The Santa Ana City Council recently participated in their Annual Retreat.  They were dismayed to find out that the funding needs for each city department are up to more than six times the $10 million to $12 million in surplus funds available as a result of the council formally adopting a budget and reserve policy in June 2012, according to the O.C. Register.

One of the more ridiculous recommendations to come out of the City Council’s Annual Retreat was to spend “$75,000 to $200,000 for a consultant to create a brand for Santa Ana that could help with its future economic prosperity.”

Really?  Our city has the the most overpaid City Manager in Orange County, an inexperienced Police Chief with an undermanned Police Department, a serious problem with gangs and crime, the most expensive business licenses in the O.C. and the highest property taxes and utility rates in Orange County and the City administrators think we have a branding problem?

Our current city brand is “Downtown Orange County,” as seen on the Santa Ana Water Tower.  Our old brand was “the Education City” but that didn’t work when you considered that our city has the highest dropout rates and the lowest graduation rates in Orange County.  And only 2 percent of our residents have graduate college degrees.

Perhaps you, our readers, have some branding ideas you can share with our City Council.  If so please email them here.

And here is a poll where you can weigh in on a few of our tongue-in-cheek branding ideas:

[cardoza_wp_poll id=22]