The City of Santa Paula, California is located 65 miles northwest of Los Angeles and 14 miles east of Ventura and the coastline of the Pacific Ocean. Santa Paula is the geographical center of Ventura County, situated in the rich agricultural Santa Clara River Valley. The City is surrounded by rolling hills and rugged mountain peaks in addition to orange, lemon and avocado groves. In fact, Santa Paula is referred to as the "Citrus Capital of the World."
The City of Santa Paula was incorporated on April 22, 1902 as a general law city. The City Council is made up of five members, elected at-large, serving four year terms. The Mayor is selected for a one-year term from among the members of the City Council. The City operates under a council-manager form of government . The City Council appoints the City Manager and City Attorney. The City Clerk and City Treasurer are elected and serve four year terms.
The City of Santa Paula delivers municipal services through nine departments: Administration (City Council, City Manager, City Attorney, City Clerk, Personnel, Risk Management), Building and Safety (building and code enforcement), Community Services (recreation, senior services, cable television, filming, California Oil Museum, tourism), Economic Development (redevelopment, housing), Finance (City Treasurer, Utility Billing and Payments, Accounting, Payroll, Purchasing), Fire, Police, Public Works (streets, parks, water, wastewater, refuse).