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CC: ACTION ITEM - (1) (FOUR FIFTHS VOTE REQUIRED) Adopt a Resolution to Accept the Certification of the Registrar of Voters As To The Sufficiency of a Petition To Place A Parcel Tax Ballot Measure Before the Voters, Entitled “Culver City Public Schools Excellence In Education Act Of 2026” and Place the Measure On The Ballot For The November 3, 2026 General Municipal Election; and (2) Instruction to the City Attorney to Prepare the Impartial Analysis for the Ballot Measure; and (3) Instruction to City Attorney to Prepare an Implementation Agreement Should the Measure Pass.
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Meeting Date: July 13, 2026
Contact Person/Dept.: Jeremy Bocchino, City Clerk/City Manager’s Office
Phone Number: (310) 253-5851
Fiscal Impact: Yes [X] No [] General Fund: Yes [X] No []
Attachments: Yes [X] No []
Public Notification: (E-Mail) Meetings and Agendas - City Council (07/08/2026)
Department Approval: Lea Eriksen, Sr. Assistant City Manager (07/02/2026)
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RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends the City Council (1) (FOUR FIFTHS VOTE REQUIRED) adopt a Resolution to accept the Certification of the Registrar of Voters as to the sufficiency of a petition to place a parcel tax ballot measure before the voters, entitled “Culver City Public Schools Excellence In Education Act Of 2026” and place the measure on the ballot for the November 3, 2026 General Municipal Election; and (2) instruct the City Attorney to prepare the impartial analysis for the ballot measure; and (3) instruct the City Attorney to prepare an implementation agreement should the measure pass.
BACKGROUND
The California Elections Code Sections 9200 et. Seq. provides a mechanism by which registered voters of a city may propose ballot measures by initiative petition.
On February 2, 2026, a Notice of Intent to Circulate Petition for the "CULVER CITY PUBLIC SCHOOLS EXCELLENCE IN EDUCATION ACT OF 2026,” was submitted by the proponents as a citizen’s initiative. The ballot question is below:
As per the Elections code, a ballot title and summary was prepared by the City Attorney and published in the newspaper, after which the petition was circulated and submitted to the City Clerk who sent the signatures for verification by the Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk (“County”). Based on the results of that examination, the petition is sufficient, having met the required signature threshold for placement of the measure on the ballot of 2,913 verified signatures (at least 10% of the registered voters as of the required date.)
Placement of the measure on the General Election scheduled for November 3, 2026, allows the City of Culver City (“City”) to consolidate the election with the County of Los Angeles, consistent with Elections Code Section 10403, thereby reducing administrative costs and maximizing voter participation.
Adoption of a resolution placing the ordinance on the ballot must be adopted by a 4/5 vote of the City Council as required by Proposition 62.
If approved by a simple majority of registered Culver City voters, the ordinance (Attachment 1, Exhibit B) would amend Chapter 3.08 of the Culver City Culver City Municipal Code, and adopt a Parcel Tax to provide additional resources for the Culver City Unified School District (“School District”).
All proceeds of the special tax from the measure would be deposited into a special fund, maintained by the City. Proceeds, together with any interest and any penalties thereon, collected each fiscal year shall be used solely for the purposes set forth in the act. The City would transfer all monies deposited into the special fund to the School District for the purposes set forth herein after deducting its costs for collecting and administering the tax.
DISCUSSION
Upon certification that the initiative petition is sufficient, Elections Code Section 9215 provides the City Council with the following options:
1. Adopt the proposed ordinance without alteration. The City Council may choose to enact the initiative measure as written, without modification, thereby rendering a public vote unnecessary. This option is not available because Proposition 218 requires voter approval of any new or increased tax.
2. Submit the proposed ordinance to the voters at a regular or special election. The City Council may place the measure on the ballot at the next regularly scheduled municipal election or call a special election for the purpose of submitting the measure to the voters. Recommended.
3. Order an election report. Pursuant to Elections Code Section 9212, the City Council may direct city staff to prepare a report analyzing the fiscal impact, consistency with the General Plan, and other effects of the proposed initiative, provided that such report must be completed within 30 days and the Council must thereafter either adopt the ordinance or order it submitted to the voters. A report would not be produced with enough time to be included in the November 3, 2026 election.
It is recommended that the City Council accept the certified petition in accordance with the options prescribed by Elections Code Section 9215 and call the election for the measure.
City Attorney Impartial Analysis
Section 9280 of the Elections Code requires the City Attorney to prepare an impartial analysis of the measure, showing the effect on the existing law and the operation of each measure. The impartial analysis must be submitted to the City Clerk no later than the close of business (5:30 PM) on Friday, August 14, 2026.
Implementation Agreement
The amendments to the Culver City Municipal Code shall be effective only if the School District enters into an implementation agreement with the City which includes School District reimbursement of all costs incurred by the City for placing this measure on the ballot and conducting the election, and for all costs of collecting, administering, accounting for, and disbursing the proceeds of the parcel tax collected. Should the measure pass, the measure would go into effect 10 days after the certification of the election which is scheduled to take place on December 14, 2026. An agreement would need to be in place no later than December 24, 2026, to meet the effective date or the measure effective date would be delayed.
Measure Letter
The proponents have requested the Measure to be identified by the letter A or AA. The County recommends providing 3 choices, in case others are already taken by another city. Please note, there was previously a “Measure A” for Culver City in 2018 and it is possible that “A” may be chosen by another city. Also, the measure letter does not necessarily determine the ballot listing order.
The measure letter for the Vote 16 measure is recommended to be 1) YV, 2) VY or 3) E. Therefore, it is recommended that the following be submitted for the Parcel Tax measure: 1) A, 2) AA, and 3) S, unless otherwise determined by City Council.
Arguments
As per Elections Code §9282, “For measures placed on the ballot by petition, the persons filing an initiative petition pursuant to this article may file a written argument in favor of the ordinance, and the legislative body may submit an argument against the ordinance.”
FISCAL ANALYSIS
The estimated total costs for the election ranges depending on the number of pages required in the ballot booklets, the number of candidates, as well as the number of ballot measures for the election. The Adopted Budget for Fiscal Year 2026-2027 includes sufficient funding for these costs in Account No. 10111100.610600 (City Clerk - Election Services). Please note that, should the measure pass, the School District shall reimburse all costs incurred by the City for placing this measure on the ballot and conducting the election, as well as all costs of collecting, administering, accounting for, and disbursing the proceeds of the parcel tax collected.
ATTACHMENTS
1. 2026-07-13_ATT Resolution Accepting Certification of Petition and Placement of the Measure on the Ballot For The November 3, 2026 General Municipal Election.
recommended action
MOTION(S)
That the City Council:
1) (FOUR FIFTHS VOTE REQUIRED) Adopt a Resolution to Accept the Certification of the Registrar of Voters As To The Sufficiency of a Petition To Place A Parcel Tax Ballot Measure Before the Voters, Entitled “Culver City Public Schools Excellence In Education Act Of 2026” and Place the Measure On The Ballot For The November 3, 2026 General Municipal Election; and
2) Instruct the City Attorney to Prepare the Impartial Analysis for the Ballot Measure; and
3) Instruct the City Attorney to Prepare an Implementation Agreement Should the Measure Pass.