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City Council
Mayor John W. Minto
Vice Mayor Ronn Hall – District 2
Councilmember Rob McNelis – District 1
Councilmember Laura Koval – District 3
Councilmember Dustin Trotter – District 4
CITY OF SANTEE
NOTICE & AGENDA FOR A SPECIAL MEETING
Santee City Council
City Manager | Wendy Kaserman
City Attorney | Shawn D. Hagerty
City Clerk | James Jeffries
SPECIAL MEETING AGENDA
Tuesday, May 5, 2026, 5:30 p.m.
Council Chamber | Building 2
10601 Magnolia Ave • Santee, CA 92071
Notice is hereby given that the Mayor of the City of Santee has called and will convene a Special Meeting of the City Council at the time and location stated on this agenda.
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CALL TO ORDER/ROLL CALL:
CONTINUED BUSINESS:
(1) Resolution Authorizing the City Manager to Execute an Amendment to the Professional Services Agreement with TeamCivX to Conduct a Second Sales Tax Feasibility Study. This Action is Not a Project Under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Pursuant to CEQA Guidelines Section 15060 and 15378. (City Manager – Kaserman)
Recommendation:
Adopt the Resolution authorizing the City Manager to execute an amendment to the professional services agreement with TeamCivX to conduct a second sales tax feasibility study or provide direction to staff regarding the other alternative actions included in the report.
ADJOURNMENT:
COUNCIL AGENDA STATEMENT
CITY OF SANTEE
MEETING DATE May 5, 2026
Item 1
ITEM TITLE RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SANTEE,
CALIFORNIA AUTHORIZING THE CITY MANAGER TO EXECUTE AN AMENDMENT
TO THE PROFESSIONAL SERVICES AGREEMENT WITH TEAMCIVX TO CONDUCT A SECOND SALES TAX FEASIBILITY STUDY. THIS ACTION IS NOT A PROJECT
UNDER THE CALIFORNIA ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY ACT (CEQA) PURSUANT TO CEQA GUIDELINES SECTION 15060 AND 15378.
DIRECTOR/DEPARTMENT Wendy Kaserman, City Manager
SUMMARY
At the August 13, 2025 City Council meeting, the City Council authorized the then Interim City Manager to enter into a contract with TeamCivX for consultant services to evaluate the feasibility of potential local funding measures, conduct informational outreach and education to engage members of the public about local funding challenges and help prepare ballot materials to submit to the County election office if determined to be feasible. The approved contract is for a not to exceed amount of $140,000, through March 2026 $79,670 of those funds have been expended. This leaves a remaining balance of $60,330.
At the February 25, 2026 City Council meeting the results of the sales tax feasibility study conducted in December 2025 were presented. The study touched upon resident priorities, quality of life in Santee, and the potential feasibility of a half-cent sales tax authorized for an initial 10-year period. The measure would include independent audits, citizen oversight and all of the money would be locally controlled.
The study results showed 83% of the residents surveyed rated the quality of life in Santee as good to excellent. Resident priorities include street maintenance, fire protection, public safety, and improved parks, public facilities and infrastructure. The study presented sample arguments both for and against a potential half-cent sales tax. After being presented with these arguments, the study indicated that approximately 63% of voters would either definitely vote yes or probably vote yes on the measure.
Following the presentation of the survey results, Council provided direction for staff to continue forward with education and outreach efforts, no action was requested or taken regarding placing a sales tax measure on the November 2026 ballot.
Since that time, staff has focused on developing clear and transparent education and outreach materials and engaging with the San Diego County Taxpayers Association's formal process of considering local ballot measures and establishing its best practices. Staff has also been outlining the projects and programs that could be delivered over a 10-year period if a half cent sales tax were approved by voters. Based on updated budget analysis, staff has determined that in order to meaningfully address the full range of resident priorities identified in the sales tax feasibility study (streets, fire protection, public safety, parks, public facilities and infrastructure), a one cent tax over a 10-year period is needed.
CITY OF SANTEE
COUNCIL AGENDA STATEMENT
Staff recognizes this differs from the half-cent measure tested in the December survey. In the interest of transparency with residents, staff is recommending the City Council consider approving a second sales tax feasibility survey to test the higher sales tax amount. Conducting a second survey requires approval of an amendment to the existing TeamCivX agreement to add the additional scope of work and increase the agreement by $29,000. If approved, the survey would be administered within the next 2-3 weeks, with results reported out at the June 24, 2026 City Council meeting.
Alternatively, if the City Council does not support conducting a second survey, staff can proceed with outreach and education efforts based on a half-cent sales tax over a 10-year period. Messaging would reflect a more limited scope of projects, primarily focused on fire facilities and street maintenance. There are some caveats to consider with this approach. In November 2024, Santee voters considered a fire specific sales tax measure backed and funded by the Santee Firefighters Association. The results of the election were close with 52.30% of the vote opposed to the sales tax measure and 47.70% of the vote supporting the measure.
This information is relevant as the City Council considers its options moving forward. The 2024 election results indicate that many voters are willing to support a tax measure. However, that measure was narrowly defined to fire specific projects and programs. The results of the December 2025 sales tax feasibility study indicate support for a broader measure that touches on multiple quality of life issues including streets, fire, public safety, parks and infrastructure.
A half-cent tax would not generate enough revenue over a ten-year period for the City to meaningfully address all of these areas.
Another alternative to moving forward with either another survey or continuing education and outreach on a half-cent sales tax, is for the City Council to consider pausing current efforts and use the information already gathered through the sales tax feasibility study and feedback from the Infrastructure Advisory Group to focus on a multi-year education campaign from 2026 to 2028. This approach would allow for deeper community engagement around the City's budget, operations, and long-term capital needs. Following this effort, the City Council could consider placing a sales tax measure on the ballot in 2028. This option also allows time for new revenue sources to come online, including cannabis businesses, that are expected to generate new ongoing revenue. New ongoing revenue will be needed to operate new city facilities, such as a fire station.
As mentioned in the February 25, 2026 presentation, survey results represent a point in time and are subject to change based on external factors. Since the initial survey, economic conditions, including rising costs of gas, goods, services, and interest rates may influence voters sentiment. Additionally, the City is aware of several other tax/revenue related measures that may also be presented to Santee voters for consideration on the November ballot.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
The adoption of this resolution does not constitute a "Project" under the California Environmental Quality Act pursuant to 15060(c)(3) and 15378(b)(5) because consultant work will not result in any direct or indirect physical change to the environment. 2 CITY OF SANTEE
COUNCIL AGENDA STATEMENT
FINANCIAL STATEMENT�
Should the City Council approve ��ending the TeamCivX professional services agreement to include a second sales tax feasibility study, the additional cost of $29,000 is available in the approved project cost adopted with the FY 2025-2026 budget.
CITY ATTORNEY REVIEW
RECOMMENDATION wit<
□ N/A IBJ Completed
Adopt the attached resolution authorizing the City Manager to execute an amendment to the professional services agreement with TeamCivX to conduct a second sales tax feasibility study or provide direction to staff regarding the other alternative actions included in the report.
ATTACHMENTS
Resolution
3 RESOLUTION NO. __________
1 RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SANTEE, CALIFORNIA,
AUTHORIZING THE CITY MANAGER TO EXECUTE AN AMENDMENT TO THE
PROFESSIONAL SERVICES AGREEMENT WITH TEAMCIVX TO CONDUCT A
SECOND SALES TAX FEASIBILITY STUDY
WHEREAS, at the August 13, 2025, City Council meeting, the City Council authorized the then Interim City Manager to enter into a contract with TeamCivX for consultant services to evaluate the feasibility of potential local funding measures, including a sales tax feasibility study; and
WHEREAS, the sales tax feasibility study was conducted in December 2025 testing a half-cent sales tax for a period of ten years; and WHEREAS, the results of the study were presented to the City Council at the February 25, 2026, City Council meeting and demonstrated 82% of participants rated the quality of life in Santee as good to excellent; and
WHEREAS, after being presented with likely arguments both for and against the proposed sales tax, approximately 63% of voters would either definitely vote yes or probably vote yes on the measure; and
WHEREAS, following the presentation of the survey results, Council provided direction for staff to continue forward with education and outreach efforts, no action was requested or taken regarding placing a sales tax measure on the November 2026 ballot; and
WHEREAS, outreach and educational materials developed by staff outline the types of projects and programs the sales tax revenue could fund and based on updated budget analysis, staff has determined to meaningfully address the full range of resident priorities identified in the sales tax feasibility study (streets, fire protection, public safety, parks, public facilities and infrastructure), a one cent tax over a 10-year period is needed; and
WHEREAS, staff recognizes this differs from the half-cent measure tested in the December survey. In the interest of transparency with residents, staff is recommending the City Council consider approving a second sales tax feasibility survey to test the higher sales tax amount; and
WHEREAS, conducting a second survey requires approval of an amendment to the existing TeamCivX agreement to add the additional scope of work and increase the contract by $29,000. Funding is available in the approved project cost adopted with the FY 2025-2026 budget.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the City Council of the City of Santee, California, as follows:
RESOLUTION NO. __________
2 SECTION 1. The Recitals provided above are true and correct and are hereby incorporated into this Resolution.
SECTION 2. The City Council of the City of Santee hereby:
1. Authorizes the City Manager to execute an amendment to the professional services agreement with TeamCivX to include a second sales tax feasibility study and increase the agreement by $29,000.
SECTION 3. The proposed action is not a project under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) pursuant to CEQA guidelines Section 15060 and 15378.
SECTION 4. If any provision of this Resolution or the application thereof to any person or circumstance is held invalid, such invalidity shall not affect other provisions or applications of the Resolution which can be given effect without the invalid provision or application, and to this end the provisions of this Resolution are severable. The City Council hereby declares that it would have adopted this Resolution irrespective of the invalidity of any particular portion thereof.
SECTION 5. This Resolution shall take effect immediately upon its passage.
ADOPTED by the City Council of the City of Santee, California, at a Special Meeting thereof held this 5th day of May 2026, by the following roll call vote, to wit:
AYES:
NOES:
ABSENT:
APPROVED:
JOHN W. MINTO, MAYOR
ATTEST:
JAMES JEFFRIES, CITY CLERK