Issue

Government & Spending

Santa Monica has a large budget for a city its size. The question residents keep asking isn't whether we spend, it's what we get. Most of that answer already exists in public documents — it's just spread across hundreds of pages nobody reads.

Where I stand

I don't think the problem is a lack of data. It's that the data isn't legible. Before asking residents for more, the city should be able to show, in plain language, what the last dollar produced.

What I'd focus on

Plain-language budget summaries residents can actually read
Contract-level reporting on cost and delivered outcome
Review recurring contracts against measurable results
Prioritize core services before new discretionary spending

// geography

Where this shows up

Airport Parks Pico / Mid-City Civic Center

// ideas

Related ideas and proposals

Campaign Position

Recovery-Informed Crisis Response

The right responder for the right call, with outcomes published.

Proposal

Civic Transparency Dashboard

Make what the city already publishes actually readable.

// resident input

Your take on Government & Spending

You live it day to day. Tell me what this issue looks like where you are — what's broken, what's working, and what you'd change.