The Santa Monica City Council voted unanimously Tuesday night to implement sweeping reforms to the city's Neighborhood Organization Grant Program, establishing new restrictions on political activity while maintaining funding for community groups.
The changes, approved Sept. 30, prohibit city-funded neighborhood organizations from endorsing political candidates, with violations resulting in a five-year ban from the program and removal from city websites. Organizations will also be required to use grant money exclusively for community-building events under the new framework.
The reforms stem from concerns raised in July after at least two neighborhood organizations made political endorsements during recent elections while receiving taxpayer funding. The controversy prompted the council to suspend the $49,000 annual program pending review.
"What I have a problem with is that some groups have chosen to accept taxpayer dollars to build their membership lists under the pretense of informing our residents," said Councilmember Dan Hall, who made the motion. "It crossed an ethical line, however, when that same membership list and the same brand recognition that the taxpayer funded expansion of was used for partisan politics."
Under the approved changes, the seven recognized neighborhood associations will continue receiving grants but through an equity-based funding model calculated by the number of households in each area rather than the current flat $7,000 per group. The organizations represent more than 50,000 households citywide, ranging from Northeast Neighbors with 1,622 households to the Wilshire Montana Neighborhood Coalition with 12,560 households.
The council also directed staff to reinstate the Seascape magazine as an annual citywide publication at an estimated cost of $200,000, providing a platform for neighborhood groups to promote events and share information. The magazine was previously discontinued when the city shifted outreach responsibilities to neighborhood groups.
Supporters of the changes argued they create necessary boundaries between civic engagement and political advocacy while ensuring taxpayer funds support community building rather than partisan activities.
"I think that thriving cities should have neighborhood associations to lobby and participate in politics on behalf of issues that impact the neighborhood," said Councilmember Ellis Raskin, who seconded the motion. "What this motion does is it allocates funding to neighborhood associations on equity based level."
The reforms faced strong opposition from neighborhood group leaders and residents who argued the restrictions amount to censorship and could silence community voices on important local issues.
"These neighborhood groups are supposed to push back on city hall. They're not supposed to be an echo chamber," said Mayor Lana Negrete during debate. "That is democracy at its finest. If they're pushing back, that means that they're informed."
Multiple speakers defended the current system during public comment, with several emphasizing the role neighborhood groups play in keeping residents informed about city policies and development projects. Many argued that taking positions on issues affecting their communities is a fundamental part of their mission.
Critics of the existing system argued the current neighborhood associations have become vehicles for partisan political advocacy that fail to represent the full spectrum of residents' views.
The reforms also establish new requirements for neighborhood groups to collect and publish demographic information about their membership and board representation, comparing it against census data for their neighborhoods. This addresses concerns about whether the organizations truly represent the communities they claim to serve.
Additional changes include integrating neighborhood associations into a new standardized fee waiver program to make it easier for groups to organize community events, and directing staff to explore reinstating city-sponsored election forums in partnership with nonpartisan organizations like the League of Women Voters.
The reforms will allow neighborhood groups to continue advocating for issues and ballot measures that affect their neighborhoods while drawing what Raskin called "a bright line" specifically at candidate endorsements.
The city's seven neighborhood organizations include Friends of Sunset Park, North of Montana Association, Ocean Park Association, Pico Neighborhood Association, Mid City Neighbors, Northeast Neighbors, and Wilshire Montana Neighborhood Coalition.