested, as well as vot- ers' reactions to the arguments. The arguments are sorted from most convincing to least con- vincing 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 methodol- ogy, the most compelling positive arguments were: The City maintains 454 miles of streets, 90 miles of storm drains, and 371 acres of parks and playfields. This measure provides the funding we need to keep our streets, infrastructure, and parks in good condition (74% very or somewhat convincing), A11 money raised by the measure will stay local to fund essential services and facili- ties here in Santa Ana. By law, it can't be taken away by the Federal Government, State or County (69%), and Fast emergency response times for 911 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 (69%). 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, one specific argument was ranked among the top five most compelling by supporters, opponents, and the undecided. City of Santa Ana True North Research, Inc. © 2026 TABLE 3 TOP POSITIVE ARGUMENTS BY POSITION AT INITIAL BALLOT TEST Position at Initial Ballot %Very Test (Q5) Item Positive Argument Summary Convincing Q8a All money raised by measure will stay local to fund essential services, facilities here 54 in Santa Ana; by law, it can't be taken away by Federal Government, State or County City maintains 454 mi of streets, 90 mi of storm drains, 371 acres of parks, Q8b playfields; measure provides funding we need to keep streets, infrastructure, parks 49 in good condition Probably or Over past 6 yrs, City reinvested every dime of sales tax into community to fix streets, Definitely Yes Q8f infrastructure, public safety, graffiti, pay for services; voting yes will allow important 49 (n = 325) source of funding to continue Fast emergency response times for 911 critical for saving lives; measure ensures Q8c enough law enforcement officers, firefighters, paramedics to respond quickly to 911 47 emergencies Q8d2 In these uncertain times, we can't rely on State or Federal government; measure 47 provides stable, predictable funding for city services that is locally controlled Fast emergency response times for 911 critical for saving lives; measure ensures Q8c enough law enforcement officers, firefighters, paramedics to respond quickly to 911 12 emergencies Measure will not increase sales tax your hsld currently pays; it simply removes sunset Q8e on sales tax approved by voters in 2018 at current rate to continue funding 12 important city services Probably or Definitely No Q8d2 In these uncertain times, we can't rely on State or Federal government; measure 8 (n = 1 29) provides stable, predictable funding for city services that is locally controlled City of Santa Ana has $900M in unfunded projects that need to be completed; the Q8j longer we wait to fix streets, infrastructure, facilities, the more expensive it will 8 become Q8a All money raised by measure will stay local to fund essential services, facilities here 8 in Santa Ana; by law, it can't be taken away by Federal Government, State or County City maintains 454 mi of streets, 90 mi of storm drains, 371 acres of parks, Q8b playfields; measure provides funding we need to keep streets, infrastructure, parks 30 in good condition Fast emergency response times for 911 critical for saving lives; measure ensures Q8c enough law enforcement officers, firefighters, paramedics to respond quickly to 91 1 21 emergencies Not Sure Most of sales tax generated locally goes to State, County; measure ensures higher (n = 43) Q8d1 percentage of sales tax dollars stay in Santa Ana, we have local control over how 18 those funds are spent Q8h Measure includes a clear system of accountability incl citizen oversight, independent 16 audits, public disclosure of how all funds are spent City of Santa Ana has $900M in unfunded projects that need to be completed; the Q8j longer we wait to fix streets, infrastructure, facilities, the more expensive it will 14 become City of Santa Ana True North Research, Inc. © 2026 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 remained steady at 64%, with 39% of voters indicating that they would definitely vote yes on the measure. Approximately 25% 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 keeping streets, sidewalks, parks and public facilities safe, clean, and well -maintained; fixing potholes; removing graffiti/litter; and providing fire protection, paramedic, crime prevention, and 91 7 emergency response; shall City of Santa Ana's ordinance renewing the existing 7.5 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 12 INTERIM BALLOT TEST Definitely nc 1 5.1 Probably no 10.1 Prefer not to answer Not sure 4.0 A 4 Probably yes 25.3 Definitely yes 39.1 TPORT BY SUBGROUP-- 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 who have lived in Santa Ana for less than 5 years (+7%), dual Democrat households (-7%), and those who took th survey in Vietnamese (+10%) or Spanish (+7%). City of Santa Ana True North Research, Inc. © 2026 19 TABLE 4 DEMOGRAPHIC BREAKDOWN OF SUPPORT AT INTERIM BALLOT TEST Change From of Voter % Probably or Initial Ballot Univerl Definitely Yes Test (Q5) Overall 100.0 64.4 +0.4 Less than 5 1 5.1 88.8 +7.4 Years in Santa Ana (Q1) 5 to 9 11.5 73.8 +5.110 to 14 9.0 63.1 +1 .4 15 or more 64.4 58.1 -2.3 Overall Satisfaction (Q4) Satisfied 62.5 77.5 +1.4 Dissatisfied 37.5 40.2 -0.9 Child in Hsld (Q12) Yes 28.6 66.8 -2.8 No 71.4 66.9 +0.7 Excellent, good 46.2 77.5 -2.2 Quality of Life (Q2) Fair 39.1 58.6 +3.3 Poor, very poor 14.7 40.9 +0.8 Since June 2016 42.2 73.8 +2.6 Registration Year Before June 2016 57.8 57.5 -1 .3 Homeowner on Voter File Yes 47.6 53.9 -5.2 No 52.4 73.9 +5.4 Likely to vote by mail Yes 79.6 66.3 +0.5 No 20.4 56.7 -0.2 18 to 29 24.6 82.6 +5.1 30 to 39 19.6 62.7 -0.2 Age 40 to 49 14.1 65.8 +1 .1 50 to 64 19.3 64.7 +0.6 65 or older 22.4 44.6 -5.1 Likely Jun 2026 Voter Yes 40.8 57.3 +2.0 No 59.2 69.2 -0.8 Likely Low Turnout Yes 25.5 63.5 +1 .8 Election Voter No 74.5 64.7 -0.1 Democrat 52.8 70.8 -2.1 Party Republican 23.5 51.4 +2.0 Other / DTS 23.7 63.0 +4.2 Single dem 25.5 69.6 +0.7 Dual dem 18.9 68.8 -6.8 Household Party Type Single rep 12.0 54.4 +3.9 Dual rep 4.5 52.9 +0.0 Other 16.8 70.0 +5.4 Mixed 22.3 58.1 +0.3 English 81.6 63.9 -1.2 Survey Language Spanish 13.4 62.7 +6.5 Vietnamese 5.0 76.6 +10.1 Gender Male 49.8 63.5 +0.8 Female 50.2 67.0 -0.0 City of Santa Ana True North Research, Inc. © 2026 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 o inflation, high interest rates, spiking gas prices, cost of �y living increases; many are struggling to stay afloat; now is not the time to raise taxes There are no guarantees on how funds will be spent, o which means City can divert money to pet projects �y without any say from voters; we can't trust City with tax dollars; they will mismanage money Everyone is coming after us for tax increases, incl state o and county taxes, school bonds, other taxes that will be p on ballot next yr; enough is enough; we can't afford to keep raising taxes o Santa Ana has the highest sales tax of any city in Orange a County. Santa Ana is an expensive place to live, especially for young families, seniors, and those on fixed incomes. a Passing this tax will make it even less affordable. ■very convincing Somewhat convincing 0 10 20 30 40 so 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, spiking gas prices, and cost of living increases. Many are struggling to stay afloat. Now is not the time to raise taxes (76% very or somewhat convincing), 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 (68%), and Everyone 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%). 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. © 2026 TABLE 5 NEGATIVE ARGUMENT BY POSITION AT INITIAL BALLOT TEST Position at Initial Ballot %Very Test (Q5) Item Negative Argument Summary Convincing Q10e Santa Ana has the highest sales tax of any city in Orange County. 35 Residents, local businesses have been hit hard by inflation, high interest rates, Q10a spiking gas prices, cost of living increases; many are struggling to stay afloat; now is 34 not the time to raise taxes Probably or There are no guarantees on how funds will be spent, which means City can divert Definitely Yes Ql Oc money to pet projects without any say from voters; we can't trust City with tax 30 (n = 325) dollars; they will mismanage money Everyone is coming after us for tax increases, incl state and county taxes, school Q10b bonds, other taxes that will be on ballot next yr; enough is enough; we can't afford 27 to keep raising taxes Q10d Santa Ana is an expensive place to live, especially for young families, seniors, and 19 those on fixed incomes. Passing this tax will make it even less affordable. Residents, local businesses have been hit hard by inflation, high interest rates, Q10a spiking gas prices, cost of living increases; many are struggling to stay afloat; now is 76 not the time to raise taxes Everyone is coming after us for tax increases, incl state and county taxes, school Q10b bonds, other taxes that will be on ballot next yr; enough is enough; we can't afford 74 to keep raising taxes Probably or There are no guarantees on how funds will be spent, which means City can divert Definitely No Q10c money to pet projects without any say from voters; we can't trust City with tax 70 (n = 1 29) dollars; they will mismanage money Q10e Santa Ana has the highest sales tax of any city in Orange County. 69 Q10d Santa Ana is an expensive place to live, especially for young families, seniors, and 64 those on fixed incomes. Passing this tax will make it even less affordable. Residents, local businesses have been hit hard by inflation, high interest rates, Q10a spiking gas prices, cost of living increases; many are struggling to stay afloat; now is 55 not the time to raise taxes There are no guarantees on how funds will be spent, which means City can divert Q10c money to pet projects without any say from voters; we can't trust City with tax 50 dollars; they will mismanage money Not Sure Ql Od Santa Ana is an expensive place to live, especially for young families, seniors, and 47 (n = 43) those on fixed incomes. Passing this tax will make it even less affordable. Q10e Santa Ana has the highest sales tax of any city in Orange County. 45 one is coming after us for tax increases, incl state and county taxes, school Q10b Fbonds,other taxes that will be on ballot next yr; enough is enough; we can't afford 42 e raising taxes City of Santa Ana True North Research, Inc. © 2026 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 keeping streets, side- walks, parks and public facilities safe, clean, and well -maintained; fixing potholes; removing graffiti/litter; and providing fire protection, paramedic, crime prevention, and 911 emergency response; 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 4.7 8.1 �� Definitely no 1 7.5 Probably no 8.5 Probably yes 28.8 Definitely yes 32.5 At this point in the survey, support for the measure was found among 61% of likely November 2026 voters surveyed, with 33% indicating they would definitely support the measure. Approxi- mately 26% of respondents opposed the measure at the Final Ballot Test, and 1 3% were unsure or unwilling to state their vote choice. City of Santa Ana True North Research, Inc. © 2026 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 % 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 oximat. Change From Change From of Voter % Probably or Initial Ballot Interim Ballot Universe Definitely Yes Test (Q5) Test (Q9) Overall 100.0 61.3 -2.7 -3.1 Less than 5 15.1 86.6 +5.1 -2.2 Years in Santa Ana (Ql) 5 to 9 1 1.S 68.4 -0.4 -5.4 10 to 14 9.0 60.2 -1.5 -2.9 15 or more 64.4 55.2 -5.2 -3.0 Overall Satisfaction (Q4) Satisfied 62.5 76.6 +0.5 -0.9 Dissatisfied 37.5 36.2 -4.9 -4.0 Child in Hsld (Q12) Yes 28.6 66.3 -3.3 -0.5 No 63.3 -2.8 -3.5 Excellent, good 78.2 -1.6 +0.6 Quality of Life (Q2) Fair 51.1 -4.2 -7.5 Poor, very poor 38.2 -1.9 -2.7 Since June 2016 67.5 -3.7 -6.2 Registration Year Before June 2016 8 56.7 -2.1 -0.8 Homeowner on Voter File Yes -47.6 53.9 -5.2 +0.0 No 52.4 68.0 -0.5 -5.9 Likely to vote by mail Yes 79.6 65.6 -0.3 -0.7 No 20.4 44.5 -12.4 -12.2 18 to 29 24.6 73.9 -3.6 -8.8 30 to 39 19.6 S9.7 -3.2 -3.0 Age 40 to 49 14.1 61.8 -2.8 -3.9 50 to 64 19.3 59.5 -4.6 -5.2 65 or older 22.4 S0.1 +0.3 +5.4 Likely Jun 2026 Voter Yes 40.8 54.1 -1.2 -3.2 No 59.2 66.2 -3.8 -3.0 Likely Low Turnout Yes 25.S 61.3 -0.4 -2.2 Election Voter No 74.S 61.3 -3.5 -3.4 Democrat 52.8 69.7 -3.2 -1.1 Party Republican 23.S 42.3 -7.1 -9.1 Other / DTS 23.7 61.4 +2.6 -1 .6 Single dem 25.5 64.2 -4.6 -5.4 Dual dem 18.9 74.2 -1.4 +5.4 Household Party Type Single rep 12.0 37.4 -1 3.1 -1 7.0 Dual rep 4.5 50.9 -1.9 -1.9 Other 16.8 70.1 +5.5 +0.1 Mixed 22.3 55.3 -2.5 -2.8 English 81.6 61.1 -4.0 -2.8 Survey Language Spanish 13.4 59.3 +3.1 -3.4 Vietnamese 5.0 69.2 +2.7 -7.4 Gender Male 49.8 63.3 +0.6 -0.2 Female 50.2 60.6 -6.4 -6.4 City of Santa Ana True North Research, Inc. © 2026 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. The general trend over the course of the entire survey (Initial to Final Ballot Test) was also one of waning support, averaging -3% overall. Even with this decline, support for the proposed sales tax measure at the Final Ballot Test (61 %) remained 1 1 % 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 36.5% of respondents who indicated that they would definitely support the measure at the Initial Ballot Test, 25.0% also indicated they would definitely support the measure at the Final Ballot Test. Approximately 9.7% moved to the proba- bly support group, 0.2% moved to the probably oppose group, 0.0% moved to the definitely oppose group, and 1 .7% 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 (Ql 1) Definitely Probably Probably Definitely Initial Ballot Test (Q5) support support oppose oppose Not sure Definitely support 36.5% 25.0% 9.7% ji. 07. Probably support 27.5% 6.8% 16.6% 0.1% Probably oppose 6.S% 2.8% Definitely oppose 18.9% 3.1% 14.4% Not sure 10.6% 4.9% 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 slightly larger percentage found the same information to be a reason to be less supportive. Despite 1 5% of respondents making a fundamentals shift in their opinion about the measure over the course of the interview, the nel impact is that support for the measure at the Final Ballot Test (61%) was just three percentage point different than support at the Initial Ballot Test (64%). S. 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. © 2026 B A C K G R O U N D & D E M O G RA PHI C S TABLE 8 DEMOGRAPHICS OF SAMPLE Total Respondents 508 Years in Santa Ana (Ql ) Less than 5 14.9 5 to 9 11.3 10 to 14 8.9 15 or more 63.6 Prefer not to answer 1.3 Child in Hsld (Q1 2) Yes 26.8 No 66.7 Prefer not to answer 6.5 Gender Male 46.6 Female 47.0 Non -binary 0.3 Prefer not to answer 6.1 Party Democrat 52.8 Republican 23.5 Other / DTS 23.7 Age 18 to 29 24.6 30 to 39 19.6 40 to 49 14.1 50 to 64 19.3 65 or older 22.4 Registration Year Since June 2016 42.2 Before June 2016 57.8 Household Party Type Single dem 25.5 Dual dem 18.9 Single rep 12.0 Dual rep 4.5 Other 16.8 Mixed 22.3 Homeowner on Voter File Yes 47.6 No 52.4 Likely to Vote by Mail Yes 79.6 No 20.4 Likely Jun 2026 Voter Yes 40.8 No 59.2 Likely Low Turnout Election Voter Yes 25.5 No 74.5 Survey Language English 81.6 Spanish 13.4 Vietnamese 5.0 In addition to questions directly related to the pro- posed measure, the study collected basic demo- graphic information about respondents and their households. Some of this information was gathered during the interview, although much of it was col- lected 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. © 2026 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. 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 D1) and the other half received version 2 (e.g., Question 8, item D2). The questionnaire included with this report (see Question- naire & Toplines on page 30) identifies the skip instructions that were used during the interview to ensure that each respondent received the appropriate questions. 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. 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. 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. © 2026 Voters recruited via email and text were assigned a unique passcode to ensure that only voter who received an invitation could access the online survey site, and that each voter could com City of Santa Ana True North Research, Inc. © 2026 what was found in the survey of voters for a particular question and what would have been found if all of the estimated 85,586 likely November 2026 voters identified in the city had been sur- veyed for the study. Figure 15 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 ± 4.3% at the 95% confidence level. FIGURE 1 5 MARGIN OF ERROR @ 95% CONFIDENCE INTERVAL 0 w 8% O C 0) 6% ro 4% 2% 0% --- ---r-- --- 508 Respondents ± 4.3% J- - - - L - - - -'- - - - - - - - -I- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -'- - - - - - - - - L - - - J - - - - - - - - J - - - - L ---- I ---- I r ---- 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 1 5 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. 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. s • plete the survey only one time. A total of 508 surveys were completed between May 26 and June 1, 2026. Data processing consisted of checking the data for errors or inconsis- tencies, coding and recoding responses, weighting, and preparing frequency analyses and cross - tabulations. 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. © 2026 Q U E S T I ON N A I RE & T O P L I N E S RUENORTH R E S E A R C H City of Santa Ana Sales Tax Tracking Survey Prelim Toplines (n=508) June 2026 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. Q1 How long have you lived in Santa Ana? 1 Less than 1 year 4% 2 1 to 4 years 11 3 5 to 9 years 11 4 10 to 14 years 9% 5 15 years or longer 64% 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 5% 2 Good 40% 3 Fair 38% 4 Poor 9% 5 Very poor 5% 98 Not sure 1% 99 Prefer not to answer 0% True North Research, Inc. © 2026 City of Santa Ana Page 7 True North Research, Inc. © 2026 City of Santa Ana Sales Tax Tracking Survey June 2026 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 20% Improve public safety 16% Reduce traffic congestion 9% Clean up, beautify City (graffiti, landscaping) 9% Improve infrastructure, roads 8% Not sure /Cannot think of anything 7% Enforce traffic laws 6% Address parking issues 6% Provide more affordable housing 5% Improve parks, rec facilities 5% Improve City -resident communication 5% Reduce taxes, fees 4% Enforce City codes 4% Provide more police presence, response 4% Address rent control issues 4% Improve public transportation 3% Improve fiscal management, budget 3% Finish construction faster 3% Improve street lighting 2% Ban illegal fireworks 2% Reduce police funding 2% Address mental health issues 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 very (satisfied/dissatisfied) or somewhat (satisfied/dissatisfied)? 1 Very satisfied 1 3% 2 Somewhat satisfied 46% 3 Somewhat dissatisfied 22% 4 Very dissatisfied 1 3% 98 Not sure 6% 99 Prefer not to answer 0% City of Santa Ana True North Research, Inc. ©2026 City of Santa Ana Sales Tax Tracking Survey June 2026• Section 3: Initial Ballot Test Later this year, voters in Santa Ana may be asked to vote on a local ballot measure. Let me read you a summary of the measure. Q5 To maintain funding for city services, such as: • Keeping streets, sidewalks, parks and public facilities safe, clean, and well - maintained Fixing potholes Removing graffiti/litter • And providing fire protection, paramedic, crime prevention, and 9-1-1 emergency response 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 definitely (yes/no) or probably (es/no)? 1 Definitely yes 37% Skip to Q7 2 Probably yes 27% Skip to Q7 3 Probably no 7% Ask Q6 4 Definitely no 19% Ask Q6 98 Not sure 8% Ask Q6 99 Prefer not to answer 2% Skip to Q7 Q6 Is there a particular reason why you do not support or are unsure about the measure I just described? If yes, ask: Please briefly describe your reason. Verbatim responses recorded and later grouped into categories shown below. Money is misspent, mismanaged 36% Taxes already too high 26% Not sure / No particular reason 1 7% Money will go to employee salaries, pensions 8% Economic, inflation, cost of living concerns 8% Need more information 7% Do not trust City 7% Other ways to be funded 6% Reference to other cities with lower tax rates 6% Money should not go to law enforcement 5% Illegal immigration issues 4% It will hurt local economy 4% Mentioned past ballot measure 2% Oppose some potential spending projects 2% City of Santa Ana True North Research, Inc. ©2026 City of Santa Ana Sales Tax Tracking Survey June 2026 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 ° 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? L .V R Randomize. Split Sample DI/D2 >.0 > v o � 07 v o � o z o 0� z r° d All money raised by the measure will stay local to fund essential services and facilities A here in Santa Ana. By law, it can't be taken 37% 32% 10% 14% 3% 3% away by the Federal Government, State or County. The City maintains 454 miles of streets, 90 miles of storm drains, and 371 acres of parks B and playfields. This measure provides the 36% 38% 12% 9% 2% 4% funding we need to Keep our streets, infrastructure, and arks in good condition. City of Santa Ana True North Research, Inc. ©2026 City of Santa Ana Sales Tax Tracking Survey June 2026 True North Research, Inc. © 2026 Page 5 Fast emergency response times for 9-1-1 calls are critical for saving lives. This measure C ensures that we have enough law 35% 34% 11 % 14% 4% 3% enforcement officers, firefighters, and paramedics to respond quickly to 9-1-1 emergencies. Most of the sales tax generated locally goes to the State of California and Orange County. D1 This measure ensures that a higher 32% 33% 8% 1 8% 6% 4% percentage of our sales tax dollars stay here in Santa Ana and we have local control over how those funds are spent. In these uncertain times, we can't rely on the D2 State or Federal government. This measure 32% 30% 12% 1 5% 6% 5% provides stable and predictable funding for city services that is locally controlled. This measure will not increase the sales tax your household currently pays. It simply E removes the sunset on the sales tax approved 33% 33% 10% 1 5% 5% 4% by voters in 2018 at the current rate to continue funding important city services. Over the past six years, the City has reinvested every dime of the sales tax revenues back into the community to fix our F streets and infrastructure, improve public 34% 32% 10% 1 9% 3% 3° � safety, remove graffiti, and pay for essential city services. Voting 'yes' on this measure will allow this important source of funding to continue. This measure will help protect our quality of G life and Keep Santa Ana a special place to live 32% 36% 10% 14% 4% 3% by keeping our city safe, clean and well - maintained. The measure includes a clear system of Fi accountability including citizen oversight, 30% 32% 1 1 % 1 9% 5% 3% independent audits, and public disclosure of how all funds are spent. This measure makes good financial sense. I Some of the money raised by the sales tax 20% 34% 1 7% 1 7% 6% 4% comes from people who visit or pass through Santa Ana, but don't live here. The City of Santa Ana has more than 900 million dollars in unfunded projects that need J to be completed. The longer we wait to fix 32% 36% 12% 1 3% 3% 4% our streets, infrastructure, and facilities, the more expensive it will become. City of Santa Ana True North Research, Inc. © 2026 34 City of Santa Ana Sales Tax Tracking Survey June 2026• 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: Keeping streets, sidewalks, parks and public facilities safe, clean, and well - maintained • Fixing potholes • Removing graffiti/litter • And providing fire protection, paramedic, crime prevention, and 9-1-1 Q9 emergency response 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 definitely (es/no) or robabl (es/no)? 1 Definitely yes 39% 2 Probably yes 25% 3 Probably no 10% 4 Definitely no 1 5% 98 Not sure 6% 99 Prefer not to answer 4% 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? . R .0 Randomize �.0 V � v �° > a N O N > o � o z o z v Residents and local businesses have been hit hard by inflation, high interest rates, spiking A gas prices, and cost of living increases. Many 46% 29% 10% 6% 3% 5% are struggling to stay afloat. Now is not the time to raise taxes. Everyone is coming after us for tax increases - including state and county taxes, school B bonds, and other taxes that will be on the 40% 27% 1 5% 11 % 4% 4% ballot next year. Enough is enough. We can't afford to keep raisin our taxes. City of Santa Ana True North Research, Inc. ©2026 There are no guarantees on how funds will be spent, which means the City can divert the C money to pet projects without any say from 42% 26% 1 3% 1 0% 5% 4% voters. We can't trust the City with our tax dollars. They will mismanage the money. Santa Ana is an expensive place to live, D especially for young families, seniors, and 33% 24% 1 8% 14% 7% 4% those on fixed incomes. Passing this tax will make it even less affordable. E Santa Ana has the highest sales tax of any 44% 20% 14% 8% 9% 4% city in Orange County. City of Santa Ana Sales Tax Tracking Survey June 2026Section 8: Final Ballot Test True North Research, Inc. © 2026 Page 7 Now that you have heard a bit more about the measure, let me read you a summar• y of it one more time. To maintain funding for city services, such as: Keeping streets, sidewalks, parks and public facilities safe, clean, and well - maintained • Fixing potholes • Removing graffiti/litter • And providing fire protection, paramedic, crime prevention, and 9-1-1 Q1 1 emergency response 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 definitely (es/no) or robabl (es/no)? 1 Definitely yes 32% 2 Probably yes 29% 3 Probably no 9% 4 Definitely no 1 7% 98 Not sure 8% 99 Prefer not to answer 5% City of Santa Ana True North Research, Inc. ©2026 City of Santa Ana Sales Tax Tracking Survey June 2026 Section 9: Background & Demographics �m Thank you so much for your participation. I have just one background question for statistical purposes. Q1 2 Do you have children under the age of 18 living in your household? 1 Yes 27% 2 No 67% 99 Prefer not to answer 7% Those are all of the questions that I have for you. Thanks so much for participating in this important survey. Sl Gender 1 Male 47% 2 Female 47% 3 Non -binary 0% 4 Prefer not to answer 6% S2 Party7um:: J1111111L� 1 Democrat 53% 2 Republican 23% 3 Other 9% 4 DTS 15% 53 Age on Voter File 1 18 to 29 25% 2 30 to 39 20% 3 40 to 49 14% 4 50 to 64 19% 5 65 or older 22% S4 Registration Date 1 Since Nov 2020 20% 2 Jun 2016 to before Nov 2020 22% 3 Jun 2012 to before Jun 2016 14% City of Santa Ana True North Research, Inc. ©2026 City of Santa Ana Sales Tax Tracking Survey June 2026 4 Before June 2012 44% 55 Household Party Type 1 Single Dem 25% 2 Dual Dem 19% 3 Single Rep 12% 4 Dual Rep 5% 5 Single Other 12% 6 Dual Other 5% 7 Dem &Rep 4% 8 Dem &Other 10% 9 Rep &Other 7% 0 Mixed (Dem +Rep +Other) 1 S6 Homeowner on Voter File 1 Yes 48% 2 No 52% S7 Likely to Vote by Mail 1 Yes 80% 2 No 20% 58 Likely November 2026 Voter 1 Yes 100% 2 No 0% 59 LikelyJune 2026 Voter 1 Yes 41% 2 No 59% Sl 0 Likely Low Turnout Election Voter 1 Yes 26% 2 No 74% City of Santa Ana True North Research, Inc. ©2026 City of Santa Ana Sales Tax Tracking Survey June 2026 S11 Survey Language 1 English 82% 2 Spanish 13% 3 Vietnamese 5% City of Santa Ana True North Research, Inc. ©2026