City Manager’s Office
www.santa-ana.org/cm
Item # 11
City of Santa Ana
20 Civic Center Plaza, Santa Ana, CA 92701
Staff Report
November 4, 2025
TOPIC: Scientific Polling Services
AGENDA TITLE
Agreement with True North Research, Inc. for Scientific Polling and Communications Services (Specification No. 25-105) (General Fund)
RECOMMENDED ACTION
Authorize the City Manager to execute an agreement with True North Research, Inc. to provide scientific polling and communications services in an amount not to exceed $198,250, for a term beginning November 4, 2025 and expiring November 30, 2026, with provisions for two (2), one (1) year extensions. (Agreement No. A-2025-XXX) GOVERNMENT CODE §84308 APPLIES: Yes
DISCUSSION
In November 2018, the City’s voters approved Measure X, a local sales tax add-on with a rate of 1.50%. The rate is set to decrease from 1.50% to 1.00% on April 1, 2029, decreasing the City’s revenue by as much as $30 million per year. The City will need to explore all available options to rebalance the budget. Options include reducing services, maximizing efficiencies, increasing fees, and asking the voters to preserve the local sales tax add-on rate at 1.50%. Staff recommends conducting a scientific baseline survey to enable the City Council to make sound, strategic decisions based upon data collected according to rigorous methodological standards.
Request for Proposals (RFP) No. 25-105 was issued on August 6, 2025 on the City’s online bid management and publication system. A summary of vendor participation and results is as follows:
275 Vendors notified
0 Santa Ana vendors notified
23 Vendors downloaded the RFP packet
7 Proposals received
0 Proposals received from Santa Ana vendors
Scientific Polling Services
November 4, 2025
5 4
1 1
Proposals were solicited, opened on September 3, 2025, and evaluated. Five proposals were determined to be responsive to the specifications and met the City’s requirements.
An evaluation committee reviewed and rated the proposals according to the criteria listed in the RFP.
Staff recommends awarding an agreement to the highest-ranked firm, True North Research, Inc. (Exhibit 1). True North Research, Inc. has significant experience with a large number of California cities, a competitive price proposal for polling services, and the ability to provide a full range of services after the initial poll; including public communications, graphics, and writing a ballot measure.
In Phase 1 of the project, True North Research, Inc. will design and implement a survey that produces valid and reliable measures of opinion from the voting population. Using a stratified and clustered random sampling methodology, True North Research, Inc. will recruit participation via email invitations, text invitations, and telephone calls. Survey data will be collected by telephone or online participation in English, Spanish, or Vietnamese. A sample size of 600 completed surveys will achieve a +/- 4% margin of error at the 95% confidence level. The proposed agreement allows for a sample size of up to 800 completed surveys to test two different finance mechanisms at a cost of $38,250. The results of the baseline survey will be presented to City Council. If the survey results are promising and the City Council chooses to move forward to Phase 2 of the project, the agreement allows for the following optional services:
Consulting on measure preparation, strategy, and communications at a cost of up to $80,000 ($10,000 per month for up to 8 months);
A tracking survey in summer 2026 at a cost of $31,500; and Preparation and mailing of a single multilingual educational piece to all 64,115 registered voter households at a cost of $48,500.
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT
There is no environmental impact associated with this action.
FISCAL IMPACT
Funding of $38,250 for the baseline survey is available in the current FY 2025-26 budget. If the City Council directs staff to move forward with Phase 2 activities with a cost of up to $160,000, staff may request an additional appropriation with the Midyear budget report.
Fiscal
Year
Account Unit
- Account #
Fund Description Accounting Unit,
Account Description
Amount
FY 25-26 01105015-
62300
General Fund Non-Departmental $38,250
Scientific Polling Services
November 4, 2025
5 4
1 1
EXHIBIT(S)
1. Agreement with True North Research, Inc.
Submitted By: Kathryn Downs, Assistant City Manager
Approved By: Alvaro Nuñez, City Manager