City of Santa Monica

Measure GS - Majority Approval Required

If you value our children and public schools, helping severely rent burdened seniors age in place with dignity, and keeping Santa Monica economically diverse rather than a community where only the wealthy live, vote for Measure GS. It could raise close to $50 million per year on average that must be spent to accomplish these goals, and will do so by taxing sales of real estate worth $8 million or more.

Here is why we need these funds.

HUD estimates that over 6000 Santa Monica renter households are lower income and pay more than half their limited income for rent and utilities; many are long-term senior residents and families with children. Many are one financial shock away from homelessness. Measure GS will provide subsidies to these seniors and families with children so they stay secure in their homes and live with dignity.

Excellent public schools are critical to our children’s success and Santa Monicans have consistently supported funding for our schools. Measure GS will enhance our schools by providing at least $10 million annually to support educational and afterschool programs.

The state sets affordable housing targets and cities face state usurpation of their authority over development if they fail to comply. This measure will fund good faith efforts by Santa Monica to provide our fair share of affordable housing, and will help avoid Sacramento mismanagement of our future.

This new wealth tax is fair. A city funded study indicated that, on average, it might have raised about $49 million annually over the past decade by taxing less than 30 property sales per year, more than 80% of which were multifamily apartment buildings and commercial properties. Santa Monica provides an ideal environment for real estate profits, and we deserve to recoup a small portion of their gains.

VOTE YES ON MEASURE GS.

SUE HIMMELRICH

Mayor, City of Santa Monica

MICHAEL SOLOFF

Co-Chair Santa Monicans for Renters’ Rights

MARIA LEON-VAZQUEZ

President, SMMUSD

DENNIS ZANE

Former Mayor, City of Santa Monica, Co-founder of SMRR

JON KATZ

President, Santa Monica Democratic Club

Vote NO on Measure GS - It is too flawed for Santa Monica:

• Santa Monica already has one of the highest property tax rates in the country and this new tax could make it the highest. However, NONE of this tax revenue goes to important programs and services, such as public safety, homelessness or the restoration of critical services like the reopening of libraries and after-school programs for our kids.

• Measure GS will never end. Eventually, almost every small business owner and multi-family apartment building will be forced to pay this extremely large tax increase.

• Measure GS will force local small businesses to raise their costs to residents to pay their increased rents due to this extreme increase in tax. Anyone who has been Downtown recently knows that we need to protect our small businesses, not tax them out of existence.

• Measure GS will hurt local churches and charitable organizations by forcing them to pay hundreds of thousands in new taxes instead of using funds for programs providing assistance to those in need.

• The funds for Measure GS will only go to costly government-built housing (with some possibly costing over $800,000 per unit). Who benefits? Those developers who get these lucrative government contracts.

• Measure GS will create a brand-new bureaucracy with no public oversight, costing Millions of Tax Dollars in new City employee salaries and benefits - who will continue to get paid even if no new revenue is collected!

It is not surprising that Measure GS is seriously flawed - it was drafted by the Mayor, her husband, and others - instead of engaging with the community and with other members of the City Council.

We urge you to Vote "NO" on Measure GS to protect residents and small businesses!

PHIL BROCK

City Councilmember

MARK L. VERVILLE

Vice Chair, Audit Subcommittee

NEIL CARREY

Former Chair, Recreation & Parks Commission

PATRICIA M. CRANE

Chair, Northeast Neighbors

D. PETER BORRESEN

Housing Commissioner

Facts matter.

Truth matters.

HERE IS THE TRUTH:

• Measure GS is a one-time tax on property sales over $8 million. Only the very wealthy will ever pay this tax.

• Measure GS will raise on average roughly $50 million per year to assist lower income Santa Monica seniors and families at risk of becoming homeless, to create new affordable housing for lower and moderate-income Santa Monicans, and to support our top-ranked public schools.

• Over 6000 Santa Monica renter households are lower income and pay more than half their limited income for rent and utilities. They need help now.

• YOU the Santa Monica voters put Measure GS on the ballot with your signatures.

• Measure GS will provide Santa Monica the resources to say YES to great schools, YES to assisting seniors and families to remain in their Santa Monica homes, and YES to more affordable housing.

HERE ARE RESPONSES TO OUR OPPONENTS' FALSE STATEMENTS:

• Measure GS DOES NOT INCREASE PROPERTY TAXES! The California Supreme Court says so.

• Very wealthy property owners will pay this one-time tax when they sell property for over $8 million.

• Small businesses, local churches and charities, and residents who do not sell property for over $8 million will never pay this tax.

• All expenditures under Measure GS must be audited, reviewed by a committee of residents, and approved by the City Council.

• YOU the voters of Santa Monica can end Measure GS at any general election.

Vote your Santa Monica Values with a YES on Measure GS.

SUE HIMMELRICH

Mayor, City of Santa Monica

MICHAEL SOLOFF

Co-Chair, Santa Monicans for Renters' Rights

MARIA LEON-VAZQUEZ

SMMUSD President

DENNIS ZANE

Co-Founder, Santa Monicans for Renters' Rights

JON KATZ

President, Santa Monica Democratic Club