I don’t write op/eds for Santa Monica Next very often. I see my role as a reporter from outside the city as presenting the news with context to help readers understand not just what’s happening by why it’s happening. But every now and then, probably about once a year, I feel the need to say something about a news item based on my own life experiences.
This is one of those times.
Because as long as Next has existed, going way back to the Gary Kavanagh or Jason Islas editorships a dozen years ago, I’ve thought that it’s crazy that the city government gives money to 501c(4), non-profit political organizations that can get involved in political campaigns. The groups: Friends of Sunset Park, North of Montana Association, Pico Neighborhood Association, Santa Monica Mid City Neighbors, Santa Monica Northeast Neighbors and the Wilshire Montana Neighborhood Coalition receive annual stipends from the city in the annual budget and are eligible for funds for specific events.
The Ocean Park Association also receives funds, but as a 501c(3) organization they cannot be directly involved in political campaigning.
The city currently provides funding to these neighborhood groups, totaling approximately $49,000 annually, with each group receiving about $7,000.
Two city council meetings ago, Councilmember Dan Hall suggested auditing how these neighborhood groups spend the money they receive from the city. At the last meeting, the Council voted unanimously to move forward a motion authored by Hall and Councilmembers Ellis Raskin and Caroline Torosis to, “schedule a Council study session no later than September 30, 2025 and present options to reform the conditions for official recognition of community organizations and participation in grant programs.”
I’m going to skip my thoughts on whether or not these groups are truly representative of their geographic constituencies or the value they bring to the public discourse for now. Instead, as a former Neighborhood Council (NC) boardmember in Los Angeles who is also trying to resurrect his Neighborhood Association (yes, in LA those are two different things), I’m going to offer some suggestions on the best path forward for the city.
I’m a big critic of the NC system in L.A. *, but even that flawed system makes more sense than the one in Santa Monica which is in serious need of some basic reforms.
First and foremost, I will never understand the city giving money to groups that make endorsements in City Council elections. At a minimum the city should end the annual allocations to any group that makes an endorsement in an election for two years after the election.
I personally don’t think that goes far enough, though. If I were in charge, I would ban funds going to any 501c(4), with a grace period for all of the neighborhood groups to make a change should they choose to do so.
If the city disagrees with me and decides that it is ok for groups receiving general support to be directly involved in elections, there should at least be a clear set of guide lines set for what is and what isn’t allowed behavior for groups funded by the city. Until the end of time, I’ll hold up the behavior before, during, and after the neighborhood groups’ candidate forum as an example of behavior that should be loudly and consistently denounced.
I guess since every candidate endorsed by a neighborhood group lost in 2024 there was no harm…this time.
Second, leaders of the neighborhood groups argued at City Council that general operating support they get from the city goes towards communications including their newsletter or website and not their political operations. A quick review of some of these newsletters or websites show plenty of political speech.
Northeast Neighbors in their “community links” section includes a link to a group seeking to “reform Prop 19, repeal the death tax.” The lead story in the June 2025 Friends of Sunset Park Newsletter, entitled “Tired of Overdevelopment” is a plea to tell Assemblymember Richard Zbur and Senator Ben Allen that you oppose state housing laws that support large development. According to its May 8 board of directors agenda, the Wilmont Association sent an email to members urging them to contact Zbur/Allen specifically to oppose SB 79.***
I don’t mind this sort of communication. In L.A., it is commonplace for Neighborhood Councils (completely funded with city funds) taking stands on state legislation or even city legislation. The newsletters wouldn’t explicitly call for action as the two examples above do, but they would often explain the position taken by the Council and anyone interested could certainly figure out what to do from there.
But there might be others that feel differently and it’s a conversation the city should have. What kind of communications should the city be supporting from the neighborhood groups? Of course they are entitled to take whatever position they want on legislation as either a 501c(3) or a 501c(4), but that doesn’t mean city funds need to support them broadcasting that opinion.
It might be that the Council agrees with me that some level of encouraging political activity from members is fine for groups receiving city funds for general operating support, or it could decide differently. Either way, it’s important that the city has that discussion so everyone knows what the rules are or aren’t regardless of what kind of changes, if any, the city makes to its funding of these groups.
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* If you’re interested in how NC’s/NA’s work in LA, here’s a synopsis from an earlier draft of this story:
But first, a quick note on the “LA System” that I’ve volunteered in on and off throughout my time here. Los Angeles established its Neighborhood Council system in 1999 as part of a broader city charter reform after the Valley attempted to secede. This system was created theoretically to enhance citizen participation and make city government more responsive to local needs. Neighborhood Councils have boards elected by the voters in an area in a ridiculously convoluted and difficult to manage system and are overseen by a city official. They have a budget that the board can use to promote neighborhood activities and events.
Neighborhood Associations are groups that are not officially affiliated with the City of Los Angeles that oversee smaller areas then NC’s and receive no official support from the city (although both local elected officials and NC’s can provide financial support for non-political events.)
**In the case of the Wilmont Association urging people to oppose SB 79. If city funds are used to support their communications, they are being used to oppose legislation that the city officially endorsed.
