ACTION Apartment Association

Santa Monica Property Owners to See Lower Tax Bills After School District Refinances Bonds

08/06/2020 5:17 PM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

Santa Monica and Malibu taxpayers will save more than $6 million after the School District refinanced nearly $75 million in general obligation bonds, District officials announced Thursday.

The reduced property tax rate on future tax bills comes as interest rates have dropped to record lows "due to the coronavirus pandemic and overall economic uncertainty," officials said.

Santa Monica to Crack Down of Face Mask Violators

08/06/2020 7:46 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

The City of Santa Monica issued a warning Wednesday that it will begin enforcing its face covering order this week, with those in violation facing an initial fine of $100.

"Beginning this week, we’ll be doing targeted enforcement for face coverings in business districts and parks in Santa Monica," City officials announced on Tweeter.

Backers of Prop 21 Sued Over False Arguments in Ballot Argument

08/05/2020 9:06 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

Opponents of Proposition 21 today filed suit today in Sacramento Superior Court seeking to strike and revise three different “false and misleading statements” made by the Yes on 21 campaign in its ballot statement. The suit, filed by Los Angeles Realtor Malcolm Bennett against Secretary of State Alex Padilla and the signers of the ballot and rebuttal arguments, notes that State law expressly requires that the statements made in such arguments not be false or misleading.

Council agrees to adapt transportation services

08/05/2020 8:57 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

In response to recent budget cuts and the Covid-19 pandemic, Santa Monica City Council approved changes to the municipal code that relate to a number of transportation services in the city.

Plaza at Santa Monica Representative

08/05/2020 8:49 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

A representative of the proposed “The Plaza” development and the President of Santa Monica College (SMC) are among the new members of the Santa Monica Chamber of Commerce’s Board of Directors.

The Chamber announced its new 2020-2021 Board of Directors on July 31, coming from a mix of large and small employers and non-profits.

Santa Monica Voters to Decide Fate of Two Ballot Measures

08/05/2020 8:32 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

Local voters will decide whether to boost Santa Monica's luxury real estate tax to help fund municipal services and amend the City Charter to help diversify its workforce.

Public Safety committee holds first community listening session

08/04/2020 8:52 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

The recently formed Public Safety Reform Advisory Committee held its first community listening session last Thursday to hear from residents who described their experiences with local police officers and recommended public safety changes they would like to see instituted in the city.

The 2-hour discussion held by the 15-member committee, which has been tasked with reviewing proposals for public safety reforms, featured dozens of comments from the more than 100 residents who tuned into the Zoom session last week.

Council agrees to place measure on November ballot

08/03/2020 10:24 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

A measure proposing the increase of fees on property sales worth more than $5 million will appear on November ballots after a unanimous vote by Santa Monica City Council this week.

City services: What’s opening soon?

08/03/2020 10:04 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

City Hall remains closed but some of Santa Monica’s essential services and departments are planning to open this week.

More Than Two Dozen Council Hopefuls Vie for Five Open Seats

08/03/2020 9:58 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

A total of 27 City Council hopefuls -- including all five incumbents -- have pulled papers as Santa Monica's nominating period enters its final week on Monday.

As of Friday evening, 25 potential candidates had pulled papers from the City Clerk's office to run for four seats with four-years terms and eight for one seat with a partial 2-year term.

Also pulling nominating papers was Dominic Gomez, a former member of the Community Compensation Advisory Committee, where he was a vocal critic of the City's spending policies.