It's Official: Measure MB Pulls Through
Apr 12, 2024 10:48PM ● By Jeanne Fratello
It's official: The passage of Manhattan Beach's Measure MB has officially been certified by the state. Measure MB garnered 67.74% of the vote, just past the 2/3 vote it needed to prevail.
The final official vote count for the March 5 election was 67.74% yes (8,459 votes) to 32.26% no (4,028 votes).
The "yes" vote on Measure MB extends the current parcel tax at the fixed rate of $225 per parcel for six additional years to
benefit Manhattan Beach public schools.
"The
passage of Measure MB brings much-needed relief to our budget in these
challenging times," wrote Manhattan Beach Unified School District Superintendent John Bowes in an email to parents on Friday. "The renewal of Measure MB will provide critical
funding, helping us restore some of the teaching positions that were at
risk of being laid off. This funding, approximately $2.4 million yearly
for each of the next six years, will be secure and cannot be taken away
by the state."
Voter turnout in Manhattan Beach hit an impressive high for the March 5 election, according to data collected after the election. The election yielded a 50% voter turnout in Manhattan Beach
(13,155 ballots returned out of 26,381 ballots mailed), according to
PDI's California voter data. That compares with 29% voter turnout for L.A. County and 34% turnout for California as a whole.
Voters over age 65 showed up in large numbers, with a whopping 73% turnout, comprising 39% of the total votes received.
"A super-majority of our community voted yes to renew Measure MB - that
is a big statement about our shared values," Measure MB Committee
Co-Chair Tyler Morant told MB News when proponents claimed victory. "Putting MBUSD in a much better
financial position was the fiscally responsible thing for our community.
It benefits our kids - mine included - and our entire community. For
that reason, I am forever grateful for all of my neighbors that united
together to preserve the legacy of quality education at MBUSD. I want to
thank every supporter and volunteer who committed their time, their
resources, and their vote to renew Measure MB."
Measure MB came at the heels of an
earlier attempt to renew the parcel tax that would have raised $1,095
per year, per parcel over 12 years. That effort, known as Measure A,
was soundly defeated
in June 2022. However, many Measure A opponents had said that they
would support a renewal of the property tax at the current rate. This
year's Measure MB had garnered endorsements across a wide swath of the community, from both supporters and
opponents of Measure A.
Napolitano Headed for Run-Off
Meanwhile, in other elections of note, Manhattan Beach City Councilmember Steve Napolitano is headed into a run-off in November for a Superior Court judgeship (Office No. 39). Napolitano and attorney George A. Turner Jr. were the top two vote-getters in that race, with 369,247 votes and 423,813 votes, respectively.
In the L.A. County Board of Supervisors' 2nd District, Holly J. Mitchell avoided a runoff by receiving a commanding 68.45% of the vote.
In another closely watched election, statewide Proposition 1 claimed an extremely narrow victory, garnering just 50.2% of the vote (3,636,678 votes) to 49.8% (3,610,436 votes).
This statewide measure, championed by Gov. Newsom, authorizes a
nearly $6.4 billion bond for mental
health and substance abuse treatment facilities, and shifts about
$140 million in existing tax revenue used by counties for mental health
services to a state agency. Locally, the widely respected Manhattan
Beach-based homelessness nonprofit MB SAFE, which normally does not take positions on political issues, had taken a stand against the measure.
MB SAFE contended that
existing local programs, including outreach services, homeless drop-in
centers,
and wellness programs run by peer-support groups would be impacted; and
that local oversight and accountability would be watered down, instead
giving more authority to the governor and the state.
