Hello again Santa Monica! We're bringing you the latest town highlights. Don't miss out, keep going! ☀️
In today's newsletter:
Also on today's calendar: Chamber Music Palisades concert: Webern String Quartet and Flute and 9 more events.
Today's riddle: What has a cap but no head? 🤔 (Answer below!)
1. Half Of Santa Monica's Aggravated Assaults Occur In Just 5 Percent Of City, Study Finds (patch.com) — Santa Monica residents are learning that more than half of the city's aggravated assaults and a large majority of robberies are concentrated in a small downtown area, especially west of Lincoln Boulevard. A new RAND study shows that while serious violence has risen sharply downtown since the early 2010s, most other Santa Monica neighborhoods have seen violent and property crime remain near two-decade lows.
2. Santa Monica Settlements Extend Affordable Housing Protections On 5 Apartments (patch.com) — Santa Monica officials have secured settlements that extend affordable housing protections on five apartments at buildings on Fourth Street and 15th Street, following a city audit. The agreements lengthen rent-restricted terms by a combined six years, require closer management oversight, and include a $20,000 payment to bolster local affordable housing efforts.
3. Santa Monica Sales Tax Rises To 11.25 Percent: What To Know (patch.com) — Santa Monica shoppers are now paying an 11.25 percent sales tax after a new Los Angeles County levy took effect, adding 50 cents to every $100 in taxable purchases. The increase stems from Measure ER, intended to fund health and human services, but a pending lawsuit means all new revenue from Santa Monica and other county areas must be held in escrow until the case is resolved.
4. Santa Monica Hotels Filling Rooms but Earning Less Revenue (smdp.com) — Santa Monica hotels are filling more rooms than nearby markets but earning less, as a RAND study finds occupancy rebounding while inflation-adjusted lodging revenue slips. The report details how tourism businesses, employment, and visitor numbers still lag pre-pandemic levels, and suggests strategies like more festivals, pop-ups, and targeted redevelopment to revive the city's visitor economy and tax base.
5. Long Beach Sales Tax Rises To 11 Percent: What To Know (patch.com) — Santa Monica shoppers are now paying a combined 11.25 percent sales tax after Los Angeles County's new Measure ER half-cent levy took effect, raising rates countywide. While the money is earmarked for health and human services, a legal challenge means revenue is being held in escrow, and residents could eventually receive refunds if the measure is struck down.
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Ok Santa Monica! So now you're in the loop about what's happening today. Thanks for reading, and see you in your inbox next time! Oh -- and if you like what you're reading, invite a friend to Patch AM!
-- The Patch AM Team
P.S. The answer to today's riddle: "What has a cap but no head?" — A bottle (Thank you Glo M. for sending it in!)
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