By Scott Trujillo
Calabasas voters are being asked to consider Measure K at an important moment for the City’s financial future and its ability to maintain essential services.
Measure K proposes a one-cent local sales tax that would generate approximately $5.3 million annually. These funds would remain locally controlled and could be used to address rising costs, maintain infrastructure, and support the services residents rely on every day.
Through recent community input, residents identified their top priorities:
• 9-1-1 emergency response and Sheriff’s patrols
• Protection against theft and home burglaries
• Wildfire prevention, brush clearance, and emergency preparedness
• Street and pothole repairs
• Safe, clean parks and public spaces
• Long-term fiscal stability
Measure K is intended to help sustain these priorities as costs continue to rise while revenues remain limited. Like many cities, Calabasas is facing rising costs for public safety, infrastructure, and day-to-day operations, without a corresponding increase in local revenue. The City has already taken steps to reduce costs, streamline operations, and delay or scale back certain initiatives. Even with those efforts, long-term financial challenges remain, which is why this measure is now being considered.
Unlike a property tax, which applies only to property owners, a sales tax is shared more broadly. In Calabasas, approximately 57% of sales tax revenue is paid by non-residents, including visitors, shoppers, and commuters who benefit from the City’s services and infrastructure.
For residents, the cost is straightforward: one penny for every dollar spent on taxable goods.
It is also important to understand what is not taxed. Measure K would not apply to groceries, prescription medications, rent, utilities, education, or personal services such as medical or dental care.
Timing is also a key consideration. Los Angeles County has placed a countywide sales tax measure on the June 2026 ballot. Because state law caps the maximum allowable sales tax rate, approval of a county measure could limit or eliminate the City’s ability to adopt a local measure in the future.
This raises a broader question of local control: should these funds be directed by Calabasas to address local priorities, or allocated at the County level across a much larger region?
Measure K also includes accountability provisions, including a Citizens’ Oversight Committee and public reporting, to ensure transparency in how funds are used.
While the City cannot advocate for or against the measure, it can provide information to help residents make an informed decision based on what they believe is best for their community and families.
Ballots must be submitted by May 5. For more information, visit CityofCalabasas.com/Elections.
Scott Trujillo is Assistant City Manager for the City of Calabasas.
