Auditing Santa Clara
The Ledger's review of Santa Clara's budgets, audits, debt and redevelopment money. Every story in the series, sorted by subject, with the figures the records show and links to the official documents.
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Auditing Santa Clara: What the city's budget and audit records show
Auditing Santa Clara follows the city's money through its own budgets, audits and council votes. The council adopted a fiscal 2027 budget with a $12,034,290 General Fund in June 2026, and the city's auditor gave its fiscal 2025 statements an unmodified opinion with no reported findings.
Read the explainer →Key figures
- $12,034,290Santa Clara's fiscal 2027 General Fund budgetAuditing Santa Clara: What the city's budget and audit records show →
- $11,263,915Amended fiscal 2026 General Fund budgetAuditing Santa Clara: What the city's budget and audit records show →
- $67,720,934Total net position at June 30, 2025, per the auditorSanta Clara's fiscal 2025 audit reports no findings; the city's finance page lists the fiscal 2023-24 audit as its latest →
- $3,495,650Fiscal 2025 increase in net position, per the auditor's slidesSanta Clara's fiscal 2025 audit reports no findings; the city's finance page lists the fiscal 2023-24 audit as its latest →
- $4.3 millionSanta Clara's fiscal 2027 fire department budgetSanta Clara's fire budget rises to $4.3 million; the city manager puts Ivins's share at about 57% →
- $2,513,858Ivins's fiscal 2027 budget line for Santa Clara fire and rescueSanta Clara's fire budget rises to $4.3 million; the city manager puts Ivins's share at about 57% →
- $220,306Projected added water revenue from the first rate stepSanta Clara approves five-year schedule of water rate increases →
Budgets, reserves and taxes
Santa Clara approves five-year schedule of water rate increases
On June 24, 2026, the Santa Clara City Council voted 4-0 for a water rate increase. The proposal in the packet raises each of six tier rates by 20 to 60 cents for 2026-27 and 2027-28, with a further 10 cents per tier from 2028-29 through 2030-31.
Santa Clara's fire budget rises to $4.3 million; the city manager puts Ivins's share at about 57%
Santa Clara's fiscal 2027 budget raises the fire department budget from about $3.3 million to $4.3 million for three new firefighters and a second wildland crew. The city manager said the cost split with Ivins is about 43% Santa Clara and 57% Ivins.
Contracts and spending
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Audits and compliance
Santa Clara's fiscal 2025 audit reports no findings; the city's finance page lists the fiscal 2023-24 audit as its latest
Squire & Company gave Santa Clara's fiscal 2025 statements an unmodified opinion and reported no material weaknesses, significant deficiencies or compliance findings. The audit was presented in a May 2026 council packet, and the city's finance page lists the fiscal 2023-24 audit as its most recent.