Vacaville, CA
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Accountability & Oversight
- Financial safeguards may include annual independent audits, public budget reporting, and oversight review processes.
The City is evaluating multiple transparency and accountability tools, which will include:
- Independent annual financial audits
- Public expenditure reporting
- Citizen oversight committee
- Regular budget transparency updates
Final provisions would be included in any ballot measure language.
The Vacaville City Council adopts the annual budget in public meetings. Spending is also subject to:
- Independent financial audits
- State financial reporting requirements
- Public transparency laws
- If the time comes, City staff will recommend accountability measures such as independent audits, public reporting, and a citizens’ oversight committee.
Ballot Process & Voting
- No. The Vacaville City Council has not approved a tax increase. The City is studying options and providing information. Any new local tax would require voter approval.
- If placed on the ballot, the duration would be specified in the measure language until ended by voters. The City Council has not taken action to place a measure on the ballot.
If expenditures continue to grow faster than revenues over time, the City may need to consider:
- Service level adjustments
- Delayed maintenance
- Staffing reductions through attrition
- Other budget balancing measures
No specific actions have been proposed.
- No. The City’s role is to provide factual, neutral information so voters can make an informed decision.
- The City Council will review financial data, community input, and policy options before deciding whether to place a measure on the ballot.
- If the City Council moves forward, a measure could appear as soon as the November 3, 2026, ballot.
- Vacaville voters decide. A general tax requires majority voter approval (50% + 1) to pass.
Community Info & Engagement
- The City plans to conduct outreach, including community meetings, surveys and questionnaires, and disseminating informational materials.
- No. The City’s role is to provide factual, neutral information so voters can make an informed decision.
- “Choosing the Path” is the City of Vacaville’s public information effort to help residents understand the City’s financial outlook and a possible local one-cent sales tax measure that may appear on the November 2026 ballot.
- The City Council will review financial data, community input, and policy options before deciding whether to place a measure on the ballot.
- Visit the City of Vacaville’s Choosing a Path webpage for the latest information, meeting dates, and materials.
- Staff reports and presentations are available on the Engagement & Resources webpage. Budget documents and annual reports are available on the Finance Department website. Visit the City’s Financial Transparency portal for live revenue and expenditure reporting.
Essential Services
As a general tax, funds could support core municipal services such as:
- Maintaining police and fire staffing
- Supporting 911 emergency response
- Repairing streets and infrastructure
- Maintaining parks and facilities
- Addressing other General Fund priorities
Annual budgets adopted by the City Council would determine specific allocations.
- As a general tax, funds could be used for broad municipal services, with priority needs including public safety and essential City operations.
If expenditures continue to grow faster than revenues over time, the City may need to consider:
- Service level adjustments
- Delayed maintenance
- Staffing reductions through attrition
- Other budget balancing measures
No specific actions have been proposed.
- The City will need to consider service reductions or other budget adjustments if costs continue to outpace revenues.
- Essential services generally include police protection, fire and emergency medical response, 911 dispatch, street maintenance, parks maintenance, and other core City operations.
Services most sensitive to General Fund pressures typically include:
- Police patrol and investigations
- Fire and emergency medical response
- 911 dispatch operations
- Street and road maintenance
- Park and facility maintenance
- Neighborhood quality-of-life services
Any specific cuts would be considered by the City Council at a publicly noticed meeting.
- If placed on the ballot and approved by voters, the measure would generate locally controlled funding that could be used to help maintain essential City services.
Like many California cities, Vacaville is experiencing rising costs for essential services such as police, fire, 911 emergency response, and road maintenance and infrastructure, that are outpacing existing revenues.
Vacaville’s long-range financial forecast shows that the cost of maintaining current service levels is growing faster than ongoing revenues. Key drivers include:- Rising public safety personnel costs
- Inflation in equipment, vehicles, and materials
- Aging infrastructure needs
- Increased service demands in a growing community
Without additional ongoing revenue, the City may face future budget pressures.
- The City regularly reviews operations for efficiencies and cost savings. However, rising costs for core services continue to exceed ongoing revenue growth. The City has already reduced the budget by $9.2 Million, $8 Million of which is General Fund.
Financial Need & Budget Impacts
Yes. The City routinely evaluates budgets, seeks efficiencies, and implements cost-containment strategies as part of its financial management practices. The City has implemented a number of cost-containment measures in response to projected budget challenges. These actions include:
- Reductions in departmental budgets
- Hiring freezes and delayed recruitment for certain positions
- Deferred maintenance and postponed capital projects
- Use of one-time funds to address short-term gaps
These actions have reduced near-term shortfalls but do not resolve an ongoing structural imbalance if recurring expenditures exceed recurring revenues.
- Preliminary estimates indicate a one-cent local sales tax could generate approximately $25–$30 million annually, depending on economic conditions and taxable sales activity.
If expenditures continue to grow faster than revenues over time, the City may need to consider:
- Service level adjustments
- Delayed maintenance
- Staffing reductions through attrition
- Other budget balancing measures
No specific actions have been proposed.
- The City will need to consider service reductions or other budget adjustments if costs continue to outpace revenues.
Services most sensitive to General Fund pressures typically include:
- Police patrol and investigations
- Fire and emergency medical response
- 911 dispatch operations
- Street and road maintenance
- Park and facility maintenance
- Neighborhood quality-of-life services
Any specific cuts would be considered by the City Council at a publicly noticed meeting.
- Staff reports and presentations are available on the Engagement & Resources webpage. Budget documents and annual reports are available on the Finance Department website. Visit the City’s Financial Transparency portal for live revenue and expenditure reporting.
- Under California law (including Proposition 13), cities have limited flexibility with property taxes. Local sales tax is one of the primary voter-approved tools available to cities to fund general municipal services.
Like many California cities, Vacaville is experiencing rising costs for essential services such as police, fire, 911 emergency response, and road maintenance and infrastructure, that are outpacing existing revenues.
Vacaville’s long-range financial forecast shows that the cost of maintaining current service levels is growing faster than ongoing revenues. Key drivers include:- Rising public safety personnel costs
- Inflation in equipment, vehicles, and materials
- Aging infrastructure needs
- Increased service demands in a growing community
Without additional ongoing revenue, the City may face future budget pressures.
- The City regularly reviews operations for efficiencies and cost savings. However, rising costs for core services continue to exceed ongoing revenue growth. The City has already reduced the budget by $9.2 Million, $8 Million of which is General Fund.
- Under California law, local sales tax is one of the primary flexible revenue tools available to cities to fund general services. Certain taxes are reserved for the State, including personal income tax, cigarette tax, and alcohol tax. Local governments rely on the revenue sources available to them under state law to fund municipal services like property taxes and sales tax. Taxes represent approximately 80.83% of the City’s General Fund revenues, making them the primary source of funding for core municipal services.
Funding Options & Comparisons
Yes. The City routinely evaluates budgets, seeks efficiencies, and implements cost-containment strategies as part of its financial management practices. The City has implemented a number of cost-containment measures in response to projected budget challenges. These actions include:
- Reductions in departmental budgets
- Hiring freezes and delayed recruitment for certain positions
- Deferred maintenance and postponed capital projects
- Use of one-time funds to address short-term gaps
These actions have reduced near-term shortfalls but do not resolve an ongoing structural imbalance if recurring expenditures exceed recurring revenues.
- Sales tax rates vary across Solano County and neighboring communities. The City is reviewing regional comparisons as part of its evaluation process and will share information with residents.
- Sales tax rates vary by jurisdiction. The City is reviewing regional comparisons as part of its evaluation process.
- Under California law (including Proposition 13), cities have limited flexibility with property taxes. Local sales tax is one of the primary voter-approved tools available to cities to fund general municipal services.
- The City regularly reviews operations for efficiencies and cost savings. However, rising costs for core services continue to exceed ongoing revenue growth. The City has already reduced the budget by $9.2 Million, $8 Million of which is General Fund.
- Under California law, local sales tax is one of the primary flexible revenue tools available to cities to fund general services. Certain taxes are reserved for the State, including personal income tax, cigarette tax, and alcohol tax. Local governments rely on the revenue sources available to them under state law to fund municipal services like property taxes and sales tax. Taxes represent approximately 80.83% of the City’s General Fund revenues, making them the primary source of funding for core municipal services.
Letter from the City Manager
- Developers pay impact fees for infrastructure. State law limits the amount that can be charged, and these fees cannot be used for ongoing services such as police or 911. View the annual Development Impact Fee Report.
Sales and property tax revenue are shared among schools, counties, and special districts.
Vacaville has the lowest sales tax rate in Solano County at 8.125%. For every $100 a customer spends, $8.13 is paid in sales tax. It is divided into the following way:
- State gets the majority at $6.00.
- City gets $1.75 ($1 Bradley-Burns and $0.75 Measure M).
- County local transportation fund gets $0.25.
- Solano County Library system gets $0.13.
The City only receives 16 to 18 cents for every dollar paid on Property Tax. Learn more about the breakdown from Solano County.
If the City were to proceed with a sales tax measure, it would propose to include:
- Independent annual audits
- A citizens' oversight committee
- Transparent public reporting
- A sales tax is a voter-approved tax on the retail sale of goods and some services. The money is collected at the point of sale and transmitted to the City for local uses.
- We agree that transparency is important. You can find the full budget, department spending, and financial reports on the Open Finance Vacaville portal. Residents are welcome to review the information and ask questions.
Measure Basics
- No. The Vacaville City Council has not approved a tax increase. The City is studying options and providing information. Any new local tax would require voter approval.
- Sales tax rates vary across Solano County and neighboring communities. The City is reviewing regional comparisons as part of its evaluation process and will share information with residents.
- Sales tax rates vary by jurisdiction. The City is reviewing regional comparisons as part of its evaluation process.
- If placed on the ballot, the duration would be specified in the measure language until ended by voters. The City Council has not taken action to place a measure on the ballot.
- The City is evaluating a possible one-cent (1%) local sales tax.
- Preliminary estimates indicate a one-cent local sales tax could generate approximately $25–$30 million annually, depending on economic conditions and taxable sales activity.
- Measure M has helped fund essential services. The City is evaluating long-term financial needs beyond existing funding sources. Learn more about Measure M.
- If placed on the ballot and approved by voters, the measure would generate locally controlled funding that could be used to help maintain essential City services.
- If the City Council moves forward, a measure could appear as soon as the November 3, 2026, ballot.
- Sales tax is paid on taxable purchases made within Vacaville and is also paid by visitors and commuters who shop in the city.
- Under California law (including Proposition 13), cities have limited flexibility with property taxes. Local sales tax is one of the primary voter-approved tools available to cities to fund general municipal services.
- Under California law, local sales tax is one of the primary flexible revenue tools available to cities to fund general services. Certain taxes are reserved for the State, including personal income tax, cigarette tax, and alcohol tax. Local governments rely on the revenue sources available to them under state law to fund municipal services like property taxes and sales tax. Taxes represent approximately 80.83% of the City’s General Fund revenues, making them the primary source of funding for core municipal services.
- If a local measure is approved, the additional tax would generally apply to taxable online purchases delivered into Vacaville, consistent with California tax law.
- The measure under evaluation is a general-purpose tax, meaning revenues would support a broad range of City services rather than being legally restricted to one specific program.
Overview & Background
- Measure M has helped fund essential services. The City is evaluating long-term financial needs beyond existing funding sources. Learn more about Measure M.
- “Choosing the Path” is the City of Vacaville’s public information effort to help residents understand the City’s financial outlook and a possible local one-cent sales tax measure that may appear on the November 2026 ballot.
- Essential services generally include police protection, fire and emergency medical response, 911 dispatch, street maintenance, parks maintenance, and other core City operations.
- Visit the City of Vacaville’s Choosing a Path webpage for the latest information, meeting dates, and materials.
Revenue Use & Local Control
- No. Locally approved sales tax revenue stays with the City.
- Financial safeguards may include annual independent audits, public budget reporting, and oversight review processes.
- Preliminary estimates indicate a one-cent local sales tax could generate approximately $25–$30 million annually, depending on economic conditions and taxable sales activity.
As a general tax, funds could support core municipal services such as:
- Maintaining police and fire staffing
- Supporting 911 emergency response
- Repairing streets and infrastructure
- Maintaining parks and facilities
- Addressing other General Fund priorities
Annual budgets adopted by the City Council would determine specific allocations.
- As a general tax, funds could be used for broad municipal services, with priority needs including public safety and essential City operations.
- If placed on the ballot and approved by voters, the measure would generate locally controlled funding that could be used to help maintain essential City services.
The Vacaville City Council adopts the annual budget in public meetings. Spending is also subject to:
- Independent financial audits
- State financial reporting requirements
- Public transparency laws
- Yes. Funds generated by a locally approved measure would remain in Vacaville for local services and could not be taken by the State.
- The measure under evaluation is a general-purpose tax, meaning revenues would support a broad range of City services rather than being legally restricted to one specific program.
Shopper Impact & Exemptions
- No. Prescription medicines are exempt from sales tax.
- Sales tax is paid on taxable purchases made within Vacaville and is also paid by visitors and commuters who shop in the city.
- No. Groceries are exempt from sales tax under California law.
- If a local measure is approved, the additional tax would generally apply to taxable online purchases delivered into Vacaville, consistent with California tax law.