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Council agrees to place $495-per-parcel school parcel tax on November ballot
Summary
The Santa Monica City Council voted unanimously July 14 to certify a citizen petition placing a $495-per-parcel parcel tax for the Santa Monica–Malibu Unified School District on the Nov. 3 ballot, after staff certified the petition and callers urged the council to act. Proponents said the measure will stabilize district funding and save teaching positions.
The Santa Monica City Council voted unanimously July 14 to place a citizen-initiated parcel tax on the November 3 general election ballot that would levy $495 per taxable parcel to fund the Santa Monica–Malibu Unified School District.
Council staff reported the city received a timely petition that met county signature verification requirements and asked council to receive and file the certification and direct staff to place the measure on the ballot. The clerk confirmed the petition met the minimum requirement of 7,038 valid signatures.
The measure would establish Chapter 2.74 of the municipal code and fund school services while the city and district pursue longer-term arrangements. Supporters called during public comment to emphasize the measure's role in stabilizing district finances and preserving jobs. "This measure is about stability," said Brett Morrow, who said a loss of the proposed funding would amount to the equivalent of 73 teacher positions in the district. "Long-term investments in education shouldn't depend on annual budget decisions or changing fiscal conditions," he told the council.
A caller who helped gather signatures, Debbie Mulvaney, said she chaired the school board's financial oversight committee and urged the council to let voters decide: "If the city does not renew the [MSUA] in 2027 when it expires, the school district will lose $11 to $12 million per year," she said, warning of teacher layoffs and larger class sizes.
Council members discussed the legal and procedural steps for placing citizen initiatives on the ballot; the city attorney confirmed the city must place a qualified citizen initiative before voters. Council then voted to receive and file the certification and to place the parcel tax on the Nov. 3 ballot.
Next steps: staff will return with the required resolution and impartial analysis and publish timelines for written ballot arguments. The initiative will appear on the November ballot unless proponents withdraw it beforehand.
