policy
Santa Ana Voters Face November Choice on Half-Cent Sales Tax
Voters will decide in November whether to raise the local sales tax by half a cent to fund street maintenance, transit upgrades and job training across Santa Ana.
How we reported this
The Santa Ana Infrastructure and Jobs Initiative would authorize a 0.5 percent sales tax increase to generate revenue for road repairs, bus fleet replacements and vocational training contracts, directly affecting the city's 308,000 residents who rely on local streets and public services.
City staff placed the measure on the November 2026 ballot after the 2025 capital improvement plan documented $85 million in unfunded street and facility needs, a backlog that has grown since the last major bond issuance in 2018.
Daily Effects for Santa Ana Neighborhoods
Residents along corridors such as Fourth Street and Bristol Avenue would see scheduled repaving crews if the measure passes, while the plan sets aside $4.8 million annually for expanded bus service on routes serving the Santa Ana Regional Transportation Center. The measure also directs $6.2 million each year to apprenticeship slots at Santa Ana College and local union training centers, with priority for applicants living in zip codes 92701, 92703 and 92707.
The legislation states that 35 percent of construction contracts must go to firms headquartered in Santa Ana, a requirement intended to keep payroll spending inside city limits rather than flowing to contractors based elsewhere in Orange County.
Revenue Projections and Next Steps
City budget documents for fiscal year 2026 list current infrastructure outlays at $18.4 million from the general fund, an amount the new tax would roughly double once collections begin in 2027. The Santa Ana City Clerk has scheduled the final ballot language review for August 2026, after which the measure will appear as a single yes-or-no question on the November ballot.
If approved by a majority of voters, the first round of project bids is expected to open in February 2027, with initial paving contracts let by April and training program enrollment opening the following summer.