Alcohol will soon be served at Santa Ana’s municipal stadium as part of a move by city council members to generate tax dollars as the city faces long-term concerns of stretching the city’s budget too thin.
During last Tuesday’s meeting, council members were in agreement with each other on letting Eddie West Field – also known as Santa Ana Bowl – serve alcohol during events, voting 6-0 in favor, with Councilwoman Jesse Lopez absent for the vote.
“Even Disneyland sells alcohol, come on,” said Mayor Valerie Amezcua during the Aug. 20 regular meeting.
As city leaders stare down the end of Measure X – an additional 1.5% sales tax that will drop to a rate of 8.25% in 2029 before sunsetting entirely a decade later – Santa Ana officials are scrambling for cash in order to prevent cutting essential services.
[Read: New Taxes? Increasing Revenue in Orange County Amid Budget Shortfalls]
This comes as the City Council earlier this year also started alcohol sales at the Santa Ana Zoo after approving a three-year contract with Bean Sprouts, LLC.
At first, city staff suggested limiting the sale of alcohol to “adult” events.
But Councilman Phil Bacerra pushed back.
“Eddie West [Field] is going to be a different venue, right, and we wanted to include that adult language to ensure that it’s not just going to be for high school games,” said City Manager Nuñez. “We’re looking to expand a little bit.”
The ordinance will return for City Council discussion for a second reading at the Sept. 17 regular meeting.
The stadium – which often hosts high school football games – would require vendors with an alcohol license to seek approval from the city manager’s office at every event, as suggested by Councilman Bacerra.
“This is good economic development,” said Councilman Johnahthan Hernandez, highlighting that the venue has an opportunity to promote local businesses in the city.
Nuñez added that ultimately, the goal is to expand revenue options for Santa Ana.
“This is a step moving forward,” he said, highlighting that selling alcohol at the venue makes it easier for the city to promote.
Will Santa Ana Get a Cut from Alcohol Sales?
Councilman David Penaloza suggested to City Manager Nunez at the meeting that he wanted to see “beneficial revenue sharing” with vendors contracted for stadium events.
In February, council members supported the selling of alcoholic beverages at Santa Ana Zoo under an agreement to receive a revenue share based on total sales.
Effective this March, the city takes 6% of earnings from the vendor after the first $300,000 dollars – which translates to a base of $18,000 – and up to 10% of profits exceeding $500,000.
Councilwoman Thai Phan said that parents who attend tournaments at the stadium will likely appreciate the new ordinance.
“Frankly, at some of these youth events, the parents really need something to get through,” she said.
Hugo Rios is a Voice of OC reporting fellow. Contact him at hugo.toni.rios@gmail.com or on Twitter @hugoriosss
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