Commerce Puts Tax Measure on June Ballot to Offset Casino Revenue Hit
The Commerce City Council voted unanimously last month to place a quarter-cent sales tax measure on the June 2 ballot, a direct response to new state gaming regulations that could cut the Commerce Casino’s annual contribution to the city’s general fund nearly in half.
The Commerce Casino currently generates more than $30 million a year for the city — more than 40 percent of its roughly $80 million general fund — paying for law enforcement, youth programs, parks, and the city’s free bus system. State Attorney General Rob Bonta‘s new rules, which take effect April 1, effectively ban the blackjack-style games that have been the Casino’s core business for decades. City officials estimate the regulations could reduce casino revenues by up to $18 million annually.
The measure, dubbed the Commerce Essential Services Protection Measure, would capture the last available quarter-cent of sales tax capacity before the 10.75 percent countywide cap is reached. If approved by a simple majority, it would generate an estimated $4.5 million a year for local services.
The City Council also declared a fiscal emergency in February in response to the AG’s decision. Voters decide June 2.
Whittier Settles Lawsuit Over Decades-Old Explorer Program Misconduct
The City of Whittier is working to resolve lawsuits filed by six plaintiffs alleging sexual misconduct by former police officers during the city’s Police Department Explorer Program in the 1970s and early 1980s, with settlement costs to be shared by the city and its insurance provider.
The Explorer Program is a national youth initiative operated through law enforcement agencies that introduces teenagers to careers in policing. Participants — typically high school-age students — work alongside officers in a mentorship and ride-along capacity, a supervisory structure that in documented cases across the country created conditions for abuse by adults in positions of authority over minors.
The alleged incidents occurred more than 40 years ago, and the officers involved had left the department long before the allegations became public. The city offered no admission of liability but acknowledged the effect on those involved and the broader community. Whittier noted that mandatory reporting laws, federal and state oversight requirements, and internal departmental policies have evolved substantially in the decades since the alleged incidents.
The city said it remains committed to ensuring safe environments for all participants in city programs, including current Explorer participants. Details of any financial settlement were not disclosed, as the cases remain in active litigation.
Calabasas Voters to Decide on 1-Cent Sales Tax in May
The City of Calabasas is asking voters to approve a locally controlled one-cent sales tax on May 5 — racing to claim the last available sales tax capacity before Los Angeles County can grab it first.
The dynamic playing out in Calabasas mirrors a scramble happening in cities across LA County, where the threat of a countywide sales tax measure has prompted municipalities to move first and keep revenue local.
The measure, Measure K, would generate an estimated $5.3 million annually for public safety, infrastructure, and city services. Calabasas currently sits at a 9.75 percent sales tax rate, leaving one full cent of room before hitting the state’s 10.75 percent cap. City officials warn that if the county acts first, the revenue generated in Calabasas would flow to county coffers under countywide distribution formulas rather than stay in the city.
The fiscal stakes are sharpened by Calabasas’s unusually low local revenue retention. The city keeps only one cent of every sales tax dollar generated locally and just 4.7 percent of property tax revenues — among the lowest shares of any city in LA County. Officials project a growing structural general fund deficit and cite more than $23.6 million in unfunded projects and deferred maintenance without a new revenue source.
The city notes that roughly 57 percent of sales tax collected in Calabasas is paid by visitors and non-residents, meaning the burden would fall primarily on shoppers rather than local households.
Ballots will be mailed directly to all registered Calabasas voters ahead of the May 5 all-mail election.
Manhattan Beach Reviews Safety Measures Along Deadly Sepulveda Corridor
The City of Manhattan Beach is taking a hard look at one of its most dangerous stretches of road. The city’s Parking and Public Improvements Commission met this evening to review more than 40 potential safety improvements along Sepulveda Boulevard, following a series of fatal collisions along the corridor since June 2025.
Sepulveda Boulevard runs the length of the city and carries significant through-traffic as a major north-south arterial connecting the South Bay to the broader LA street grid. The corridor has drawn increasing scrutiny as collision data accumulated over the past year, prompting the city to begin coordinating with Caltrans on long-term structural solutions.
The commission reviewed the full menu of potential measures and will provide formal recommendations to the City Council for further evaluation and prioritization. Community members were invited to attend and provide public input either in person at City Council Chambers, 1400 Highland Ave., or via Zoom.
Alhambra Warns Residents of Citywide Impersonation Scam — And It’s Not Alone
The City of Alhambra is alerting residents and businesses to a fraud scheme in which scammers are impersonating city officials and Community Development Department staff via email, demanding wire payments to approve pending projects. The city says it will never request wire payments by email, and that all legitimate invoices are processed through its online Customer Service Permit Portal.
The Alhambra scheme is part of a rapidly expanding national pattern. Dozens of planning departments across the country have reported being targeted by similar phishing campaigns since mid-2025, from small cities to major metros including Miami, Houston, and Las Vegas, according to the American Planning Association .
Additionally, the FBI issued a formal warning earlier this month, noting that criminals are leveraging publicly available permit information to identify potential victims and lend the scam greater legitimacy — timing emails to coincide with ongoing communications between applicants and municipalities about the permitting process, according to Cybernews
What makes the current wave particularly dangerous is the role of artificial intelligence. Cybersecurity researchers have tracked a roughly 700 percent increase in phishing attacks throughout 2025, with scammers using generative AI to train local models on thousands of invoices and local planning codes, producing emails that include official seals, references to municipal statutes, and phony signatures using the names of real officials.
Alhambra residents who receive suspicious emails are asked not to click any links and to contact the Community Development Department directly at (626) 570-5034 or planning@alhambraca.gov to verify any invoice or payment request.
Santa Monica Braces for ‘No Kings’ Rally Saturday as National Protest Wave Hits LA County
Santa Monica is monitoring a “No Kings” rally scheduled for Saturday, March 28, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Palisades Park — one of more than 300 events planned across California alone as part of what organizers are billing as the largest single-day protest mobilization in American history.
The March 2026 No Kings protests are a planned coordination of peaceful demonstrations organized primarily in response to Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations, following the killings of Renée Good, Keith Porter, and Alex Pretti by immigration agents, according to Wikipedia .
The movement, organized by Indivisible and the 50501 coalition, has staged two previous national mobilizations — drawing more than five million participants in June 2025 and seven million in October 2025. Saturday’s events, dubbed “No Kings 3,” also incorporate opposition to the ongoing U.S.-Iran conflict. More than 3,000 rallies are scheduled nationwide, with a flagship event in Washington, D.C.
Santa Monica says it will uphold First Amendment rights to peaceful assembly but has issued an extensive list of prohibited items, including firearms, knives, glass or metal bottles, body armor, gas masks, helmets, and open flames.
The city is encouraging residents to sign up for emergency alerts by texting SMVISIT to 888-777. Anyone witnessing criminal activity is asked to call or text 911.
