OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD
Record of Proceedings

Auburn Economic Development Commission Town Hall: 'How Do We Spend Our Dollar?' – February 11, 2026

City Council & Commissions — Wednesday, February 11, 2026
BodyAuburn, California
SessionCity Council & Commissions
DateWednesday, February 11, 2026
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 1:19:05

Transcript — Verbatim
0:00

You guys, we are so grateful to have you.

0:02

Your input is so important to us.

0:04

This is not for branding.

0:07

We are not here to brand Auburn.

0:09

We are really here to define the experiences that are of Auburn.

0:15

So we want to really engage in what those experiences look like.

0:18

And then how can we help bring in either outside people or make sure that these activities and these experiences are accessible to our residents?

0:28

Um, so we will have a series of four town halls quarterly, and all of that information will be taken and then used to help market Auburn to raise our sales tax.

0:39

Because that's what we want is more money.

0:42

So without further ado, welcome.

0:45

Thank you for spending this evening with us.

0:47

If you're online, thank you so much.

0:49

Uh, we will tell you this again.

0:51

But as we bring in the panel, you will actually be able to interact and participate in this by scanning these QR codes.

0:59

Don't scan them yet because you won't see anything.

1:02

However, you're gonna be able to scan these and interact with the panel in their discussion.

1:08

So your answers will be up here on the slides, and our panel will be able to answer the questions depending on your answer.

1:15

That makes sense.

1:17

Cool.

1:18

Without further ado, I would love y'all to welcome our Madam Mayor, Miss Kelly Davis.

1:28

Thank you, Jamie.

1:29

If we can give Jamie a round of applause as well.

1:33

She is a rock star.

1:35

She just recently took over as chair of our economic development commission.

1:39

And I will tell you what she's bringing all of her force to it.

1:42

So thank you all for coming.

1:45

It's great to have you.

1:46

I didn't write a speech because I think maybe it'll feel a little bit better.

1:49

Um my purpose is to introduce you guys to why we're here, what we're doing, and give you a little bit of background about how money is working in our community or not working, and um kind of give you some background before our panel takes over and we do the interacting.

2:08

So other orders business, please silence your cell phones, put them in your pockets, whatever.

2:14

If you need to leave and go to the restroom, please do.

2:17

Um, but no food in here.

2:18

You can have water.

2:19

Um, but if you need to walk out, we won't be offended.

2:23

Okay, but don't walk out just because it's not fun.

2:26

I will be offended.

2:28

Okay.

2:28

Uh Jay Ross is our moderator tonight.

2:33

I am Kelly Davis.

2:35

I am the mayor.

2:37

Okay, why are we here tonight?

2:39

So we're here tonight to talk about mostly sales tax, because that's something we as a community have the most control over because that's how we generate our funding and the one of the most flexible forms of funding that we have.

2:51

We can direct how it's used.

2:53

Um, I'll tell you the other funding sources that we give a little that we get a little bit.

2:57

Um, but the focus tonight is sales tax to discuss a little bit about how your shopping choices matter and how they affect how we get that money.

3:08

Um, and then finally getting your feedback.

3:11

You guys have the answers we need.

3:13

You guys have lived experiences in our community, you own businesses.

3:16

Oh, I wanted to ask, can I see a raise of hands, business owners who are here?

3:21

Yay!

3:22

Awesome.

3:23

Thank you guys.

3:24

Um, you know, to hear from each other and just gather a ton of information.

3:31

All right, so let's jump right into it.

3:33

Um, how much of our budget comes from taxes?

3:36

So on the left, this is our whole city budget.

3:41

Okay, 32.4 million dollars.

3:44

Not all of that is tax money.

3:46

A lot of it comes in lots of different things.

3:49

So I want to give you an idea.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Economic Development█████████████████████████████████████████████46%
Community Engagement██████████████████████22%
Public Engagement████████████████16%
Land Use Planning█████5%
Personnel Matters████4%
Technology and Innovation███3%
Arts And Culture███3%
Fiscal Sustainability█1%
Summary of Proceedings

Auburn Economic Development Commission Town Hall: 'How Do We Spend Our Dollar?' – February 11, 2026

Note: The agenda lists this meeting as February 10, 2026, but the provided date for this summary is February 11, 2026. The content below reflects the transcript of the event.

The City of Auburn Economic Development Commission (EDC) hosted a community town hall on February 11, 2026, from 5:30 p.m. at City Hall, 1225 Lincoln Way, Auburn. The event, titled "How Do We Spend Our Dollar?," aimed to engage residents, business owners, and community leaders in a discussion about local spending, sales tax generation, and strategies to strengthen Auburn’s economic and cultural vitality. The evening featured an opening presentation by Mayor Kelly Davis, a moderated panel discussion, and interactive audience participation via QR code polling.

Opening Presentation by Mayor Kelly Davis

  • Mayor Kelly Davis outlined the city’s $32.4 million total budget and $19 million general fund, funded primarily by property tax and sales tax. She explained that Auburn’s property tax growth is slow due to low property turnover, and sales tax is critical because the city only retains 1% of the 7.25% sales tax rate (6% goes to the state).
  • She highlighted that Auburn’s city limits are only seven square miles, excluding big-box retailers like Target and Home Depot, meaning the city relies on small businesses and local spending.
  • Davis presented a quick math example: if one person spends $100/month in city limits, they generate about $12/year for the city; 10,000 adults doing so would generate $120,000/year; 50,000 people (including visitors) would generate $600,000/year.
  • She emphasized that local spending circulates dollars three to seven times within the community, supporting local jobs, sponsorships, and nonprofits, whereas online shopping sends money out of town and adds delivery traffic and pollution.

Panel Discussion

  • Moderator: EDC Chair J. Ross Parrelli.
  • Panelists: City Manager Sean Rabe, Chamber of Commerce President Manouch Shirvanioun, Downtown Business Association President Dallas Drake, Old Town Business Association President Kat Eich.
  • Top Sales Tax Sectors: Panel identified fuel stations, casual dining, auto sales, fast food, and auto repair as the top five sales tax producers. Grocery stores (e.g., Trader Joe’s) generate near-zero sales tax. The city is exploring annexation to attract higher sales-tax producers like Costco or car dealerships on the outskirts.
  • Leveraging Sectors for Unique Experiences: Panelists stressed creating “dwell time” through unique, non-franchised businesses (e.g., Josephine’s, Monkey Cat) and walkable connections between Old Town and Downtown. They noted that endurance events (Western States, Canyons) bring thousands of visitors, but the city does not capitalize on keeping them after the race.
  • Vacant Buildings: Dallas Drake and Sean Rabe explained that many vacant buildings are owned by uncooperative property owners, not a lack of demand. The city is developing a vacant building ordinance and pursuing code enforcement for safety and zoning violations (e.g., chain-link fences in historic areas). A city grant program has provided “last mile” funding (e.g., $40,000 to The Vault) to help fill long-vacant spaces.
  • Cross-Promotion: Examples included using local printers (A1 Printing), buying city apparel from Dancing Dog, and purchasing a pickup truck from a local dealer (DuPratt) even at slightly higher cost to keep money local.
  • Events: Panelists promoted events like Porchfest, Harvest Fest, Kids of Palooza, and the upcoming 250th anniversary celebration. They encouraged businesses to stay open during events to capture foot traffic.

Audience Engagement and Feedback

  • Attendees submitted answers via QR code polls throughout the evening. Key themes included:
    • Missing goods/services: Men’s clothing, laptops, party supplies, furniture, restaurant supplies, kid’s shoes, optometrists, pet supplies, beauty products, photography supplies, and running shoes.
    • Desired improvements: More parking signage, live music, public art, a butterfly sanctuary, a skating rink, miniature golf, safe bike lanes, later business hours, and better promotion of local businesses.
    • Attracting visitors: Suggestions included TikTok marketing, billboards, outdoor entertainment, a conference market, and a scavenger hunt (augmented reality Yeti/Sasquatch trail).
    • Inspiration from other cities: Attendees mentioned St. Louis Obispo, Sedona, Fort Bragg, Mendocino, and Bentonville (Arkansas) as examples of successful destination towns.
  • Several audience members shared personal experiences: one business owner (37 years in business) noted that even locals don’t know what’s available; another suggested that simply walking downtown creates a vibrant atmosphere.

Key Outcomes

  • The EDC committed to holding a series of four quarterly town halls to gather input for marketing Auburn and increasing sales tax revenue.
  • A unified community events calendar will be developed on ExploreAuburnCA.com, consolidating all event listings.
  • The city will continue pursuing a vacant building ordinance and code enforcement actions to address blighted properties.
  • The grant program for vacant building occupancy will be continued as funding allows.
  • The EDC has two open seats and encourages interested business owners (especially from the airport area) or engaged residents to apply.
  • The panel and mayor emphasized the importance of “thinking Auburn first” in all spending decisions to strengthen the local economy.

Meeting Transcript

You guys, we are so grateful to have you. Your input is so important to us. This is not for branding. We are not here to brand Auburn. We are really here to define the experiences that are of Auburn. So we want to really engage in what those experiences look like. And then how can we help bring in either outside people or make sure that these activities and these experiences are accessible to our residents? Um, so we will have a series of four town halls quarterly, and all of that information will be taken and then used to help market Auburn to raise our sales tax. Because that's what we want is more money. So without further ado, welcome. Thank you for spending this evening with us. If you're online, thank you so much. Uh, we will tell you this again. But as we bring in the panel, you will actually be able to interact and participate in this by scanning these QR codes. Don't scan them yet because you won't see anything. However, you're gonna be able to scan these and interact with the panel in their discussion. So your answers will be up here on the slides, and our panel will be able to answer the questions depending on your answer. That makes sense. Cool. Without further ado, I would love y'all to welcome our Madam Mayor, Miss Kelly Davis. Thank you, Jamie. If we can give Jamie a round of applause as well. She is a rock star. She just recently took over as chair of our economic development commission. And I will tell you what she's bringing all of her force to it. So thank you all for coming. It's great to have you. I didn't write a speech because I think maybe it'll feel a little bit better. Um my purpose is to introduce you guys to why we're here, what we're doing, and give you a little bit of background about how money is working in our community or not working, and um kind of give you some background before our panel takes over and we do the interacting. So other orders business, please silence your cell phones, put them in your pockets, whatever. If you need to leave and go to the restroom, please do. Um, but no food in here. You can have water. Um, but if you need to walk out, we won't be offended. Okay, but don't walk out just because it's not fun. I will be offended. Okay. Uh Jay Ross is our moderator tonight. I am Kelly Davis. I am the mayor. Okay, why are we here tonight? So we're here tonight to talk about mostly sales tax, because that's something we as a community have the most control over because that's how we generate our funding and the one of the most flexible forms of funding that we have. We can direct how it's used. Um, I'll tell you the other funding sources that we give a little that we get a little bit. Um, but the focus tonight is sales tax to discuss a little bit about how your shopping choices matter and how they affect how we get that money. Um, and then finally getting your feedback. You guys have the answers we need. You guys have lived experiences in our community, you own businesses. Oh, I wanted to ask, can I see a raise of hands, business owners who are here? Yay!

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TRANSCRIPT VIA PUBLIC VIDEO
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