August 14, 2026

Dear Editor

Despite continuous and repeated requests from residents that the City fix misleading and inaccurate language in the "Parcel Tax for Santa Monica Schools" being prepared for the November ballot, the City remains silent.

The inaccuracies begin with the ballot question that makes no mention that the proceeds from the parcel tax on Santa Monica property owners would also go to schools in Malibu.

Misleading language can also be found in the current Ballot Measure's “Notice of Intent,” signed by School Board President Alicia Mignano that specifies the funds would be used "to preserve existing educational programs and services provided in our Santa Monica public schools."

Nowhere in any of the ballot materials does it expressly state that Malibu gets the benefit of the Santa Monica parcel tax without paying. Malibu is never mentioned.

The language used in the ballot is inaccurate and misleading and must be amended.

There’s also the matter of the City Clerk failing to accurately identify the Supporters and Opponents. This reveals alignment and bias on the part of the City.

In the ballot label the Supporters are identified with their groups and they shouldn’t be because some of the groups have not met the legal requirements to be listed. At the same time the Clerk has denied Opponents from using their lawful titles in the Voter Pamphlet.

All this clearly tips the scale in favor of the Measure, which benefits the City by replacing the $12 million it currently gives the District with taxpayer money.

The advocates of the tax increase have chosen to pursue a Citizens Initiative to avoid the 2/3 pass rate for new taxes. This lowered the threshold for passage from 2/3 to 50 percent.

All of this was done to help make this new tax on Santa Monica residents easier to pass.

Calls made Thursday to the City Clerk’s office on the eve of the Friday deadline to finalize the ballot language were met with voicemail recordings, referrals to call the City’s 311 non-emergency line and an apologetic response from the assistant to the City Clerk who said, “They are all very busy with the election.”

The final message received from the City Attorney, who must approve the ballot language, reads: "We have received the concerns you have outlined below. They are under review and we will be in touch."

By the end of the day Thursday, the City Attorney had not responded.

Tricia Crane, Chair of Northeast Neighbors

Editor's note: Tricia Crane was one of the signers of the Argument Opposing the Parcel Tax Measure