City of Santa Rosa

What City of Santa Rosa does

The City of Santa Rosa is a charter city and the largest municipality in Sonoma County, California, incorporated in 1853 and operating under a council-manager form of government with an elected Mayor and City Council. It provides the full stack of municipal services to its residents, businesses, and visitors — public safety (police and fire), water and wastewater utilities, transportation (CityBus and paratransit), parks and recreation, planning and economic development, housing and community services, and general administration. The organization employs between 1,001 and 5,000 staff and is funded through diversified municipal revenue streams including property taxes, sales taxes (including Measure O public safety tax), water and wastewater rates (subject to proposed 2025–2029 increases), transient occupancy tax, utility users tax, franchise fees, permits and licenses, parking and recreation fees, and federal/state grants.

The city's service delivery rests on a portfolio of proprietary civic technology platforms: the in-house developed A.W.A.R.E. weather engine (a 2025 Government Experience Award winner), the Permit Santa Rosa online permitting system with interactive mapping and inspection scheduling, the MySantaRosa mobile app for non-emergency issue reporting, the Storm Water Low Impact Development Compliance Manager (tracking 1,900+ LID features across 188 projects via GIS, mobile inspection, and real-time dashboards), the Santa Rosa Insights open-data dashboard, and the CivicReady emergency notification system. Recent strategic activity includes a $37.6M Highway 101 Bicycle and Pedestrian Overcrossing contract (Feb 2026), the multi-phase Hearn Community Hub, exclusive USL negotiations for professional soccer (Oct 2025), and an extended Keep People Housed homelessness-prevention program, all against a backdrop of a $17.5M FY 2026/27 budget deficit and significant executive turnover (two Interim City Managers and a new City Attorney within six months).

Name

City of Santa Rosa

Legal name

City of Santa Rosa

Website

https://srcity.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1853

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

The City of Santa Rosa is a California charter city providing full-service municipal operations — public safety, water/wastewater, transit, parks, housing, and permitting — to residents, businesses, and visitors through a council-manager government and a portfolio of proprietary civic technology platforms.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Municipal Government Services

NAICS

Executive Offices (92111), Administration of Housing Programs, Urban Planning, and Community Development (925), Justice, Public Order, and Safety Activities (922), Administration of Environmental Quality Programs (9241), Sewage Treatment Facilities (221320)

SIC

Water, Sewer, Pipeline, Comm & Power Line Construction (1623), Sanitary Services (4950)

akta.pro primary industry

Mayor/City Manager & General Administration (BPAIACAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Public Works & Municipal Infrastructure (Streets, Stormwater, Facilities) (BPAIACAF), Housing & Neighborhood Services (Local Housing Programs) (BPAIACAJ), Parks, Recreation & Cultural Services (BPAIACAI), Planning, Zoning, Permitting & Code Enforcement (BPAIACAE), Stormwater Management & MS4 Compliance Services (BPALAMAL)

Keywords

• Municipal government services
• Public safety administration
• Water and wastewater utilities
• Parks and recreation programs
• Affordable housing services

Headquarters

HQ city

Santa Rosa

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Property Taxes: Primary revenue source for municipal operations and services
2. Water and Wastewater Rates: Water and wastewater service charges with proposed annual rate increases from 2025-2029 to ensure safe and reliable water future
3. Sales Taxes: Sales tax revenue including Measure O quarter-cent public safety sales tax
4. Transient Occupancy Tax: Tax on hotel and short-term rentals
5. Utility Users Tax: Tax on utility services within city limits
6. Franchise Fees: Fees from utility and service franchises including construction debris hauling, taxicab services
7. Permits and Licenses: Building permits, alarm permits, business tax certificates, tobacco retail licenses, and various operational permits
8. Parking Fees: Meter revenue, garage parking, and residential permit parking programs
9. Recreation Fees: Fees for parks, recreation programs, camps, aquatic facilities, and facility rentals
10. Federal and State Grants: Federal disaster recovery funding, HOME grants, NOFA funds, and various state funding for infrastructure and housing projects

Pricing tiers

Distribution channels7 records

Marketing channels11 records

Core offering

City of Santa Rosa is a charter municipal government providing essential public services to residents, businesses, and visitors within Santa Rosa, California. Its core offerings include public safety (police, fire, emergency management), water and wastewater utility services, public transit (CityBus and Paratransit), parks and recreation programs, affordable housing and homelessness prevention services, permitting and planning, economic development, and general administrative services. Operations are supported by in-house developed technology platforms for permitting, emergency alerting, and compliance management.

Product overview

The City of Santa Rosa operates a comprehensive civic technology portfolio consisting of multiple interconnected platforms and programs serving residents, businesses, and visitors. The core digital infrastructure includes MySantaRosa App/Website for issue reporting and tracking, Permit Santa Rosa for building and construction permits with interactive mapping and inspection scheduling, and Santa Rosa Insights for interactive data dashboards. These are complemented by emergency services (CivicReady), transportation (CityBus/Paratransit and Redwood Bikeshare), water conservation (WaterSmart Program), and housing assistance programs (Housing Choice Voucher, Keep People Housed, CalHome). The city's approach combines digital platforms with direct service delivery through recreation programs, environmental stewardship (Creek Stewardship), public safety facilities (Hearn Community Hub, Fire Station 5), and cultural programming (Live at Juilliard, Earth Day Festival, Public Art Program).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• MySantaRosa App/Website Mobile and web application enabling residents, businesses, and visitors to report and track non-emergency issues within Santa Rosa city limits.
• Permit Santa Rosa Online permitting platform allowing users to review permit activity on an interactive map, apply for permits, schedule inspections, and access the data portal.
• Santa Rosa Insights Interactive data dashboard providing community insights, economic development data, housing development progress, and various city metrics.
• CivicReady Emergency Alerts Emergency notification system used by Santa Rosa Fire and Police Departments to deliver alerts directly to phones and email during emergencies, follow-ups to SoCoAlerts, and critical public safety information.
• CityBus and Paratransit Public transit services including local bus routes, paratransit services, and connections to the SMART train.
• Redwood Bikeshare Bicycle sharing program offering expanded options for cycling transportation throughout the city.
• WaterSmart Program Water conservation program offering workshops, rebates, free water-efficient devices, and irrigation assistance for residential customers.
• Safe Parking Program Homelessness prevention program providing safe parking sites for residents experiencing homelessness to find stability and a path toward permanent housing; operating successfully for four years.
• Keep People Housed Program $3.9M countywide homelessness prevention pilot combining short-term financial assistance with housing stabilization services and legal aid referrals to prevent eviction.
• Housing Choice Voucher (Section 8) Federal housing assistance program helping very low-income families, elderly, and disabled individuals afford housing in the private market.
• CalHome Mobilehome Rehabilitation Loan Program Loan program providing up to $50,000 for essential repairs to low-income mobilehome owners with deferred payments for 30 years.
• Creek Stewardship Program Environmental program with volunteer creek cleanups held first and third Saturdays of every month to protect local waterways.
• Free Toilet Program WaterSmart program offering free high-efficiency toilets and water-efficient fixtures for Santa Rosa Water customers; supply limited, renters welcome with homeowner permission.
• Public Art Program and Santa Rosa Art Walk Program showcasing national and local talent through public art installations, including the 2025-2027 Santa Rosa Art Walk, a two-year temporary public art exhibition transforming the city's core into an open-air gallery.
• Open Data Portal Public portal providing access to city data, permits, housing development, economic reports, and various city metrics.
• A.W.A.R.E. Weather Engine System In-house developed weather engine advancing digital services and public safety; earned a 2025 Government Experience Award from Government Technology for national recognition.
• Block Blast Youth Programs Neighborhood Services recreation programs providing low- and no-cost activities for youth and families in priority neighborhoods.
• Clean Slate Tattoo Removal Program Program helping individuals remove harmful tattoos to embrace new opportunities for safety and success.

Quantifiable outcome

• 16% reduction in homelessness (1,140 from 1,365)
• +6 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered major, core and minor.

• United Soccer League (USL)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 October 2025The City has entered exclusive negotiations with USL to explore bringing professional men's and women's soccer teams to the community. This includes evaluating stadium locations, funding models, and long-term benefits for Santa Rosa. Regional collaboration with County of Sonoma exploring potential soccer stadium and entertainment district at Sonoma County Fairgrounds.
• County of SonomacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative regional efforts on homelessness solutions, affordable housing development, and various municipal programs. County provided $3.9 million funding for Keep People Housed program. Joint negotiations with USL for soccer stadium development.
• City of PetalumamajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership in the Keep People Housed-Sonoma countywide homelessness prevention pilot program, combining resources and coordination with All Home nonprofit.
• All HomemajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBay Area nonprofit partner in the $3.9 million Keep People Housed-Sonoma homelessness prevention pilot program, providing housing stabilization services and coordination.
• Catholic Charities of Northwest CaliforniacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Santa Rosa Police on community safety initiatives including immigration scam warnings and Safe Parking Program support. Joint messaging on public safety matters.
• Laguna de Santa Rosa FoundationmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership on Lower Colgan Creek Restoration Project, decades-long environmental restoration effort including volunteer planting days and native plant installations.
• Sonoma County Historical SocietyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLease of historic Caretaker House at Howarth Park to the Society for meetings, research, and community use, ensuring site preservation.
• Sonoma County Transit and Petaluma TransitmajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRegional transit collaboration including free countywide transit on Election Day, Marin-Sonoma Coordinated Transit Service (MASCOTS) plan for Highway 101 corridor.
• Golden Gate TransitminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorLeased six hybrid buses from Golden Gate Transit for one-year while awaiting delivery of new electric buses in late 2025 and 2026.
• PG&EminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerUtility relocation work underway for future Highway 101 Bike and Pedestrian Overcrossing project, with underground boring to relocate utilities.
• CaltransmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on Highway 101 overcrossing projects including ribbon cutting ceremony on December 11, 2025 for new multimodal overcrossing.
• Sonoma County Tourism BIAminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTourism Business Improvement Area Advisory Board partnership supporting tourism promotion and assessment collection.

Scale indicators17 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• City of Sacramento: California charter city of similar mid-tier scale providing full municipal services (public safety, water utility, permitting, housing); directly comparable general-purpose local government.
• City of Petaluma: Sonoma County partner on the Keep People Housed pilot and County of Sonoma regional efforts; comparable mid-size California city government providing water, housing, and public safety services.
• City of Fremont: Mid-size California charter city with strong technology adoption in permitting, water conservation, and EV infrastructure; comparable scale and innovation-focused municipal profile.
• City of Berkeley: Mid-size California charter city providing comparable municipal services, civic technology initiatives, and progressive housing/social policy programs at a similar population scale.
• City of Riverside: California charter city of comparable size providing water utility, electric utility, housing, and public safety services; similar full-service municipal structure and budget profile.
• County of Sonoma: Regional government partner on homelessness, housing, and transit (USL stadium exploration, $3.9M Keep People Housed funding); directly comparable regional public-sector service delivery model.
• City of Vallejo: Comparable mid-size Bay Area-area California charter city managing water utility, housing authority, and post-disaster recovery; similar fiscal-management and regional dynamics.

Broad incumbents

• City of San Jose: Larger California charter city with overlapping municipal functions including water, permitting, housing, and transit; comparable governance structure but operates at greater scale and budget.
• City of Long Beach: California charter city running its own water utility, port, and affordable housing programs; larger but structurally similar full-service municipal government.
• City of Oakland: California charter city delivering full municipal services including its own water utility and major affordable housing programs; operates at larger scale with similar governance and urban service portfolio.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/CityofSantaRosa
• YouTubesrcity.org/youtube
• Facebookfacebook.com/downtownsr
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/city-of-santa-rosa
• Instagramsrcity.org/instagram

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about City of Santa Rosa