Santa Ana voters faced four measures on the November ballot, including extending voting rights to noncitizens and increasing council member salaries.

Initial results released shortly after polls closed Tuesday night showed more Santa Ana voters opposed than in favor of allowing noncitizens to vote in local elections and city council raises. Measures around strengthening rent control protections and the charter’s cleanup elements garnered more support from voters, according to early results.

LIVE ELECTION RESULTS: View a graph of the latest vote tallies

Measure DD – Authorize non-citizen voting in local elections

Santa Ana voters have so far not been in favor of allowing noncitizens to vote in local elections, according to initial tallies.

If Measure DD is approved by voters, the City Council would pass an ordinance granting noncitizens the right to vote in municipal elections. The city should also hold its own local elections; The OC Registrar of Voters generally administers elections.

Non-citizen residents make up about 24 percent of Santa Ana’s population, according to U.S. Census Bureau statistics. Immigrant residents, including noncitizens, in Orange County contributed $10.5 billion in taxes in 2018, according to the American Immigration Council. However, they have no say in how their taxes are spent locally, supporters of the measure say.

Previously, a judge ruled that the text of the measure drafted by the City Council was partisan and it was amended for the ballot to remove descriptions of the identities of some of the non-citizens; The plaintiffs argued that the wording could influence voters to support the measure.

MEASURE FF – Salary increase for municipal allowances

Measure FF, which asks voters to decide whether Santa Ana City Council members should receive an increase in their annual salaries, appears to have been rejected by voters, according to election night results.

Council members, including the mayor, receive $12,000 per year. If Measure FF is approved, the council’s salary would instead be set at 33% of an OC Superior Court judge’s salary, which today would equate to $78,696 per year for each Santa council member Ana.

Council members argued that the goal of the pay increase is to make the service more accessible to residents who otherwise might not be able to afford it. Supporters of the measure say councils’ responsibilities have increased over the years and changing the pay scale could open the door for more diverse candidates to participate in local government as elected officials.

The proposed salary increase was tied to OC Superior Court judge salaries because those are set by the state and could prevent salaries from becoming a political battle every election cycle, the member previously said of the Thai Viet Phan council.

Opponents of their election argument said that serving on the city council is a “part-time political job” and that while “competitive compensation is important,” what is being offered exceeds salaries in comparable cities, like Anaheim, where compensation is $18,000 per year.

Measure CC – Rent control and eviction order for just cause

Santa Ana voters were leaning toward setting the city’s rent controls in stone and simply bringing about eviction orders. By dedicating these protections to tenants, it would be more difficult for future city leaders to repeal the laws.

In 2021, the city passed housing laws that limit annual rent increases to 3% or 80% of inflation, whichever is less. New eviction laws prohibit a landlord from evicting a tenant in Santa Ana without “good cause,” such as nonpayment of rent, criminal activity or violation of lease terms after receiving written warning, just to name a few.

Currently, a council majority, or five votes, is needed to make changes to city laws setting rent caps and limiting when landlords can evict tenants.

If voters reject Measure CC, current laws will remain in effect, but could be overturned by a future council vote; If voters support the measure, it will require a public vote to overturn laws in the future.

MEASURE EE – Amendments to the Santa Ana City Charter

Voters have so far leaned toward approving several updates and amendments to the city charter, also known as the city constitution, according to early results. Some changes include updates to the city’s job titles and spending processes.

Currently, in accordance with the charter, the City Council creates an ad hoc committee to review individual complaints involving a council member or council-appointed representative. The city manager investigates complaints of ethics violations involving other city officials such as the police chief or department heads. If Measure EE passes, the charter would allow the City Council to create and enforce a process to address alleged ethics violations.

The measure updates other sections of the charter dealing with capital improvement funds and spending authorities.

If approved, an outdated section of the charter regarding a capital improvement fund would be removed. Maintenance projects are currently already funded through the city’s general fund, and capital improvement plans are reported to the city council after submission to the planning department, making the current charter section unnecessary .

Measure EE would also give the city attorney and city clerk purchasing authority in contracts related to their respective offices under the city’s purchasing policies. The charter today allows the city manager to spend up to $50,000 on non-public works construction contracts without needing council approval. The monetary limit for both officers would match that of the city manager or otherwise be decided by the city council.

If the measure does not receive support from the majority of voters, no changes will be made and the charter will remain the same.

The Registrar of Voters said that after polling night, the results would be updated daily, except on weekends, until the counting is completed.