Santa Cruz City Government

The City of Santa Cruz is located in one of the most beautiful areas of California, on the sunny, northern side of the Monterey Bay, 75 miles south of San Francisco and 30 miles south of San Jose. Situated between magnificent redwood-forested mountains and the Pacific Ocean, Santa Cruz is one of California's most popular seaside resorts, with twenty-nine miles of beaches and the historic Beach Boardwalk seaside amusement park. The mild Mediterranean climate invites all to enjoy the numerous forest and mountain trails, spectacular ocean vistas, and rich and varied marine life. Recreational facilities in the Santa Cruz area include: seventeen state parks and beaches, five golf courses, and a small craft harbor. Santa Cruz has numerous art galleries and a thriving music scene. A wide variety of outstanding cultural and special events is offered year-round. Santa Cruz is home to a world renown teaching and research institution - the University of California at Santa Cruz (UCSC) - and is also a center for businesses, large and small, to innovate and succeed.

Santa Cruz is a charter city with a seven-member City Council that is elected at large. The City maintains a workforce of over 700 employees who maintain a full range of services, to include: Police, Fire, Water, Planning, Economic Development, Redevelopment, Parks and Recreation, Wastewater, Sewer and Refuse and Recycling collection. In addition, the City provides beach and lifeguard services, open space management, and administers the City/County Public Library System.