City of Santa Ana Measure N — Santa Ana Streets, Public Safety, Essential City Services Measure (Orange County)
Ballot measure · November 3, 2026 · Santa Ana voters
Results: the official election results site. Counts are unofficial until certified.
- What it does
- 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 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?
- A YES vote means
- Santa Ana's 1.5 cent sales tax would continue with no end date, providing about $84,000,000 a year for city services until ended by voters, with audits and resident oversight.
- A NO vote means
- Santa Ana's 1.5 cent sales tax would not be made permanent and would keep its current end date.
- What it would cost
- 1.5% sales tax: $1.50 on a $100 taxable purchase.
- Needed to pass
- A simple majority: more than half of the YES and NO votes on this measure must be YES. Leaving it blank doesn't count either way.
- Left–right lean
- Not a left–right issue: a procedural or local question that liberals and conservatives don't typically split on (AI read of the official ballot summary).
Explained
Today
- In 2018, Santa Ana voters approved a 20-year local sales (transactions and use) tax of 1.5 cents per dollar to fund general city services.
- Under that law, the rate drops to 1 cent on April 1, 2029, and the tax ends entirely on April 1, 2039.
- The tax applies to most over-the-counter sales of goods and restaurant purchases. A citizen oversight committee, an annual independent audit and an annual spending disclosure are already required.
If it passes
- The scheduled 2029 cut to 1 cent and the 2039 end date would be removed. The tax would stay at 1.5 cents with no end date, until ended by voters.
- The City Attorney's impartial analysis says this would generate about $84 million a year for general city services, such as 911 emergency response, pothole repair and graffiti and litter removal, and the money could also be used to address the city's anticipated structural deficit at the City Council's discretion.
- The oversight committee, independent audit and annual disclosure requirements would stay in place.
- It would take effect 10 days after the City Council certifies the November 3, 2026 results; a simple majority is required.
Example
On a $100 taxable purchase in Santa Ana, the local tax is $1.50 today. Under current law it would fall to $1.00 starting April 1, 2029 and to $0 after March 31, 2039; if Measure N passes, it would stay at $1.50.
Who would notice
People and businesses buying taxable goods in Santa Ana, and City services such as police, fire, streets and parks that the general fund supports.
How it got here
The Santa Ana City Council placed Measure N on the November 3, 2026 ballot. The 2018 tax was written to step down in 2029 and expire in 2039; Measure N asks voters to make the current rate permanent.
Background
According to the Santa Ana City Attorney's impartial analysis, Santa Ana voters in 2018 enacted a 20-year local transactions and use (sales) tax of 1.5 cents, set to drop to 1 cent on April 1, 2029 and to end on April 1, 2039.
The impartial analysis states that Measure N would remove both the 2029 rate reduction and the 2039 sunset, keeping the tax at 1.5 cents with no end date and generating approximately $84,000,000 a year for general city services; it adds that the revenue could also be used to address the city's anticipated structural deficit at the City Council's discretion.
The analysis states that the existing citizen oversight committee, annual independent audit and annual expenditure disclosure requirements would remain in place.
The City Council placed the measure on the ballot at its July 7, 2026 meeting, with Councilmembers Jessie Lopez and David Penaloza voting against, according to LAist; the county voter guide states that no argument against the measure was submitted.
In the news
Next elections here
Also on Orange County ballots
- City of Costa Mesa Measure C — The Costa Mesa Fair Business License Reform, Small Business Protection Measure
- City of Irvine Measure D — Measure Directing the Use of Ranked Choice Voting for City Council Member and Mayoral Elections after January 1, 2028
- City of Laguna Beach Measure E — An Ordinance of the People of the City of Laguna Beach, California, Adding Section 2.04.080 to the Laguna Beach Municipal Code to Establish Term Limits for City Council Members
- City of Lake Forest Measure F — Lake Forest Election Reform and Voter Choice Measure
- City of Los Alamitos Measure G — Los Alamitos Hotel Tax (TOT Measure)
- City of Newport Beach Measure H — City of Newport Beach General Plan – Amendment
- City of Orange Measure I — City of Orange Public Safety/Essential Services Measure
- City of Orange Measure J — City of Orange Hotel Guest Tax Modification Measure
- City of Orange Measure K — Proposed Charter for the City of Orange
- City of Placentia Measure L — Placentia Hotel Tax Measure
- City of San Clemente Measure M — San Clemente Natural Hazards Sales Tax Citizens Initiative
- City of Westminster Measure O — Westminster City Services Measure
Quick answers
- What does a YES vote on City of Santa Ana Measure N mean?
- Santa Ana's 1.5 cent sales tax would continue with no end date, providing about $84,000,000 a year for city services until ended by voters, with audits and resident oversight.
- What does a NO vote on City of Santa Ana Measure N mean?
- Santa Ana's 1.5 cent sales tax would not be made permanent and would keep its current end date.
- Is this a tax increase?
- It keeps today's 1.5-cent rate. Compared with current law, it cancels the scheduled reduction to 1 cent in 2029 and the end of the tax in 2039.
- What does a no vote do?
- The tax stays as voters approved it in 2018: 1.5 cents until March 31, 2029, then 1 cent until March 31, 2039, then it ends.
- How is the money tracked?
- The existing citizen oversight committee, annual independent audit and annual expenditure disclosure continue.
- How many votes does City of Santa Ana Measure N need to pass?
- A simple majority: more than half of the YES and NO votes on this measure must be YES. Leaving it blank doesn't count either way.
- Should I vote yes or no on City of Santa Ana Measure N?
- SpectrumVote doesn't endorse anyone or tell you how to vote. Read what a YES and a NO vote each do, and the official text, then decide based on what you want to happen.
- When is the vote?
- The general election was Tuesday, November 3, 2026. Counts are unofficial until each state certifies its results over the following weeks; your state or county election office has the official results.
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