~ 2- o~-
20 2Z
resew
rc
i~
~~~
~~
Pro'ect
U
date
J
p
City
of
Santa
Clara
February
8,
2022
COST
~VIEEI~ING
IVIA`TERIpI~
~ G~c~s C~ ~~~ ~~ ~ ~ ~ ~ OO r~
CJ CJ
resen rc
~~
j~id
1 H E
LEW ~ ~ED`~jARDS
c ~ ~ u r
~,-r•~
•
PDC
, . ,
i E M~
Sub
act
Matter
Ex
arts
0 research
Our
team
prides
itself
on
our
professionalism,
objectivity
and
commitment
to
reporting
on
the
community's
views
to
inform
the
City
Council's
fiscal
sustainability
vision.
• Catherine
Lew
and
Jennifer
Longley
of
The
Lew
Edwards
Group
are
the
Project
Leads.
LEG
has
enacted
over
$41
Billion
with
a 95%
enactment
rate
in
California,
and
with
this
team
has
represented
the
City
successfully
since
2018
on
enacted
Measure
M
(Cannabis)
&
E (TOT).
Emily
Kirby
Goodman
from
EMC
Research
is
the
City's
statistical
survey
research
professional.
EMC
is
a
national
firm
that
has
conducted
thousands
of
such
studies.
Dr. Shawn
Spano
from
Public
Dialogue
Consortium
—who
the
City
Council
knows
—
is
directing
qualitative
focus
groups,
community
dialogue
and
collaboration.
22-8355
Santa
Clara
Revenue
Measures
~ 3
PDC
~M~
Pro
e ct
O b e ct
~ ve
s
~0
research
• Understand
the
City's
current
Fiscal
Sustainability
Vision
• Conduct
Community
Survey
to
assist
with
City
Council
goal
-setting,
long-term
budget
and
service
delivery
planning
• Gather
statistically
reliable
information
on
community
priorities
and
views,
including
the
viability
of
potential
revenue
ballot
measures
• Launch
community
engagement
focus
groups
• Report
to
City
Council
on
project
status
• Continue
engaging
the
community
robustly,
prior
to
Council
action
on
potential
measures
22-8355
Santa
Clara
Revenue
Measures
~ 4
o
~
~
~~~
~
C
.,
PDC
_ .. ,~M~
O
~—
~
research
➢ The
first
Community
Survey
has
been
completed,
and
results
show:
➢ A
no
-tax
-increase
Utility
Charter
Affirmation
measure
is
viable
in
November
2022.
➢ Consistent
with
previous
surveys,
an
infrastructure
bond
fal
ls
far
short
of
the
viability.
~ A
business
license
tax
modernization
is
potentially
viable,
provided
there
is
stakeholder
consensus
and
public
education
on
the
City's
proposal
~~ Stakeholder
engagement
sessions
have
been
launched
and
great
feedback
identified
so
far.
22-8355
Santa
Clara
Revenue
Measures
~ 5
resen
rc
Hi
hli
hts
of
g
g
Communit
Surve
Results
y
v
~~`~ ~~L ~ `~ C~~
C~~
~ J ~~~~~
~
~;
Multimodal
survey
of
likely
November
2022
voters
Telephone
survey
with
landlines
and
mobile
phones
included
Email-
and
text
-to
-web
survey
Survey
conducted
January
20-27,
2022
PDC
~
M~
O
`-
-'
research
600
interviews;
overall
margin
of
error
±4.00
percentage
points
~>
Interviews
were
conducted
in
English,
Spanish,
Chinese
&Vietnamese
by
trained,
professional
interviewers
Please
note
that
due
to
rounding,
some
percentages
may
not
add
up
to
exactly
100%.
22-8355
Santa
Clara
Revenue
Measures
~ 7
Cit
of
Santa
Clara
fob
Rahn
s
~--~
y
~
~
resenrch
Voters
feel
generally
positive
about
the
job
the
City
is
doing
overall,
with
electric
utility
receiving
the
most
positive
ratings
with
high
intensity.
Total
Total
Net
Pos.
Nei•
Pos.
The
job
the
City
of
Santa
Clara's
electric
utility,
Silicon
Valley
Power,
does
overall
The
job
the
City
of
Santa
Clara
does
keeping
residents
informed
The
job
Santa
Clara
City
government
does
overall
The
job
the
City
of
Santa
Clara
does
focusing
on
the
priorities
that
matter
most
to
residents
The
job
the
City
of
Santa
Clara
is
doing
using
tax
dollars
responsibly
3%
l0%
86 %
13 %
+73
61%
39%
+22
60%
38%
+22
44%
52%
-8
43%
54%
-10
After
hearing
each
one,
please
tell
me
how
you
would
rate
that
aspect,
using
a scale
of
excellent,
good,
only
fair,
or
poor.
22-8355
Santa
Clara
Revenue
Measures
~ 8
■ Excellent
❑Good
- (Don't
know)
~
Fair
■Poor
~ ~ PDC
A solid majority of voters continue to perceive a need for additional funding for the City. 2022
2018
~ M~
research
Little need No need Great/ Little/ Net
Some No Need
17% 18% 61% 35% +26
11% 13% 11% 65% 25% +40
Does the City of Santa Clara have a great need for additional funding, some need, a little need, or no real need for additional funding? 22-8355 Santa Clara Revenue Measures ~ 9 ■Great need ■Some need -_ Don't know
0 research
A majority
of
voters
think
the
current
level
of
taxes
on
businesses
is
about
right.
In general,
do
you
think
the
City
of
Santa
Clara
should
tax
businesses
more,
or
less,
or
do
you
think
the
current
level
of
taxes
on
businesses
is
about
right?
About
right
56%
(Don't
know/
22-8355
Santa
Clara
Revenue
Measures
~ 10
M
ore
Less
19%
20%
., ~, 1 ~ -, ~ PDCJ' ~: ~ C'~7 J C`7 ~. i ILL ''~ \\ i~ J i Jr 1l ~ ~ L I~ y ~ ^~~~ ~i~ ~ ~\1 1 Lr^~ ~~ \~ ~ ~` J ~\ ~"
,J ~ J .J u ~ ~yy~
Three in four voters believe we should be proactive in keeping businesses and jobs in the City.
Santa Clara should Santa Clara should
tax businesses more so that vs be proactive in keeping
they pay their fair share businesses and jobs in the City Tax More
21~ (Both)/(Neither)/
(Don't know/Refused)
3%
Keep Businesses
76%
M~research
Now I'd like to read you a pair of statements. Please tell me which one is closer to your opinion. 22-8355 Santa Clara Revenue Measures ~ 11
. PDC EMC ~Tax Attitudes o ~~~~ ~--~research
A significant majority of voters are concerned about local businesses closing or leaving Santa Clara, while voters are split on whether taxing businesses would affect them personally. ■ Strongly ❑Somewhat -~~ (Don't know/ D Somewhat ■Strongly Agree Agree Refused) Disagree Disagree
am concerned about
local businesses
closing or leaving
Santa Clara
Taxing businesses in
Santa Clara would
affect me personally
Total Total Net
Agree Disagree Agee
81% 19% +62
57 % 42 % +15
Please tell me whether you strongly agree, somewhat agree, somewhat disagree, or strongly disagree with each of the following statements. 22-8355 Santa Clara Revenue Measures ~ 12
.
.
.
PDC
-_
- ~M~
Initial
Vote:
Ut~l~t
Charter
Measure
~ ~~ ~—~
Y
~
resenrch
In
an
initial
vote
on
the
utility
charter,
the
measure
receives
support
from
a strong
majority
of
voters.
City
of
Santa
Clara
No
Tax
Increase/Services
Protection
Measure.
To
protect
essential
services
without
raising
taxes,
such
as
911
response;
police
patrols,
fire
protection;
street/storm
drain
repair,
and
m
aintaining
reliable
local
utility
service;
shall
Section
1320
of
the
Charter
continuing
the
annual
routine
budget
transfer
of
funds
from
City
utilities
to
the
general
fund
at
5%
of
gross
receipts
until
ended
by
voters,
generating
approximately
$30,000,000
annually,
with
independent
audits,
all
funds
local,
be
reaffirmed/adopted?
50%
—
Yes
No
~o.__~~~~
32%
(Undecided)
5%
If the
election
were
held
today,
would
you
vote
yes
to
approve
or
no
to
reject
this
measure?
22-8355
Santa
Clara
Revenue
Measures
~ 13
63%
1 ~
5~
~i
-
~ .
1 II
I-
~„
z
s
;.
-
,.
,
PDR'4
D
-
~
~.
..r
, .
,.....
U
N
_ .
:
,
~
-.
~
<~
.
~
-_
N
fir
,
,..
~~
I~
.
..
r
r
In
an
initial
BLT
vote,
the
measure
receives
support
from
a
majority
of
voters.
City
of
Santa
Clara
Business
License
Update/Tax
Equity
Measure.
To
protect
Santa
Clara's
financial
stability
and
maintain
essential
services
such
as:
911
emergency
services,
safe/clean
public
areas,
repairing
aging
streets,
parks,
and
libraries,
shall
an
ordinance
updating
the
business
license
tax
to
$100
per
business,
and
between
$5
and
$150
per
employee,
w
ith
larger
businesses
paying
more
per
employee,
generating
approximately
$6,000,000
annually
until
ended
by
voters,
with
independent
annual
financial
audits,
all funds
staying
local,
be
adopted?
50%
Yes
(Undecided)
If the
election
were
held
today,
would
you
vote
yes
to
approve
or
no
to
reject
this
measure?
22-8355
Santa
Clara
Revenue
Measures
~ 14
54%
^
N o
•
PDC
"~M~
Past
Co
m
a r~ so
n . 2020
H ote
I Tax
~
—~
p
o
research
The
2020
hotel
tax
measure
outperformed
initial
viability
polling
after
voter
communication
efforts.
To
maintain
and
protect
the
level
of
essential
city
services
including
9-1-1
emergency
medical/disaster
preparedness,
police
and
fire
protection,
bicycle
and
pedestrian
safety,
roadways
and
storm
drains,
and
other
vital
services
including
parks,
recreation,
libraries
and
senior
services,
shall
a
measure
increasing
the
hotel
tax
rate
up
to
4%,
generating
approximately
7 million
dollars
annually,
paid
only
by
hotel/motel
guests,
until
ended
by
voters,
be
adopted?
. If
the
election
were
held
today,
would
you
vote
yes
to
approve
or
no
to
reject
this
measure?
From
EMC#20-7648
22-8355
Santa
Clara
Revenue
Measures
~ 15
EMC
Initial
Vote
Actual
Election
Results
.
T
H
t
~,
LEW
W
hen
considering
components
of
the
potential
measures,
voters
rated
items
related
to
public
safety
as
most
important
with
m
aintaining
rapid
911
response
times
rated
as
most
important.
(All
items
randomized.)
M
aintain
rapid
911
response
times
Keep
public
streets
and
facilities
healthy,
safe,
and
clean
Reduce
property
crimes
and
auto
burglaries
Repair
streets
and
fix
potholes
Attract
and
retain
local
businesses
Address
homelessness
TotalImp•92%
91% ~0% ~% i
I'm
going
to
read
you
a list
of
items
that
maybe
included
in
the
measures.
After
each
one,
please
rate
how
important
that
item
is to
you,
using
a scale
of
1 to
7,
where
1 means
not
at
all
important,
and
7 means
extremely
important.
22-8355
Santa
Clara
Revenue
Measures
~ 16
■ 7 -Extremely
Important
o
5-6
Important
Q~~
~ .
T
N
E
~,
~
~,~y
a
~
~r,
~
r.
+s
, ~
X
r ,
LEW
c
~
EDWARDS
Other
components
of
the
potential
measures
are
considered
somewhat
less
important
by
voters.
Require
independent
citizen
oversight
and
audits,
and
public
disclosure
of
all
funds
spent
Exempt
small
businesses
from
paying
the
same
dollar
amount
in
taxes
as
large
corporations
Enhance
disaster
and
emergency
preparedness
M
aintain
youth
and
senior
recreation
programs
M
ake
safety
repairs
to
local
parks
and
open
spaces
Support
COVID-19
public
health
measures
Repair
aging
fire
stations
TotalImp•81%
7% ►/ ,/ i
I'm
going
to
read
you
a list
of
items
that
may
be
included
in
the
measures.
After
each
one,
please
rate
how
important
that
item
is to
you,
using
a scale
of
1 to
7,
where
1 means
not
at
all
important,
and
7 means
extremely
important.
22-8355
Santa
Clara
Revenue
Measures
~ 17
■ 7 -Extremely
Important
~
5-6
Important
.
T
_H
r
~
~.,_
EDWARD$
Ih
,.
I
_
Notably,
upgrading
Central
Park
with
a
new
swim
center,
gym,
and
sports
fields
is
not
a
priority
for
voters.
TotalImp•
Reduce
traffic
congestion
M
ake
safety
and
electrical
repairs
to
deteriorating
library
buildings
Enhance
bicycle
and
pedestrian
safety
Expand
access
to
public
buildings
for
persons
with
disabilities
Improve
flood
protection
Upgrade
Central
Park
with
a
new
swim
center,
gym,
and
sports
fields
70%
67%
65% 65%
QI'm
going
to
read
you
a list
of
items
that
may
be
included
in
the
measures.
After
each
one,
please
rate
how
important
that
item
is to
you,
using
a scale
of
1 to
7,
where
1 means
not
at
all
important,
and
7 means
extremely
important.
22-8355
Santa
Mara
Revenue
Measures
~ 18
■ 7
-Extremely
Important
'~
5-6
Important
•
PDC
Add
itiona
I Information
0 Information
that
focuses
on
local
impact
and
fiscal
responsibility
resonates
with
voters.
■ Very
Convincing
~
Somewhat
Convincing
(LOCAL
PRIORITIES)
These
measures
will
allow
the
City
of
Santa
Clara
to
maintain
critical
services
that
address
our
community's
urgent
priorities
such
as
public
safety,
homelessness,
mental
health
services,
COVID-19
response,
street
and
sidewalk
repair,
and
flood
protection.
(RESPONSIBLE)
These
measures
have
tough
fiscal
protections
in
place.
By
law,
these
measures
will
require
audits
and
oversight.
All funds
must
be
spent
locally
and
cannot
betaken
by
the
state.
(POWER
CHARTER
SPECIFIC)
This
measure
does
not
impose
or
increase
taxes,
it simply
allows
the
City
to
continue
paying
for
many
of
the
services
that
Santa
Clara
residents
currently
receive
through
a routine
budget
practice
previously
approved
by
local
voters.
~~search
Total
Convincing
47 %
80~
~',
45%
80% 77~
. Next,
I'm
going
to
read
you
statements
in
SUPPORT
of
the
measures.
After
each
one,
please
tell
me
how
convincing
that
statement
is
as
a reason
to
SUPPORT
the
measures
—very
convincing,
somewhat
convincing,
not
too
convincing,
or
not
at
all
convincing.
22-8355
Santa
Clara
Revenue
Measures
~ 19
~i
.
T
_N
t
~
~ 4
~
w
w
~~~~
~
\~yj
c
a
o
u
r
Other
information
is
also
compelling,
but
with
lower
intensity.
(QUALITY
OF
LIFE)
The
City
of
Santa
Clara
is
a great
place
for
children,
families,
seniors,
and
young
professionals
to
live.
These
m
easures
will
ensure
that
Santa
Clara
residents
continue
to
enjoy
safe
streets,
excellent
parks
and
libraries,
and
provide
a variety
of
vibrant
spaces
for
residents
of
all
ages
to
gather
and
play.
(COVID
OPEN
SPACE)
We
do
not
know
how
long
the
COVID-19
pandemic
will
last,
and
the
use
of
our
parks
and
outdoor
open
spaces
have
skyrocketed
as
they
remain
a
refuge
for
families,
seniors,
and
residents
to
gather
together
safely.
Additional
funding
is
needed
to
maintain
basic
facilities
and
accelerate
repairs
on
these
vital
spaces.
(BLT
SPECIFK--FAIRNESS)
Santa
Clara's
Business
license
tax
has
not
been
updated
since
1992.
It
does
not
reflect
the
way
business
operates
in
the
City
today,
and
charges
small
local
businesses
the
same
dollar
amount
as
large
businesses
and
corporations
that
have
major
parts
of
their
global
operations
here
in
Santa
Clara.
This
business
license
tax
measure
will
allow
the
city
to
treat
all
businesses
equitably.
■
Very
Convincing
■Somewhat
Convincing
Total
Convincing
~2~
69 Next,
I'm
going
to
read
you
statements
in
SUPPORT
of
the
measures.
After
each
one,
please
tell
me
how
convincing
that
statement
is
as
a
reason
to
SUPPORT
the
measures
—very
convincing,
somewhat
convincing,
not
too
convincing,
or
not
at
all
convincing.
22-8355
Santa
Clara
Revenue
Measures
~ 20
.
~
PDC
~M~
Additional
r
~~
~
resenrch
Other
information
is
compelling,
but
with
lower
intensity.
■ Very
Convincing
■Somewhat
Convincing
Total
Convincing
(PREVENT
CUTS)
Local
governments
across
the
state
have
suffered
massive
financial
setbacks
during
the
COVID-19
pandemic.
These
measures
will
prevent
additional
cuts
to
essential
city
services.
(LOCAL
ECONOMY)
Our
local
economy
continues
to
take
hits
as
COVID-19
has
kept
people
working,
shopping,
and
socializing
from
home
and
online.
These
measures
will
invest
in
our
community
and
help
restart
our
local
economy.
64%
60%
Next,
I'm
going
to
read
you
statements
in
SUPPORT
of
the
measures.
After
each
one,
please
tell
me
how
convincing
that
statement
is
as
a reason
to
SUPPORT
the
measures
—very
convincing,
somewhat
convincing,
not
too
convincing,
or
not
at
all
convincing.
22-8355
Santa
Clara
Revenue
Measures
~ 21
~~
~o~
o
~
~
~ o
~
~ ~q
~
~~
PDC
—
Ej~lC~research
Yes63%
Additional
information
helps
to
increase
support
for
the
utility
charter
measure.
Initial
Vote
Yes
~
~1/
After
Additional
Information
. If the
election
were
held
today,
would
you
vote
yes
to
approve
or
no
to
reject
this
measure?
22-8355
Santa
Clara
Revenue
Measures
~ 22
Vote
After
Additional
Information:
BLT
Measure
0 ~ ~~
~
—~
research
__
Additional
information
also
helps
to
increase
support
for
the
BLT
measure.
Initial
Vote
Yes
Yes64%
After
Additional
Information
If the
election
were
held
today,
would
you
vote
yes
to
approve
or
no
to
reject
this
measure?
22-8355
Santa
Clara
Revenue
Measures
~ 23
54%
Nn
r
~
~
~
~
~
~
PDC
~--
► E M~
~
~
'~~ ~ ,~
~J
~
~ J U J ~i ~J
~
~ ~~
~~'
~
~, ~~~~i
~' '~
! ~~
~
~J U ~~
~
~
research
-~:
-~
The
2/3's
requirement
infrastructure
bond
measure
is
not
viable
and
should
be
eliminated
for
planning
this
year.
We
advise
re-launching
this
project
in
January
2023
fora
2024
Presidential.
Santa
Clara
Safety
Measure.
To
maintain
healthy,
safe
neighborhoods/improve
quality
of
life
in
Santa
Clara,
shall
a measure
to
repair
aging
fire
stations,
fix
streets/potholes,
improve
flood
protection,
bicycle/pedestrian
safety,
and
rehabilitate
deteriorating
park,
recreation,
library
facilities,
by
issuing
$198,000,000
in
bonds
at
legal
rates,
at
an
estimated
2.3 cents
per
$100
of
assessed
value,
raising
approximately
$12,000,000
annual
ly
while
bonds
are
outstanding,
with
oversight,
financial
audits,
no
funds
for
salaries,
benefits,
or pensions,
be
adopted?
66%
Yes~~~
(Undecided
Likely
June
2022
Voters
(n=464)
Yes t~~~
No 40%
~~
~ ~'
(Undecided)
3%
If the
election
were
held
today,
would
you
vote
yes
to
approve
or
no
to
reject
this
measure?
22-8355
Santa
Clara
Revenue
Measures
~ 24
PDC
~ .~
M~
research
~~
Voters
continue
to
view
the
City
and
the
job
it's
doing
positively.
A
majority
of voters
perceive
a
need
for
additional
funding.
.~
A
utility
charter
measure
appears
viable,
and
additional
information
helps
to
bolster
support.
>
A
BLT
measure
requires
stakeholder
consensus
and
strong
public
education
to
be
viable.
;~
The
infrastructure
bond
falls
short
of
two-thirds
among
both
likely
June
voters
and
among
likely
November
voters.
22-8355
Santa
Clara
Revenue
Measures
~ 25
_ E M~
LI
0 research
Two
focus
groups
were
conducted
on
February
3rd
with
seven
randomly
selected
members
of
the
business
community
Questions
asked:
W
hat's
important
to
you
and
your
company
or
organization?
W
hat
are
your
thoughts
on
how
the
business
tax
should
be
structured?
22-8355
Santa
Clara
Revenue
Measures
~ 26
o ~ ~~~ ~
~
G ~~ ~~~
1~~~~
~ ~~
~ ~.~ ~
~
~ ~ ~ ~
~
C
~
research
-
-
--
--
- --
-
W
hat's
important
to
you
—Key
values
• Fair
and
equitable
for
all
• Simple
and
easy
to
administer
• Accounts
for
new
work
trends
(virtual
and
in-person)
Thoughts
on
structuring
the
business
tax
• A
tiered,
employee
head
count
is
preferred
The
current
$500
capon
employees
is
not
seen
as
fair
•Gross
receipt
are
not
seen
as
fair
• Square
footage
also
not
seen
as
fair
and
can
be
difficult
to
define
22-8355
Santa
Clara
Revenue
Measures
~ 27
~
rn~
rn~
C
.
n
~
■
D~
,
,
~
~ E
M~
l~
research
_~~,
Continue
Business
Stakeholder
Focus
Groups
and
incorporate
perspectives
and
feedback
into
BLT
modernization
planning.
Conduct
outreach
to
opinion
leaders
and
business
leaders.
~~
Conduct
comprehensive
engagement
and
information
to
the
community
-at
-
large,
including:
Additional
opportunities
for
the
public
to
prioritize
needs/services
in
a "2022
Santa
Clara
Conversation"
M
aximizing
City
budget
planning
communications
opportunities
Using
multi
-disciplinary
communications
modules,
including
website/online
information;
social
media;
direct
mail;
and
outreach
presentations
to
engage/inform
the
public
'~
Conduct
tracking
survey,
report
back
to
Council.
22-8355
Santa
Clara
Revenue
Measures
~ 28
~^
~~
~1 ~o
o.
~
~
M~
^
~ .1
Iii r'
^~~
,,
~
f ~'~
~~
r'
I
'
~
~,~
rl
~l ~~
~
~
~i l 1 (-J
~
'
~
~
i
~
i
~, ~ ~..~_
~ ~ ~ _'~
~ ~ ~~
_ ~
~
..
_
~
~ ~ ~.
research
February
to
May
Continue
Focus
Groups,
launch
Opinion
Leader
engagement
and
Speakers
Bureau
outreach,
post
interactive
engagement,
maximize
budget
messaging,
issue
direct
mail
and
paid
digital
JuneJuly
Conduct
tracking
survey
If viable
to
proceed,
develop
ballot
measures,
take
action
August
Submit
measures
to
ROV,
develop
Municipal
Election
communications
toolkit,
schedule
Fall
presentations/activities
September/October
Launch
Fall
communications
outreach
November
Election,
thank
community
22-8355
Santa
Clara
Revenue
Measures
~ 29
0 0 0
~~~oo~~ ~~ ~o~~~~oo
~~~en rc
.~
,~,
Catherine
Lew
[email protected]
510-594-0224
Jennifer
Longley
[email protected]
510-594-0224
:~.1,
-,
J
Shawn
Spano
[email protected]
408.531.5017Jennifer
Mair
[email protected]
510.772.7032
resenrc
Emily
Goodman
[email protected]
510.550.8932Alexa
DeJesus
[email protected]
202.849.6533