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# Should We Reward the City with $12 Million for De-prioritizing Schools, Parks and Recreation?
- URL: https://www.smdp.com/should-we-reward-the-city-with-12-million-for-de-prioritizing-schools-parks-and-recreation/
- Published: 2026-10-23T18:59:00.000Z
- Updated: 2026-10-23T19:00:17.000Z
- Author: Guest Author
- Tags: Opinion, Santa Monica

Measure ES, a $495 regressive parcel tax that lasts forever and increases every year, has Santa Monica residents assuming the City’s $12 million commitment to the School District. Measure ES proponents want us to prioritize the schools so the City can de-prioritize our schools, parks, and recreation by letting the Joint Use Agreement with the School District, which provides parks and recreation services, in place for decades, expire. This frees up $12 million that the City can spend on anything. All of the City-run after-school access and programming at the elementary and middle schools will end unless another agreement between the City and District is put in place.

The proponents of Measure ES and the City say that if Measure ES doesn’t pass, city services will need to be cut. If the measure doesn’t pass and the City decides to continue the Joint Use Agreement payment, it’s the status quo. Why would there need to be cuts if they aren’t getting $12 million freed up?

The City hasn’t made any significant cuts in last year’s or this year's budget, so why are the schools, parks, and recreation the only cut in next year’s budget? I think most of us can come up with items we think the City is wasting money on. My top ones are the $650,000 Rose Parade float, the millions of dollars spent fighting against district voting, the millions of dollars for cashed-out vacation time from the extra 8 days of vacation non-sworn staff got with the new winter closure, and giving the executives and others equity raises before the compensation study has been completed.

The City is spending $60 million on the Realignment Plan. The new revenues from this plan are increased parking, credit card, and user fees that come from residents, for a total of $13.5 million, more than 50% of the Realignment Plan's new income, plus the billboards, the ambulance service, and interest. No new revenue from improved economic growth is included in the Realignment's new revenue projections. They also say they aren’t including any revenue increases from the Super Bowl or Olympics. Why not? Where’s the return on the investment?

The City says the Realignment Plan is successful and ahead of schedule, announcing that instead of an $11 million deficit for 2025-26, it ended up with an $8 million surplus. Revenues were $38.4 million (8.6%) above the prior year. The City is projecting a balanced FY 2026-27 operating budget, including paying for the Joint Use Agreement.

Affordability is the number one issue for Californians. The City and proponents of Measure ES are tone deaf to this concern of Santa Monica’s residents. The City recently increased parking rates, user fees, credit card fees, and water rates.

Property tax bills were just sent out. Take a look at how much you’re already paying to the Unified Schools (District) in addition to your base taxes. About 15% of the base property tax goes to the City, accounting for about 20% of the City’s revenues. Santa Monica’s median property tax bill is the third highest in the nation, higher than Beverly Hills or Malibu. Renters, check and see how much your landlord is charging you in pass-through school taxes.

This Measure is using the schools again to get more revenue for the City. It happened in 2010 and in 2016, when a total of a 1% sales tax increase passed, where half of the money goes to the schools and half goes to the City. That’s about $19 million a year to the City and the District from us. Only 3 cities in California have a higher sales tax rate than Santa Monica. In 2022, the property transfer (mansion) tax, Measure GS, passed, giving $10 million to the schools and the rest to the City (estimated at $40 million/year). The City sometimes says it is giving the $19 million in sales tax and $10 million from GS to the District, but they are just following what the voters approved, passing through that money from the taxpayers, just like the Measure ES money would be passed through.

City Council member Barry Snell said this measure was put on the ballot by “residents, not politicians”. Those “residents” are Senator Ben Allen, former Mayor and current School PAC Chair Ted Winterer, and the current SMMUSD board president. They are politicians who strategically used the Citizens’ initiative route to get around the Prop 13 two-thirds vote requirement to raise property taxes. This loophole will be closed in November if Prop 43 passes.

About 40% of the $350,000 raised for Measure ES came from City vendors, District vendors, and developers. About 40% came from about 15 individuals, including $32,500 from school board member Laurie Lieberman and her husband Chris Harding. Less than 7% came from small individual donations.

Enough is enough. We can’t control the increases in fees the City keeps implementing, but with this additional tax, we have the power to say no. You want your children to be able to afford living in Santa Monica? Vote no on another tax. Tell the City they need to continue to prioritize our schools, parks, and recreation by voting no on Measure ES.

Karen Melick