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The City of Costa Mesa has a thriving business community that ranges from the "mom-and-pop" shops and boutiques to major retail, auto dealerships, hotels, motels, entertainments, and manufacturing industries.
 
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 Our website offers many services to the business community such as: Doing business with Costa Mesa, Bids, RFPs, Online Auctions, Licenses, Permits

City Budget & User Fees and Charges
RFPs/Bids and Results, Awards (Purchasing)
Surplus Auctions
RFPs/Bids and Results (Public Services, Engineering)

And much more ...

The City of Costa Mesa is a regional center for commerce, with a wide array of educational, social, and recreational amenities.

 
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 We are home to South Coast Plaza and the Orange County Performing Arts Center - two world-renown facilities known across the country as well as internationally.

 

Some of the City's many points of interest include: Orange County Fair and Event Center and the Pacific Amphitheatre; South Coast Repertory Theatre; the world-class Renee & Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall; the exciting Samueli Theater; three beautiful golf courses; the Noguchi Gardens.
 

 

Where is Costa Mesa?

Costa Mesa At A Glance

History of Costa Mesa

Visitor Center

Explore Costa Mesa (Video Clips)

Phone Directory

Email Directory
Access City Hall


Budget Information


City Contracts


Disclosures


Local taxes

  • The City of Costa Mesa receives its funding through a variety of sources, the largest being a 7.750% sales tax (accounting for about 40% of the General Fund) and property taxes (accounting for about 24% of the General Fund). The single tax the city levies itself is an 8% transient occupancy, or hotel, tax.

News from City Hall


Permits and Zoning

  • Planning (including staff directory, zoning administrator decisions, banner permits, planning application packets, zoning regulations, ordinances, the General Plan, and urban and specific plans)
  • Building Safety (including staff directory, Permit Processing Center information, and forms)
  • Code Enforcement (including staff directory, code enforcement request form, and property maintenance regulations)

Public Information


Public Meetings


Spending

Information on proposed charter for the City of Costa Mesa

In the fall of 2011, Costa Mesa City Council asked the City Attorney to investigate the benefits and variations of the Charter form of city government. The information below outlines the differences between a general law city (Costa Mesa’s current form of government), and a charter law city; the advantages of the Charter form of city government; and various other relevant issues regarding the decision to use the Charter form of city government.

Any proposed charter would need to be placed on the ballot and approved by the voters.
 

(Weigh in on proposed City Charter!)

Second Draft of the City Charter (Jan. 13, 2012)

City charter suggestions-comments (through Jan. 10, 2012)
 

Proposed City Charter: Staff Report from Dec. 6, 2011 City Council meeting

Proposed City Charter: Timeline of Events/Public Meetings

Proposed City Charter: Sample draft for Costa Mesa

Proposed City Charter: Charters from other Orange County cities

Proposed City Charter: League of California Cities primer on charters

Proposed City Charter: Charter vs. general law cities chart

Proposed City Charter: List of the 120 charter cities in California