Malibu Schools to Benefit from Santa Monica City Sales Tax

The Santa Monica City Council approved a deal Thursday night that will give the school district, including Malibu schools, a boost of nearly $6 million per year. In exchange, the Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District will allow the public to access some district facilities during non-school hours, according to the Santa Monica Daily Press.

Santa Monica voters in November approved a half-cent sales tax proposal and a nonbinding measure requesting half the tax revenue go to education. The council decision Thursday makes the revenue-sharing concept official. The agreement is for 10 years with an option to renew it for an additional 10 years.

The city tax, which went into effect April 1, raised the total sales tax rate in Santa Monica to 10.25 percent. It does not affect the purchase of vehicles, which are taxed based on where they are licensed. There is no city sales tax in Malibu.