To the Editor:
To the Ukiah City Council and Staff:
The Employer’s Council of Mendocino County, doing business as Mendo Matters, submits this letter in strong opposition to the City of Ukiah’s proposed annexation plan. While we understand the City’s interest in managing growth and infrastructure, this sweeping land acquisition proposal poses serious and far-reaching risks to the citizens, businesses, agricultural producers, and the County of Mendocino as a whole.
Threat to farmland, property rights, and rural livelihoods
The proposed annexation would accelerate urban sprawl and encroach upon critical agricultural lands, undermining the agricultural identity and sustainability of the Ukiah Valley. More concerning is the imposition of city-level regulations that would severely restrict or prohibit long-standing rural practices such as open-air burning, livestock raising, water well drilling, and lawful firearm use, which are integral to rural living and agricultural operations.
Additionally, there is a thriving force of small businesses outside the City limits, which would be subject to new code and regulations. Just because the City of Ukiah states the “zoning” will remain the same, the application of the uses within that zoning will not. One main issue is that a County business license is an annual “flat fee” whereas the City of Ukiah business license is not an annual “flat fee” but a “percentage of revenue.” But perhaps the most concerning is the shift from County planning ordinances, which is already a challenge due to lack of staffing, transitioning to the City planning rules and regulations; this would be the straw that breaks the small business owner’s back.
Ultimately, this plan reflects a clear disregard for the property rights and lifestyle choices of residents who intentionally live outside city boundaries to preserve an agricultural or rural way of life. These citizens are now facing the imposition of city oversight without consent, due process, or adequate representation.
Poor governance and fiscal instability
The City of Ukiah has repeatedly demonstrated a lack of operational efficiency and financial accountability. Property owners and contractors frequently report long delays for permits and services, largely due to ineffective leadership and underperforming staff.
Even more troubling is the City’s financial condition. According to the California Policy Center, Ukiah received an “F” in fiscal management, citing weak financial metrics, mounting debt, and insufficient reserves. In one reporting period, City expenditures ($68.9 million) far outpaced revenues ($54.3 million), and in another, the City faced a $14.3 million shortfall. With a whopping $216M+ overall debt, this reflects severe fiscal mismanagement. It appears evident that the City is desperately seeking their annexation plan to close the budget gap — more citizens to pay off your debt!
Despite these issues, the City appears intent on expanding its obligations through annexation without demonstrating the financial capacity to responsibly govern its current jurisdiction, let alone additional areas.
Lack of transparency and public engagement
Despite multiple public meetings and inquiries, City staff have failed to provide clear or accessible financial data outlining the full tax and service implications of the proposed annexation. Although staff claim that such reports exist, they have not been made publicly available; this raises serious concerns that critical financial details are being withheld until the last possible moment, limiting meaningful community scrutiny.
At the same time, the City’s public messaging across social media and official channels has been overtly promotional and one-sided, presenting only favorable narratives while disregarding widespread community opposition.
This lack of transparency and engagement is especially disappointing coming from a City that, according to its own 2040 General Plan, purports to “rely on partnerships with Mendocino County and local organizations.” In reality, the annexation process has been anything but collaborative or inclusive. Most troubling is the City’s deceptive approach: while enlisting the County’s agreement on a tax revenue sharing plan based on the much smaller 1984 annexation boundaries, it was simultaneously preparing this massive and aggressive expansion, which is a clear betrayal of trust.
In our view, this one-sided annexation plan will not only place an undue burden on rural residents, but also threatens to financially destabilize Mendocino County as a whole.
Inadequate capacity to deliver services
The City has not demonstrated the ability to maintain or improve services in the areas it seeks to annex. Law enforcement is already stretched thin with increasing concerns about crime, vandalism, and homelessness. Many City departments remain understaffed with key vacancies left unfilled for years. The proposed annexation would exacerbate these staffing shortages and add new demands on already overextended systems.
Vacancy, vagrancy, and decline of quality of life
A drive through Ukiah makes it blaringly obvious: the City is struggling to manage vacancy, vagrancy, and public nuisance issues. Business owners and property managers are forced to shoulder the cost of encampment clean-ups, added security, and repairs due to property damage, often with little to no City support. Now, the City is even proposing a new annual fee on vacant commercial properties and lots, further penalizing property owners while failing to address the root problems.
Problematic ordinances and questionable timing
The City’s recently updated 2040 General Plan introduces a range of questionable and burdensome ordinances that would disproportionately impact the rural areas now targeted for annexation. Policies such as “No Mow May” and new restrictions on personal animal husbandry, potentially tied to added fees, may reflect urban priorities; however, they are ill-suited and unfair in a rural context. The County of Mendocino does not currently have a countywide noise ordinance and the City of Ukiah’s noise ordinance could be a direct conflict with agricultural and manufacturing businesses located outside city limits. These are just a few examples of the kinds of smaller, yet deeply impactful, changes being proposed.
Equally concerning is the effect these changes will have on the many small businesses currently operating outside City limits. While the City claims zoning will remain unchanged, the way existing uses are interpreted and regulated under City authority will not. A key example is the shift from the County’s flat-fee business license model to the City of Ukiah’s license system. This shift is based on a percentage of gross revenue which is a significant financial burden for small business owners. Even more alarming is the impending shift from County to City planning regulations. County planning is already strained due to lack of staffing; layering on the City’s more complex and often stricter code could be the final blow for many rural businesses trying to stay afloat.
Notably, these policies and plans were largely developed during the COVID-19 pandemic, a time when community engagement was at an all-time low. The City’s failure to conduct meaningful outreach, especially to those outside its limits, has left many residents unaware and unrepresented. This lack of transparency and inclusion not only marginalizes those most affected, but also casts doubt on the legitimacy of the entire planning and annexation process.
Conclusion
The Employer’s Council of Mendocino County/Mendo Matters unequivocally opposes the City of Ukiah’s annexation proposal. We urge the Council to abandon this plan in favor of a more limited, transparent, and collaborative approach — one that genuinely respects the rights, livelihoods, and voices of rural residents, agricultural producers, and local business owners who you seek to annex.
Mendo Matters is organizing a formal protest to submit to LAFCO and will be contacting all property owners in the proposed annexation area to garner support to defeat this massive “land grab.”
We all live in Mendocino County. Any action this significant should benefit the whole — not just the City’s bottom line.
Sincerely,
-Mendo Matters Board of Directors,Kerri Vau, Chair Julie Golden, Co-Chair , Richard Selzer, Director John Buchanan, Director , John Strangio, Director Paul Clark, Director, Jim Ronco, Director
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