July 11, 2025 Breaking News, Latest News, and Videos

Santa Monica Mayor Proposes Measure That Would Increase Taxes on Expensive Real Estate Sales

Measure would apply to sales over $8 million

By Dolores Quintana

Santa Monica Mayor Sue Himmelrich has proposed a new tax on real estate sales of over $8 million at $53 dollars per $1,000 dollars of each property’s cost, as first reported by the Santa Monica Lookout.

The “Funding for Homelessness Prevention, Affordable Housing, and Schools” hopes to raise $50 million in the first year. 

The first ten million or the first 20% raised by the proposed tax would go to the schools in Santa Monica and the remaining 80% of the funds would go towards homelessness prevention and affordable housing in Santa Monica. If the tax makes more than the expected $50 million, the money would be deposited into funds set aside for schools or homelessness prevention and affordable housing at the same 80/20 percent rate. 

The measure states that “It is fair, equitable, and right” for those property owners who have benefitted and “enjoyed the benefits of City services and programs” would “leave a small portion of the proceeds with the City to help fund” programs that need the most help and are part of the future health of the city and all of its residents. 

Himmelrich and her husband Michael Soloff, who is a former Housing Commissioner, are working together to put this tax proposal into action and funding the campaign themselves because she believes that it would be more likely that the tax proposal would actually pass. 

As quoted by the Santa Monica Lookout, Himmelrich said this proposal is a “dedicated purpose” tax measure which only requires a majority vote among the voters in the city as opposed to the two thirds majority that would be needed if the proposal was put to a vote by the City Council.

However, a “dedicated purpose” tax measure is much more of an expensive proposition than putting it through the City Council. Himmelrich and Soloff expect that it will cost $200,000 to fund putting the measure on the ballot and other affiliated costs like the bill for hiring the law firm Strumwasser & Woocher to draft the proposal and $100,000 that will be spent on gathering signatures to get the measure on the ballot. This would require 6,800 valid signatures from Santa Monica residents, but the campaign is aiming for 10,000 signatures to make sure that the effort will succeed. 

The rest of the money earmarked for this campaign would be used for publicity to encourage voters to pass the measure if it makes the ballot for November 8 of this year. 

This is the second time in as many years that a tax proposal has been advanced to increase what is known as the “luxury transfer tax”. Measure SM was passed in 2020 and it doubled the tax on sales that exceed $5 million from 3 dollars to 6 dollars per each 1,000 dollars of each sale. Measure SM was very popular and passed with 71.88 percent approval.

<>Related Posts

L.A. Louver Marks David Hockney’s 88th with Exhibit

July 11, 2025

July 11, 2025

Hockney, a British artist born in 1937, gained fame with the British Pop Art movement and later became known for...

Suspect Arrested in Shoe Retail Theft Spree Across LA County

July 11, 2025

July 11, 2025

During the search, police recovered two firearms and a significant quantity of merchandise The Los Angeles Police Department’s Organized Retail...

Suspect Arrested in Santa Monica Pier Arson Incidents

July 10, 2025

July 10, 2025

The suspect, matching video footage from an arcade, was taken into custody Santa Monica Police Department officers arrested a suspect...

SMPD Launch New Recruitment Website Amid High Vacancy Rates

July 10, 2025

July 10, 2025

The site features multimedia content, including day-in-the-life videos and officer profiles, highlighting the impact of serving the community The Santa...

Father-Daughter Authors to Host Book Signing to Aid Fire-Affected Women

July 10, 2025

July 10, 2025

Ten percent of proceeds from book and art sales will benefit the Pacific Palisades Rebuilding Fund, a nonprofit initiative created...

Metro Reports Crime Drop, Higher Rider Satisfaction, and Progress on Major Projects

July 9, 2025

July 9, 2025

The Authority said the drop in violent incidents—down to the lowest level since May 2019—coincided with more uniformed personnel and...

Santa Monica Joins Regional Lawsuit to Halt Unconstitutional ICE Raids

July 9, 2025

July 9, 2025

The motion to intervene seeks to ensure that Santa Monica and other plaintiff-intervenors can advocate for their residents’ rights in...

Promenade Restaurant Introduces Lunch Menu Set at $18 Per Person

July 9, 2025

July 9, 2025

The fixed $18 price point targets commuters and those seeking a power lunch or a change of scenery The restaurant...

Santa Monica Council Votes in Support of Park-Centric Future at Airport Site

July 9, 2025

July 9, 2025

The decision followed a contentious meeting with over 140 public speakers and more than 1,000 emails received by the council...

Housing for Health Chief Appointed to Lead Unified Homeless Services Department

July 9, 2025

July 9, 2025

Veteran Housing Advocate to Oversee Streamlined LA County Services The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday confirmed the...

‘Adoptapalooza’ Pet Adoption Festival Returns to Main Street This Weekend

July 9, 2025

July 9, 2025

The free, family-friendly event aims to connect adoptable animals with new owners Green Dog Dental & Veterinary Center will host...

Virtual Town Hall to Discuss Proposed Resilient Rebuilding Authority

July 9, 2025

July 9, 2025

The agency, to be run by political appointees, would manage permitting, development, zoning, and funding, modeled after post-disaster recoveries Los...

New Agenda Coaching: Changing Lives in LA

July 8, 2025

July 8, 2025

Students Work Toward Applied Success with Executive Function Coaching Services The demands of daily routines and studies sometimes bear weight...

Saint Monica Prep Students Win Award for Anti-Street Racing PSA Video

July 8, 2025

July 8, 2025

The winning public service announcement, titled “Not Worth It,” was highlighted in a post on X by @LADOTofficial  Students from...

Anti-Drunk Driving Resolution Introduced as City Council Honors Late Palisades Teen Killed in Crash

July 8, 2025

July 8, 2025

Levi, who was set to attend the University of Virginia this fall, was killed by a drunk driver on May...