Vacaville's PBID Proposal Faces Uphill Battle

City staff report low response rate and more opposition than support from downtown property owners

Published on Feb. 11, 2026

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The effort to establish a Property-Based Improvement District (PBID) in downtown Vacaville has garnered a poor response so far, with city staff reporting that only 25 ballots have been returned - and more owners opposing the proposal than backing it. The city is now looking for ways to increase engagement and support from the business community before deciding whether to move forward.

Why it matters

The creation of a PBID could provide additional funding and resources to improve the downtown area, but requires majority support from property owners. The low response rate and opposition raise questions about the viability of the proposal and the city's ability to rally the necessary support from the business community.

The details

According to Community and Economic Development Director Erin Morris, the city has received just 9 votes in favor and 16 opposed to the PBID proposal so far, well short of the majority support required to move forward. The city had authorized a contract with consultant New City America to initiate stakeholder meetings and outreach, but Morris said the 25 votes received so far is 'not a significant return'. The consultant recommended a PBID budget allocation focused on district identity, public spaces, and administration, but noted that the city needs to generate enough funding to make an impact.

  • The city sent two letters to stakeholders due to a low level of response to the first letter sent.
  • Votes were tallied on January 23, 2026.

The players

Erin Morris

Community and Economic Development Director for the City of Vacaville.

Marco Li Mandri

Consultant with New City America, the firm hired by the city to help establish the PBID.

John Carli

Mayor of Vacaville.

Savita Chaudhary

City Manager of Vacaville.

Ted Fremouw

Vacaville City Councilmember.

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What they’re saying

“You need to generate enough money to make an impact. If you don't, it's really a waste of everybody's time.”

— Marco Li Mandri, Consultant, New City America (thereporter.com)

“It's easy to be disengaged because we are so busy. I would like to see, for myself, that engagement because we don't know what we want in this case until we understand what it actually is, and if the property owners don't necessarily understand yet, then there is still work to be done.”

— John Carli, Mayor of Vacaville (thereporter.com)

“I personally don't feel comfortable using city assets to bully the wishes of property owners downtown.”

— Roy Stockton, Vacaville City Councilmember (thereporter.com)

What’s next

Staff recommended that the council provide direction to continue attempting to convince downtown business owners to support the PBID over the next two months. If more support is garnered, the city would bring the contract and an action plan to move forward with next steps in PBID formation. If not, staff would brief the council on the outcomes of the work.

The takeaway

The poor response and opposition to Vacaville's PBID proposal highlights the challenges cities face in garnering support from the business community for improvement initiatives. The city must find ways to better engage and address the concerns of downtown property owners if it hopes to move the PBID forward.