The Santa Monica City Council is touting measurable progress on public safety, city services, and fiscal stability as it shifts its focus toward long-term economic recovery, according to a recent staff report and council discussion outlining the results of the city’s “realignment plan.” The full staff report on the plan’s update can be found here.
City leaders say the effort—launched after years of budget challenges, service reductions, and public concern over safety—has begun to show tangible results. The plan has focused on restoring basic services, improving internal operations, and strengthening public safety, while also addressing long-standing structural budget issues.
“For years, Santa Monica residents and businesses heard a lot of talk about public safety and fiscal responsibility yet saw very little action,” said Councilmember Dan Hall. “This Council is doing things differently…We made the structural budget changes that our predecessors avoided.”
The city’s realignment plan traces back to the hiring of City Manager David Chi last year, who was brought on amid mounting concerns over public safety, declining service levels, and persistent budget deficits. Shortly after his arrival, the Santa Monica City Council directed staff to develop and implement a comprehensive strategy to stabilize city operations and restore core services. The council formally approved the realignment plan as a roadmap to address those issues, focusing on reorganizing departments, prioritizing basic services like cleaning and maintenance, and aligning resources with the city’s most urgent needs. The plan marked a shift away from previous incremental approaches, instead emphasizing measurable outcomes, accountability, and a faster timeline for visible improvements.
According to city data presented to the council, Part I crime—considered the most serious offenses—has dropped by 12.5 percent. At the same time, prosecution rates have increased by 18 percent, and traffic citations have risen by 400 percent, reflecting a renewed emphasis on enforcement and accountability.
Mayor Caroline Torosis echoed those points, framing the improvements as the result of deliberate policy choices. “This Council has consistently made tough decisions to get Santa Monica back on track, and today the results are real and measurable,” she said. “We’ve reduced serious crime by 12.5 percent, fully staffed our police department for the first time in more than 20 years, and increased proactive enforcement so issues are addressed before they escalate.”
City officials also pointed to improvements in day-to-day services that residents interact with regularly. Streets are cleaner, with more than 436 tons of debris removed over the past year—a more than 70 percent increase from the previous year. Sidewalk repairs and tree trimming have accelerated, and all public libraries have reopened after previous closures tied to staffing and budget constraints.
Parks and public spaces have also seen renewed attention, part of what officials describe as a broader effort to “get the basics right” after years of deferred maintenance and service disruptions.
Alongside those visible improvements, the city has worked to overhaul internal processes at City Hall. One key metric cited in the report is permitting: more than 90 percent of permits are now being processed on time, a significant improvement aimed at making it easier for residents and businesses to complete projects and invest in the community.
“We’ve also improved how City Hall functions,” the report notes, emphasizing that faster permitting timelines are intended to support economic activity and reduce barriers to development.
Financially, the city appears to be on firmer ground than in recent years. Officials say Santa Monica has moved from a projected deficit to a path toward a balanced budget—achieving that milestone a full year ahead of schedule. The turnaround reflects a combination of spending cuts, operational changes, and efforts to stabilize revenue.
That progress, however, has not come without difficult decisions. Councilmembers acknowledged that some policy changes and budget adjustments have been unpopular, but argued they were necessary to restore stability.
“We are making hard choices and bold bets, some of which are unpopular in certain corners of the community,” Hall said. “But we are starting to see the results, which speak for themselves.”
The report frames the past year as a “foundation-building” period, focused on stabilizing core services and restoring public confidence in city government. With those pieces now in place, officials say the next phase will center on economic growth and long-term sustainability.
“That progress took discipline and a willingness to make hard choices,” the report states. “We’ve strengthened the foundation, and now we are focused on turning that progress into sustained economic activity, job growth, and long-term stability for our city.”
The shift in focus comes as Santa Monica continues to navigate broader regional and economic challenges, including shifts in tourism, retail, and office demand that have affected revenues in recent years.
Still, city leaders say the improvements in safety, services, and finances position Santa Monica to move forward from a period of instability toward a more stable and growth-oriented future.
“I want the residents, workers, businesses, property owners, and visitors of Santa Monica to know that everyone at City Hall…is working hard for you,” Hall said.
Whether those gains translate into sustained economic recovery will likely define the next phase of the city’s efforts—but for now, officials are emphasizing that the turnaround they promised is beginning to take shape.
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