State of the City 2022: Mayor Patino Paints a Hopeful Picture of the Future of Santa Maria for Years to Come

Arguably the most important business event of the year, the Santa Maria Valley Chamber hosted the 2022 State of the City at the Radisson Hotel Santa Maria on October 26th. Local community leaders and business representatives gathered for an update by our local government leaders: Mayor Alice Patino and City Manager Jason Stilwell.

There were many exciting new developments discussed including:

• The continued installation of fiber optic cables in the City of Santa Maria, keeping the community prepared with the latest technology.

• 16,000 new housing units planned for completion by 2045.

• The Downtown Revitalization Project, and the planned apartment complexes around Broadway & Main Street.

• City Manager Stilwell also reported on the status of public safety, the housing market, and the general economic outlook of the city.

The morning was a promising message of hope and as Mayor Patino stated, "I think the state of our city is healthy and we're getting healthier."

Mayor Patino explained how the City of Santa Maria has had a long standing tradition of being fiscally conservative, only spending the money that is available within the budget, and making a priority to save for 'rainy days' to prepare for whatever the future may hold.

This same value was seen when city leaders secured a water rights contract from the State of California, enabling the city to carry out its plans to build a significant number of new housing units in response to the statewide housing crisis. Mayor Patino retirated that the City is doing everything they can within their power to allow new construction, however, the most significant challenges poised come from newly implemented state regulations.

The Santa Maria Valley Chamber hosted the 2022 State of the City address on October 26th at the Radisson Hotel Santa Maria. Mayor Alice Patino and City Manager Jason Stillwell addressed local business and community leaders on the state of our city.

“Housing is the biggest challenge I think we face in the state of California. More and more, it’s being taken out of local control, and it should not be taken out of local control,” Patino said. “When housing developments do not have to go before the Planning Commission, do not have to go before the City Council and can just be built I think is fundamentally wrong. We’re seeing that more and more, and this is what’s coming down from that state and we have to deal with it.”

The Mayor also acknowledged the challenges poised by the existing city infrastructure, and recognized that the city must continue to develop and improve infrastructure to match the pace of growth in the city. At current, the City estimates its population to be well over 120,000 residents. This makes the City the most populous in the County of Santa Barbara. The City anticipates a growth of an additional 40,000 residents in the upcoming years.

City Manager Jason Stillwell presented a report showcasing all the development activity underway. Attendees of the State of the City address had a sneak preview of planned construction renderings, including the highly anticipated downtown revitalization project around the intersection of Broadway and Main streets. There will be multiple mixed use buildings underway and quite a few new apartment complexes to be built in the blocks around that intersection.

Proposed projects under review also provided the crowd a source of excitement for the future of the city. There is a proposed annexization off of Orcutt Rd and Union Valley Parkway, among many other housing development plans.

City Manager Stillwell also spoke on key indicators of a strong community:

• The Santa Maria Valley housing market hit an unprecedented record of both units sold and median home sale price.

• Unemployment rate is recovering and is now at a 50 year low of 3.5%.

• New development continues to forge forward strong.

• Crime is consistent in most categories with the rest of the nation.

• Doubling of funds available for road maintenance and construction.

The State of the City of Santa Maria is strong, and continues to grow stronger. The Santa Maria Valley Chamber is proud to be a Catalyst, Convener, and Champion for both the City of Santa Maria and the Santa Maria Valley as a whole. We appreciate the City for both their support and continued efforts on our shared goal of strengthening the local community and creating a prosperous place for business.