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Calabasas council hears poll showing majority support for 1¢ sales tax, directs outreach for November ballot
Summary
A consultant's voter survey showed initial November support of 61% for a hypothetical 1¢ general-purpose sales tax and 66% after education; council directed staff to pursue a November placement and expanded community outreach, while city attorney said June placement would require declaring a fiscal emergency.
A consultant presented Dec. 3 to the Calabasas City Council results of a voter survey testing a hypothetical one-cent general-purpose sales tax. FM3 pollster Richard Bernard told the council the topline November response to the ballot title and summary was 61% in favor, 33% opposed and 6% undecided; after providing informational messages about uses of revenue and accountability, support rose to about 66%.
Bernard said the poll interviewed 367 likely November 2026 Calabasas voters in a mixed phone and online survey conducted Nov. 6-13 and that the margin of error for the full sample was roughly ±5.7 percentage points. He said wildfire mitigation messages were especially persuasive: "82% said they would be more inclined to vote yes on the measure" after hearing a description of wildfire prevention and home fireproofing funding.
City Manager asked the council whether staff should plan an outreach and education program timed for a November election or a shorter June timeline. City Attorney told the council placing a general-purpose tax on the June ballot would require the council to declare a fiscal emergency, a legal finding that requires a unanimous 5-0 vote and is typically reserved for an imminent financial threat. The attorney cautioned that without that declaration a June placement is not permissible.
Council members focused discussion on turnout and electorate composition: Bernard said younger and less conservative voters who typically appear in November general elections were likelier to support tax measures, while a June primary tends to draw an older, more conservative electorate. He recommended a longer outreach runway and careful education of residents if the council wants to maximize the measure's chance of passing.
Mayor Peter Kraut summarized the council's direction: staff should proceed with education and community outreach timed for November and prepare a schedule of meetings and communications. Members of the public urged broader disclosure of the consultant's full report and emphasized door-to-door engagement and public forums.
Next steps: staff will post the FM3 presentation and prepare a community education plan for council review; no formal ballot placement was voted at this meeting.
