City of Merced

What City of Merced does

The City of Merced is a California municipal government incorporated in 1889, serving residents and businesses within Merced city limits (Merced County, California) with a workforce of 251–500 employees. It delivers essential public services including water and wastewater utilities, refuse collection and recycling, police and fire/EMS public safety, parks and recreation (including Applegate Park Zoo), urban planning and zoning, building permitting, and economic development support. The city has positioned itself as the "Gateway to Yosemite," leveraging transient occupancy tax revenue from tourism traffic.

Its technology stack is a unified digital services platform for citizens, comprising the Merced Civic Access online portal for permit, planning, and business-license applications; the Merced Connect mobile application for service requests and notifications; the MercedGEO citizens mapping/GIS application; Engage Merced for community-input on planning; Subscribe Merced for topic-based email alerts; and Financial Analysis Tools for budget transparency. These products function as integrated digital touchpoints over a conventional government service architecture rather than a proprietary AI-driven platform.

City operations are funded through a hybrid revenue model anchored by recurring taxes and fees: property tax (general operations), utility billing for water/wastewater/refuse, transient occupancy tax, Measure C and Measure Y special taxes, permit and planning transaction fees, and one-time business license fees. As a political subdivision of the State of California, the City of Merced is a publicly owned entity governed by an elected City Council, with no parent company, institutional shareholders, or equity-raise capacity. Customer segments are City Residents (primary, persona), Local Businesses (planning/permitting/licensing), and Visitors/Tourists (lodging-driven tax base).

Name

City of Merced

Legal name

City of Merced

Website

https://cityofmerced.org

Company type

Public

Founded year

1889

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

The City of Merced is a California municipal government incorporated in 1889 that delivers water, wastewater, refuse, public safety, parks, and permitting services to residents, businesses, and visitors in Merced, CA. It funds operations through property tax, utility fees, transient occupancy tax, and business-license fees.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Municipal Government Services

NAICS

Solid Waste Collection (562111), Waste Collection (5621), Water Supply and Irrigation Systems (221310), Sewage Treatment Facilities (22132), Solid Waste Landfill (562212)

SIC

Refuse Systems (4953), Water Supply (4941), Sanitary Services (4950)

akta.pro primary industry

Solid Waste & Recycling Services Administration (BPAIACAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Public Works / In-House Municipal Collection Operations (EUAIAAAF), Street & Public Space Litter Collection (Municipal Cleaning) (BPALAAAE)

Keywords

• Municipal government services
• Public safety services
• Water and wastewater utilities
• Building permits and licensing
• Urban planning and zoning

Headquarters

HQ city

Merced

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, Others

Revenue model

1. Utility Billing: Revenue generated from water, wastewater, and refuse collection services provided to residents and businesses
2. Property Tax: Primary property tax revenue supporting general city operations and services
3. Transient Occupancy Tax: Tax revenue from hotel and lodging accommodations, leveraging Merced's position as Gateway to Yosemite
4. Permit and Planning Fees: Fees collected for building permits, planning applications, zoning ordinances, and inspections
5. Business Licenses: Fees collected from businesses operating within city limits for business licenses
6. Measure C Information: Special tax or assessment revenue managed through the Finance department for specific city initiatives
7. Measure Y: Special tax revenue for public safety and other designated city services

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The City of Merced provides municipal government services to residents and businesses within Merced city limits, including water and wastewater utilities, refuse collection and recycling, police and fire public safety, parks and recreation (including Applegate Park Zoo), planning and zoning, building permits and inspections, business licensing, and community engagement. Service delivery is enabled through City Hall, department offices, and citizen digital platforms (Merced Civic Access portal, Merced Connect mobile app, MercedGEO mapping, Financial Analysis Tools, Engage Merced, and Subscribe Merced notifications).

Product overview

City of Merced operates a unified digital services platform consisting of citizen-facing web portals and mobile applications. The core offering includes Merced Civic Access (permitting and licensing portal), Merced Connect (mobile app), Engage Merced (community engagement), Subscribe Merced (notifications), MercedGEO (GIS mapping), Financial Analysis Tools, and Online Crime Reporting. These products function as integrated digital touchpoints allowing citizens to access government services, pay bills, report issues, and engage with city planning initiatives.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Merced Connect: Mobile application serving as hub for latest updates and services from the City of Merced
• Merced Civic Access
• MercedGEO
• Engage Merced
• Imagine Merced
• Subscribe Merced

Products and services

• Water Utility Service Provision of potable water supply to residents and businesses within Merced city limits, including water meter management, conservation programs, hydrant meter permits, backflow compliance, and consumer confidence reporting.
• Wastewater and Sewer Service Collection, treatment, and disposal of wastewater for city residents and businesses, including sewer system operations, storm drain management, and water quality control.
• Refuse Collection and Recycling Curbside refuse collection, bulky item drop-off, green waste and organics programs, recycling, and edible food recovery for city residents and businesses under published refuse rates.
• Utility Billing Portal Online portal enabling residents and businesses to view and pay utility bills for water, wastewater, refuse, and other city-provided services.
• Police and Public Safety Services Patrol, code enforcement, animal control, crime reporting and investigation, recreational vehicle parking permits, transparency reporting, and recruitment for the City of Merced Police Department.
• Fire and Emergency Services Fire suppression, burn day determinations, Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) program, fire administration, and related fee-based services delivered by the City of Merced Fire Department.
• Merced Civic Access (Permits, Planning, and Business Licenses Portal) Standalone online portal for submitting and tracking applications for building permits, planning entitlements, and business licenses with the City of Merced.
• Merced Connect Mobile Application Mobile application providing residents with a hub for city service requests, latest updates, and notifications from the City of Merced.
• Subscribe Merced Notification Service Notification subscription service allowing residents to sign up for email and SMS alerts on city topics, news, and emergency information including CodeRED emergency notifications.
• Engage Merced Community Engagement Platform Online civic engagement platform enabling residents to submit ideas, provide input, and participate in planning and development initiatives such as the Imagine Merced General Plan.
• MercedGEO Citizens Mapping Application GIS-based mapping application allowing citizens to look up addresses, parcels, zoning, and general locations within Merced city limits.
• Financial Analysis Tools Online transparency tools that allow the public to explore the City of Merced's budget and actual financial data.
• Online Crime Reporting Self-service online portal allowing residents to file non-emergency crime reports with the Police Department.
• Parks, Recreation, and Applegate Park Zoo Municipal parks and community recreation programming, including Applegate Park Zoo, parks maintenance, and community events for Merced residents.
• Planning, Zoning, and Building Permits Municipal planning, zoning ordinance administration, building permits, plan checks, and building inspections for residents, businesses, and developers operating within Merced city limits.
• Business and Economic Development Services Municipal economic development support, business licensing, bid opportunities, vendor access, and purchasing services for businesses operating within Merced.

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• City of Manteca: San Joaquin County city of similar population and service mix, providing water, wastewater, solid waste, and development services. Comparable mid-size California municipal peer with similar utility and public safety operations.
• City of Madera: Smaller Central Valley municipality immediately adjacent to Merced offering the same core municipal services under California state law. Direct peer in size, governance structure, and regional economic context.
• City of Lodi: Central Valley-adjacent city of comparable size operating water, wastewater, refuse, and community development services. Direct peer in California municipal governance structure, scale, and service delivery model.
• City of Clovis: Fresno County neighbor of comparable population and service portfolio including water, wastewater, refuse, and community development. Comparable in California municipal governance model and Central Valley service context.
• City of Modesto: Sister Central Valley city of similar size and service portfolio, operating water, wastewater, refuse, public safety, and planning services with comparable digital citizen portals. Most directly comparable California municipal peer given shared geography, governance structure, and utility mix.
• City of Turlock: Adjacent Stanislaus County city of similar size offering water, wastewater, solid waste, and development services. Highly comparable peer given proximity to Merced, overlapping Central Valley service area, and similar mid-size municipal structure.
• City of Visalia: Mid-size Central Valley city of comparable population tier and service mix, including water, wastewater, refuse, public safety, and parks. Direct peer in terms of municipal scale, governance structure, and Central Valley operating context.

Broad incumbents

• City of Stockton: Central Valley city operating water, wastewater, refuse collection, and community development services under similar California municipal governance. Comparable in service delivery model and regulatory exposure, though larger in population and budget.
• City of Bakersfield: Large Central Valley municipality providing the same essential municipal services - water, wastewater, solid waste, public safety, parks, and development permitting. Comparable in service portfolio and California regulatory framework, but at meaningfully larger scale.
• City of Fresno: Larger Central Valley municipal government operating the same core service lines (water, wastewater, refuse, public safety, planning) but at significantly greater scale. Comparable in service mix and regulatory environment, though substantially larger in budget and headcount than Merced.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/CityofMerced
• YouTubecityofmerced.gov/government/about-merced/social-media-center
• Facebookfacebook.com/cityofmerced
• Instagramcityofmerced.gov/government/about-merced/social-media-center

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Merced