At a Special Meeting held on Thursday, February 5, the Calabasas City Council voted to hold a stand-alone special election to place a local sales tax measure on the ballot to protect the City’s ability to maintain essential services, preserve local control of revenues, and ensure that tax dollars generated in Calabasas are used to benefit Calabasas residents and businesses. The special election is scheduled for Tuesday, May 5, 2026.
The action comes as Los Angeles County is exploring additional sales tax measures that could consume remaining local sales tax capacity under state law. Without action, Calabasas could lose its ability to generate local revenue for community priorities and instead see locally generated dollars redirected to countywide or statewide programs that may not directly benefit Calabasas.
“This measure is about local control and local responsibility,” said Mayor James Bozajian. “If taxes are generated in Calabasas, by Calabasas businesses and shoppers, those dollars should stay in Calabasas to support the services our community relies on every day.”
The proposed measure will allow Calabasas to protect its future revenue authority and ensure that locally generated funds remain dedicated to City services such as:
– Maintaining 9-1-1 and sheriff Rfesponse
– Preparing for and responding to wildfires
– Reducing fire risk by managing brush, other fuels, and natural areas
– Helping prevent property crimes and home break-ins
– Keeping public areas and parks safe and clean
– Repairing streets and potholes
Over the past several years, cities across California have faced increasing financial pressures due to rising costs for public safety, infrastructure, and emergency preparedness. At the same time, state and county actions have reduced local governments’ ability to make independent financial decisions for their communities.
“This decision being placed before the voters is intended to ensure Calabasas is not left behind or placed at risk by outside actions,” said Mayor James Bozajian. “It allows our residents, not state or county agencies, to decide how local dollars are invested in our community for the benefit of Calabasas.”
This measure is not intended to affect county-level healthcare or mental health services, but rather focuses on fairness, transparency, and local decision-making. The goal is to prevent locally generated revenue from being diverted away from Calabasas for purposes that do not directly serve its residents or businesses.
Under Los Angeles County Measure H, a quarter-cent (0.25%) sales tax collected locally was directed to Los Angeles County. From Calabasas alone, this amounted to approximately $1.35 million annually sent to the county. With the passage of County Measure A, that tax was doubled, increasing the amount sent to the county to approximately $2.7 million annually, while Calabasas and the four neighboring cities combined received approximately $360,000 annually through the five-city Council of Governments for homeless services.
This raises an important question: Should money generated in Calabasas stay in Calabasas to serve Calabasas residents and businesses?
If approved by voters on May 5, 2026, the measure would create a locally controlled funding source to maintain essential city services and provide long-term financial stability.
Residents will have opportunities to learn more about the special election and measure in the coming weeks through community meetings, city communications, and informational materials. Any final decision will be made by Calabasas voters at the ballot box.
For more information, visit CityofCalabasas.com/Elections or call (818) 224-1600.
