ELECTION 2024: Measures RLS, MMB both win voter approval
by Mark McDermott Measure RLS, the $200 million school bond intended to upgrade local schools, and Measure MMB, a half-cent sales tax increase that will provide the City of Manhattan Beach with $5 million in revenue annually, both succeeded at the ballot on Tuesday. Though votes are still being tallied, each measure won enough support […]
EDUCATION: Measure RLS wins support of all local elected officials
by Mark McDermott The campaign for Measure RLS is offering a multi-pronged argument in favor of the $200 million school bond appearing on the November 5 ballot. The first part is the necessity of upgrades, which range from healthier drinking water, bigger kindergarten classrooms with bathrooms attached, no more leaky roofs, and state-of-the-art science labs […]
Dueling cartoons battle in Hermosa Beach sales tax campaign [UPDATED]
by Kevin Cody Not since the guerilla war laser shows, and Russian propaganda-style posters of the divisive Measure O oil drilling campaign in 2015 has Hermosa Beach politics been as creative as it is for Measure HB. The .75% sales tax increase on the November 5 ballot was approved by a four to one vote […]
Redondo Beach City charter vs. state housing mandates: Measure RB would bolster local control, proponents say
by Garth Meyer Measure RB is about local zoning and how it relates to state efforts to build more housing. If approved by voters, it would amend the Redondo Beach city charter after a recent court ruling stated that the city requirement for voters to approve any change in zoning could be pre-empted by state […]
Letters to the Editor 10-10-24
Taxes for bricks Dear ER: I’m a 27-year resident of Manhattan Beach, and I am in favor of Measure RLS for our public schools. RLS is a $200 million bond measure. Unlike parcel taxes, which fund teacher’s salaries, bond measures can only be used on “bricks and mortar,” such as school facilities. RLS replaces existing […]
Election 2024: Bond promises Hermosa Valley School science labs, athletic facilities, safety
by Kevin Cody Measure HV, the $28.7 million Hermosa Beach school bond on the November 5 ballot, was foremost among the subjects school leaders wanted to talk about to parents gathered in the bowl at Hermosa Vista School’s Back To School night last Thursday, August 5. But they couldn’t because political campaigning on school campuses […]
ELECTION 2024: Measure MB will pass, saving 20 teacher jobs
by Mark McDermott Measure MB, the $225 parcel tax that generates $2.5 million for the Manhattan Beach Unified School District, has been renewed. After another week of vote tallying by the Los Angeles County Registrar’s office, approval for the ballot surged well above the two-thirds threshold necessary for passage. On March 5 Election Day, Measure […]
Letters to the Editor 3-21-24
Two-thirds, plus 1 Dear ER: Our sincere thanks go out to the community of Manhattan Beach for the renewal of Measure MB, the parcel tax measure which supports our local schools. Last week, the result settled with just over the required two-thirds supermajority, with only a trickle of votes left to count. The Yes on […]
Measure MB parcel tax renewal nears approval
by Mark McDermott Ongoing vote tallies have brought Measure MB to the brink of approval, but the margin remains so thin that its passage is still uncertain. The ballot measure, a $225 annual parcel tax that would provide $2.5 million in revenue for the Manhattan Beach Unified School District, was just shy of the two-thirds […]