Culver City Council Weighs in on Passage of Measure Y

During Tuesday’s election, , with 10,765 of them voting overwhelmingly for the half-cent sales tax with a 10-year sunset clause.

Patch reached out to the Culver City Council to gauge their reactions to the passage of the Measure – something the council supported unanimously.

While the three who responded to Patch’s request for comment were naturally pleased with the results, Councilmember Jim Clarke was concerned about the fact that one in four voters opposed the measure, and Vice Mayor Jeff Cooper spoke about the additional budget issues still facing the city.

"I am most pleased with the overwhelming support by our residents in maintaining the high level of public services,” Clarke said.  “But one in four voters voted no. It may be because they don't like taxes -who does - or a distrust of government. It is incumbent upon us as council members and City staff to ensure we spend the taxpayers’ funds wisely and look for ways to reduce costs without jeopardizing services. The creation of the Public Finance Advisory Committee should help in these efforts.

Cooper also referenced the Finance Advisory Committee saying, “I am ecstatic that the majority of voters in our city recognized the importance of Measure Y. But realize that the council is far from done dealing with our budgetary issues. Working with staff and in the future our Finance Advisory Committee to find ways for our City to run more fiscally sound is a priority. Combining that with attracting strong commerce will enable us to fully climb out of our deficit in the not too distant future.”

Councilmember Meghan Sahli-Wells reaction was all positive. “Today is certainly a brighter day in Culver City,” she said.  “With the passage of Measure Y and [the L.A. County sales tax] Prop. 30 our city services and our schools throughout the state have avoided devastating cuts. 

More importantly, Culver City residents have shown great commitment to our community. In turn, we five councilmembers have an absolute obligation to use this money wisely and to ensure that our budget is healthy for years and years to come.” 

Sahli-Wells also praised the establishment of the Finance Advisory Committee, saying, “I'm so pleased that my colleagues on the council voted unanimously with me to create a community advisory panel on public finance. That will bring an extra layer of transparency and accountability to the way this money is spent. The committee will also explore ways to save money and bring in new businesses. I look forward to their work. Culver City residents, you have my heartfelt thanks!”

Editor’s note: Mayor Andy Weissman and Councilmember Micheal O’Leary did not respond in time for Patch’s deadline to comment on this article.

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