COMMUNITY
ENGAGEMENT PLAN
CITY OF SANTA ANA
COMMUNITY
ENGAGEMENT PLAN
CITY OF SANTA ANA
FY2026 - 2027
FY2026 - 2027
Outreach strategies designed to
promote broad-based participation
in the annual budget process
across all Council Wards
EXHIBIT 1
1 DECEMBER, 2025CITY OF SANTA ANA FINANCE & MANAGEMENT SERVICES PURPOSE STATEMENT:
THE WHY
PURPOSE STATEMENT:
THE WHY
PURPOSE STATEMENT:
THE WHY
The purpose of community engagement is to gather broad-based input on Santa Ana’s budget priorities, ensuring that the City Council has a vast array of insights when allocating resources. This Community Engagement Plan outlines targeted outreach strategies designed to promote inclusive participation in the annual budget development process across all Council Wards.
A central challenge is making budget engagement both meaningful and engaging, demonstrating to residents that their input directly influences decisions through the resource allocation process. To achieve this, the plan emphasizes interactions that connect community feedback to tangible outcomes.
This plan is informed by citywide best practices recommended by the Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA).
2 Increase Transparency and Accessibility
Provide budget materials in multiple languages to ensure broader community access.
Simplify complex budget items and numbers for the general public.
Reduce barriers to engagement by leveraging the relationships local non-profits and neighborhood associations have throughout the community.
Align Budget to Reflect Budget Priorities
Develop and publicize key budget items that show how budget spending impacts community goals.
Expand Inclusive Community Engagement
Broaden efforts to include renters, non-English speakers, and other historically underrepresented groups.
Strengthen Trust
Strive to close the feedback loop. Demonstrate how the allocation of resources aligns with community priorities. Utilize multiple methods of engagement so they complement one another. This should be a combination of informal and formal methods.
DECEMBER, 2025CITY OF SANTA ANA FINANCE & MANAGEMENT SERVICES
OUR GOALSOUR GOALSOUR GOALS
COMBINATION OF 2 TYPES OF COMMUNITY
ENGAGEMENT
COMBINATION OF 2 TYPES OF COMMUNITY
ENGAGEMENT
COMBINATION OF 2 TYPES OF COMMUNITY
ENGAGEMENT
INFORMATIVE PARTICIPATION
PREPARATORY & BUDGET PARTICIPATION
Goal: Share easy-to-understand budget information in
popular places.
Why It Matters: This transparency helps you understand how your tax dollars are spent and your input helps inform budget decisions.
How We’ll Do It: Expect simple budget breakdowns on our city website, budget news on social media, and information in our city newsletter.
Goal: Source your ideas and feedback to create a budget that truly represents our community.
Why It Matters: Your input directly influences city spending, and online options make it easier for everyone to participate.
How You’ll Do It: Attend community workshops, speak at
public budget meetings, or fill out our surveys online or on paper.
3 DECEMBER, 2025CITY OF SANTA ANA FINANCE & MANAGEMENT SERVICES 4 Community Non-Profits,
Community Centers,
Churches, Schools,
Neighborhood
Associations,
Com-Link
Community Non-Profits,
Community Centers,
Churches, Schools,
Neighborhood
Associations,
Com-Link
DECEMBER, 2025CITY OF SANTA ANA FINANCE & MANAGEMENT SERVICES
PUBLIC INPUTPUBLIC INPUTPUBLIC INPUT
C O M M U N I T Y
E N G A G E M E N T
C O M M U N I T Y
E N G A G E M E N T
Youth & FamiliesYouth & Families
City Departments &
Agencies,
Commissions &
Committees
City Departments &
Agencies,
Commissions &
Committees
BusinessesBusinesses
Educational Institutions
Students, families, and educators are the heart of our schools, offering unique insights into the educational needs and aspirations of students.
Host public forums or workshops with Santa Ana Unified School District (SAUSD) and Santa Ana College (SAC) to gather input on priorities and budget allocation.
Provide multilingual (English, Spanish, & Vietnamese) materials and interpreters to ensure broad community participation.
Provide easy-to-understand presentations to clearly explain how financial resources are being used to support youth success and community development.
5 EDUCATIONEDUCATIONEDUCATION
DECEMBER, 2025CITY OF SANTA ANA FINANCE & MANAGEMENT SERVICES 6DECEMBER, 2025CITY OF SANTA ANA FINANCE & MANAGEMENT SERVICES City Departments & Agencies
City departments connect us to our diverse community, offering unique channels to reach residents and gather invaluable input on budget priorities and civic initiatives.
Collaborate with City Manager’s Office of Public Information to advertise engagement efforts through press releases (English, Spanish, & Vietnamese), social media ads, Nixle, digital marquees, City Hall lobby screens, & other display advertisements.
Tap into the City’s multiple social media platforms by collaborating with the most active departments that have the largest number of followers.
Promote community engagement through various city published newsletters such as:
City Manager’s Newsletter, Santa Ana Police Department, Library, Parks and Recreation, Economic Development, and Arts & Culture.
LOCAL GOVERNMENT ENTITIESLOCAL GOVERNMENT ENTITIESLOCAL GOVERNMENT ENTITIES
Community Organizations
Local non-profit organizations are essential partners in the City’s community engagement efforts. They provide valuable connections to diverse populations and offer insight into the needs of Santa Ana’s most vulnerable residents.
By partnering with non-profits, the City broadens participation and ensures that community input reflects a wide range of perspectives and lived experiences. These partnerships will include organizations focused on youth development, senior services, immigrant and refugee support, education, faith-based initiatives, health outreach, and cultural advocacy.
Council Ward Meetings
Ensure that community engagement efforts reach and adequately represent residents from all council wards. This means engaging with diverse voices from each area of the city to reflect the unique needs, priorities, and perspectives within each ward.
7 COMMUNITY SUPPORT GROUPSCOMMUNITY SUPPORT GROUPSCOMMUNITY SUPPORT GROUPS DECEMBER, 2025CITY OF SANTA ANA FINANCE & MANAGEMENT SERVICES
8 Citywide Events
Community events and organizations play an essential role in fostering participation and giving residents a voice in shaping Santa Ana’s future—from infrastructure investments to arts and cultural initiatives. The City partners with local event organizers and community groups to create accessible, engaging opportunities for residents to learn about the budget process, share their priorities, and see how their input influences City decisions.
The following upcoming events for Winter/Spring 2026 are:
Lunar New Year Festival - February 7, 2026
DECEMBER, 2025CITY OF SANTA ANA FINANCE & MANAGEMENT SERVICES Día de los Niños, Día de los Libros - April 25, 2026
COMMUNITY EVENTSCOMMUNITY EVENTS
Tools to Provide Input
Complete our Online / Paper Budget Priorities Survey!
Give us your feedback at our community workshops and city meetings! Contact us via email or by phone!
9 https://www.santa-ana.org/budget
[email protected]
714.647.5420
Contact us!Contact us!
Local Sales Tax
Accountability
Take the Community
Budget Survey!
Helpful Links & Information
Download Santa
Ana’s App!
TOOLS & RESOURCESTOOLS & RESOURCESTOOLS & RESOURCES
FY25-26
Budget Details
DECEMBER, 2025CITY OF SANTA ANA FINANCE & MANAGEMENT SERVICES