Santa Cruz City Council Scorecards

Performance rankings based on voting records - Powered by My Local Government.com

How We Calculate the Scores

Our system shows how often council members vote FOR policies that advance Santa Cruz's goals.

The Scoring Formula

We calculate a score for each category based on voting records:

Score = Pro Votes / Total Votes Present

Example: 13 pro votes out of 15 total votes present = 13/15 = 0.87 (87% alignment)

Pro Votes

"Yes" votes on policies that advance the category goal (e.g., new housing projects for Housing category).

Against Votes

"No" votes on policies that advance the category goal, or "Yes" votes on restrictive policies.

Fairness

Only votes where members were present count. Absences don't hurt scores - they just reduce the total possible points.

Color Coding (20% Ranges)

0-20%

Needs Work

20-40%

Poor

40-60%

Fair

60-80%

Good

80-100%

Strong

100%

Perfect

Scoring Categories

Housing Development

Support for new housing, zoning reforms, and affordable housing initiatives.

Public Safety

Funding for police, fire, emergency services, and community safety programs.

Economic Development

Support for business growth, job creation, and economic vitality.

Transportation

Infrastructure improvements, bike lanes, public transit, and mobility solutions.

Environment

Climate action, conservation, sustainability initiatives, and environmental protection.