Ukiah city council votes to advance annexation proposal, directs city staff to move forward with tripling the size of the city limits

At last night’s City Council meeting, Ukiah’s councilmembers voted unanimously to let city staff move ahead with a controversial annexation proposal that would nearly triple the city’s geographic size. The proposed expansion would extend the city limits from just south of Calpella all the way to Burke Hill.

The decision followed nearly two hours of public comment, during which almost every speaker voiced either concerns or outright opposition to the plan.

With the council’s approval, Ukiah’s Community Development Department will now prepare a formal application for submission to the Mendocino Local Agency Formation Commission (LAFCo), the agency responsible for overseeing jurisdictional boundary changes throughout the county. Staff will also provide a comprehensive analysis to LAFCo and return to the City Council with final documents this summer. If approved, the annexation could take effect by November 2025.

Katrina Bartolomie, Mendocino County’s assessor-county clerk-recorder and a property owner in the proposed annexation zone, was among the many to speak out in opposition to the proposal during public comment.

“As a property owner, my first question was: When were we supposed to be informed that this was even being considered?” she asked. “Now that it could include the entire water district, I’m worried. My neighbors are too.” Bartolomie’s comments echoed a broader sentiment shared by many speakers, who criticized the city for failing to adequately notify residents about the meeting and the annexation proposal. Several attendees said they only learned about the meeting through Facebook, and many found out less than 24 hours beforehand.

Bartolomie, who keeps livestock, voiced concern about how annexation might impact her ability to raise animals.

“We raise cattle. Are we going to need permits? Are they going to cap how many we can have? These animals are our livelihood. Who’s standing up for us?”

Several other farmers and rural residents shared similar concerns, noting satisfaction with their current infrastructure and reluctance to transition to city-managed systems. Former Mendocino County Farm Bureau Director Devin Boer was one of many people who expressed skepticism over the city’s annexation plan, especially how it would impact farmers.

The city’s presentation was led by outside special counsel Phil Williams, alongside Community Development Director Craig Schlatter and Deputy City Manager Shannon Riley. Williams explained that if the plan is approved, Ukiah’s size would nearly triple, and property tax revenue from the annexed areas would shift from Mendocino County to the city.

Rodin also inquired about responsibility for roads and infrastructure in the annexed zones. “The City Council would act as the governing body for those areas and manage the funds accordingly,” Phil Williams, an outside attorney leading the project, responded.

Another concern that was brought up at the meeting during public comment was the impact that the proposed annexation would have on the Ukiah Police Department, stretching already limited resources even thinner. At a time when the department is struggling to recruit and retain officers, expanding the city limits to nearly three times its current size would further strain law enforcement and likely lead to slower response times—especially in the newly annexed areas. The discrepancy in response and service availability between these two areas is already noticeable.

Additionally, during planning discussions for a new Habit Burger location at the site of the former Denny’s, the project manager stated they would not include outdoor seating because it would attract unhoused individuals and lead to more service calls to UPD—calls the department is already too overwhelmed to handle. This proposal risks pushing the department beyond its limits. Rather than tripling the city’s size all at once, a phased approach to annexation should be considered to ensure public safety resources can keep pace.

Before the annexation takes effect, it still has to be approved by the City Council as well as Mendocino LAFCo which a vote is anticipated for November 2025.