For voters in Santa Ana, the mayor is the most important elected official, overseeing the Santa Ana City Council and the laws and policies that affect those who live in the city.

The mayor is elected city-wide and can serve up to four, two-year terms. A mayor pro tem is chosen from the councilmembers through nomination. If the mayor is absent, the mayor pro tem serves in their place.

What does the mayor do?

The Santa Ana Mayor is an at-large member of the council, meaning they represent the city as a whole. The position is also non-partisan. During council meetings, the mayor presides, and helps facilitate dialogue between councilmembers and advocates for policies that would ultimately affect residents. The mayor is also the city’s representative in county-wide government institutions.

Some other mayoral duties:

• Appointing a city attorney and city clerk
• Hiring the city manager, an important role that recommends policy for the city council to adopt and presents the annual city budget
• Balancing of the city’s budget
• Setting and raising taxes with support of the council
• Signing resolutions, ordinances and city contracts

The mayor does not appoint the chief of police. They also do not oversee who sits on the Santa Ana Unified School District board. Those seats are voted on by the people.

Fast facts about Santa Ana and the mayoral race

• Santa Ana is Orange County’s second most populous city, behind Anaheim.
• It is the county seat.
• Around 25% of the residents in Santa Ana are non-U.S. citizens.
• The incumbent, Mayor Valerie Amezcua, is running for reelection. She is being challenged by councilmember Benjamin Vazquez. 

What’s on the agenda for next term:

Budget cliff: City officials sounded the alarm as revenue generated from the voter-approved Measure X sales tax is set for a reduction in 2029, from 1.5% to 1%. Currently, the sales tax is responsible for 22% of the general fund budget.

What could this mean for city services? Funds generated from the sales tax goes towards emergency response services, street repairs and the upkeep of parks and senior services. At a council meeting in April, city staff said projections show that because expenses are increasing faster than money is coming in, Santa Ana could begin to see a budget deficit as soon as next year.

Anti-camping policies: The U.S. Supreme Court’s Grant Pass ruling was strengthened when California Governor Gavin Newsom issued an order late July asking state officials to dismantle homeless encampments. At a recent council meeting, the mayor spoke of the need to clear the city of homeless encampments.

Additional issues: Like so many communities, Santa Ana is struggling with the need for more affordable housing and gentrification concerns. There are also accuations of the police union wielding too much power within City Hall and a looming investigation into allegedly hostile working conditions within City Hall. And if Measure DD passes, allowing noncitizens living in Santa Ana the right to vote in local elections, there will no doubt be legal challenges to deal with.

Meet the mayoral candidates

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Courtesy City of Santa Ana

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Valerie Amezcua

Mayor of Santa Ana 

Amezcua is Santa Ana’s first female mayor and previously served on the board of Santa Ana Unified School District for eight years. During her time on the board she also served as president. She is also a former supervising probation officer with the Orange County Probation Department.

Amezcua is running on a platform to build partnerships to improve educational institutions in the city as well as expand workforce housing and reduce homelessness. She says she also wants to work with the city’s first responders to foster community trust. She says she does not support Measure DD, which would allow Santa Ana residents who are noncitizens the right to vote in local municipal elections, because its passage would lead to costly legal battles for the city.

More voter resources:

• Website: ValerieAmezcua.com
• Endorsements: See full list here

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Courtesy Benjamin Vazquez for Santa Ana

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Benjamin Vazquez

City Councilmember, ethnic studies teacher

Vazquez currently serves as a councilmember on Santa Ana’s City Council. He was voted on a platform to improve the life of working class families. In addition to being a teacher, Vazquez also serves as a cultural worker at El Centro Cultural de México.

He is running on a platform to build partnerships with the school board and local government as he says this will help prioritize the needs of families. He is also championing a need for greater police accountability, investments in youth and increased government transparency. He is also a champion of Measure DD, which is also on the Nov. 5 ballot and would grant Santa Ana residents who are noncitizens the right to vote in municipal elections.

More voter resources:

• Website: BenjaminVazquezForSantaAna.com
• Endorsements: See full list here

Go deeper on the issues facing Santa Ana:

• Here's how Orange County cities are managing vastly different budgets
• Will an industrial moratorium raise housing costs in Santa Ana?
• Voice of OC: A look into the claims that the police union 'runs city hall'
• Orange County Register: Santa Ana Mayor Valerie Amezcua faces investigation over alleged hostile work environment

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