Westminster City Council
SUBJECT
Title
Strategic Plan Goal #1 - Achieve Financial Stability.
Strategic Plan Objective: Engage a consultant to conduct a scientifically valid community survey to gauge community perspective on potential revenue measures.
End
From: Christine Cordon, City Manager
Requested by: Administration
Prepared by: Erin Backs, Finance Director
____________________________________________________________
RECOMMENDED ACTION
Recommendation
Receive and file report.
end
BACKGROUND
On April 28, 2025, the City Council held a strategic planning workshop to develop the City’s second three-year strategic plan and identify priorities for the City. These include:
• Goal #1: Achieve Financial Stability
• Goal #2: Implement and Support Effective Land-Use Policies that Encourage Quality Development
• Goal #3: Attract, Develop, and Retain Well-Qualified Staff Members
• Goal #4: Improve Customer Service to the Community
• Goal #5: Enhance Quality of Life and Beautification Throughout the City
A follow-up strategic planning workshop was held October 6, 2025 to evaluate the City’s progress in achieving the goals through the strategic plan.
During the first six-month period of the new three-year strategic plan, staff presented an item to the City Council to satisfy one of the objectives under Strategic Plan Goal #1 - Achieve Financial Stability. The objective was to explore other opportunities to generate revenue for the City, including Transient Occupancy Tax, Cannabis Tax, Expanded Utility User’s Tax. The item was presented to the City Council on June 25, 2025 (Attachment 1).
Continuing with the Goal of Achieve Financial Stability, the second six-month period included an objective to engage a consultant to conduct a scientifically valid community survey to gauge community perspectives on potential revenue measures. The City Council requested information on whether the community was supportive of two separate tax measures: a Transient Occupancy Tax measure to increase the current 8% tax rate and a Cannabis Tax measure. These tax measures may be considered on the November 2026 ballot or a future election. Commercial cannabis operations are not currently allowed in the City. The Westminster Municipal Code would also need to be amended to facilitate the taxation of commercial cannabis businesses.
Community-based surveys on revenue measures allow for targeted, effective, and collaborative financial planning. Key benefits include:
• Improved decision-making from both qualitative and quantitative data
• Increased accountability
• Engaging the community increases transparency
These surveys are cost-effective, scalable, and can quickly identify priority areas for investment, ensuring that financial measures are both practical and accepted by the community.
Staff requested proposals from firms who specialize in conducting community surveys on revenue measures. The goal of the survey will be to provide information and research to the City Council regarding the community’s level of support in these revenue areas.
The survey will be conducted through an interview process by a combination of phone calls, emails and text messages and will target at least 400 potential City of Westminster voters. Interviews would be done in English, Vietnamese and Spanish. The questions would take 15-17 minutes and measure public opinion on two potential ballot measures, a Transient Occupancy Tax increase, and/or a Cannabis Tax. The survey results would have a 95% confidence level.
Once completed, the City will receive a professional analysis of the data from the contracted firm that will be presented at a future City Council meeting. In addition, the Strategic Plan includes Objective #3: To provide an update to the City Council on the status and next steps related to a potential Transient Occupancy Tax (TOT) and Objective #4: To provide an update to the City Council on the exploration and feasibility of implementing a cannabis tax. Both items will be presented to the City Council in April 2026 for further consideration.
FISCAL IMPACT
There is no fiscal impact associated with this item; however, if the City Council is interested in pursuing a survey of the community to gauge community perspectives on potential revenue measures a budget adjustment to Finance - Contractual account 21000-43090 in the amount of $35,000 from general fund reserves would be necessary.
LEGAL REVIEW
The City Attorney’s Office has reviewed as to form.
CONCLUSION
Strategic Plan Goal #1 - Achieve Financial Stability, with one objective to engage a consultant to conduct a scientifically valid community survey to gauge community perspective on potential revenue measures, would cost $35,000 and would take five to six weeks to complete.
ATTACHMENTS
1. Staff Report 6/25/2025 5.5 Strategic Plan Goal #1 - Achieve Financial Stability Objective: Explore opportunities to generate revenue for the City.
REVIEWED BY
Erin Backs, Finance Director
City Attorney’s Office
Christine Cordon, City Manager