Community Corner

🌱 Patch AM: Santa Monica Sales Tax Rises To 11.25 Percent: What To Know

Also, don't miss PEAKING: Psychedelics and the Pursuit of Happiness (Film Premiere) on the Santa Monica Patch calendar

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Morning Santa Monica! We've got the scoop on the latest happenings in town. Read on to get looped in. ☀️

In today's newsletter:

  • How Santa Monica's new 11.25 percent sales tax hits your wallet
  • Wine-country burger favorite Gott's Roadside lands in downtown Santa Monica
  • Santa Monica police detail tragic Pico Boulevard murder-suicide and urge vigilance

Also on today's calendar: PEAKING: Psychedelics and the Pursuit of Happiness (Film Premiere) and 10 more events.

Today's riddle: Why did the girl pig break up with the boy pig? 🤔 (Answer below!)

Weather forecast:

  • Friday: Very warm, with a high of 87 and low of 74 degrees. 🌶 Hot!
  • Saturday: Toasty conditions, temps: high: 95, low: 76.
  • Sunday: Hot, with a high of 95 and low of 75 degrees.

📰 News we're reading

1. Santa Monica Sales Tax Rises To 11.25 Percent: What To Know (patch.com) — Santa Monica shoppers are now paying an 11.25 percent sales tax after a new Los Angeles County half-cent levy took effect, raising the rate from 10.75 percent. While the tax is being collected on most taxable purchases in the city, the revenue is being held in escrow during a legal challenge and could eventually be refunded if the measure is overturned.
   

2. From Napa To Santa Monica, Gott's Takes The Long Road To The Beach (patch.com) — Downtown Santa Monica is getting a new dining destination as Gott's Roadside opens at 401 Wilshire Boulevard, bringing its wine-country-inspired burgers, salads and tacos to the beachside city. Founder Joel Gott says the light-filled, indoor-outdoor space with communal tables is designed to support the area's ongoing revitalization by giving locals another inviting place to gather, eat and drink together.
   

3. Couple Identified In Santa Monica Murder-Suicide (patch.com) — Santa Monica residents are learning more about a tragic murder-suicide after authorities identified the couple found shot to death in a Pico Boulevard home. Police say a husband fatally shot his wife before killing himself, and emphasize there is no ongoing threat to the public. Officials are urging anyone with information to contact Santa Monica police and highlighting crisis and domestic violence hotlines for those needing help.
   

4. Santa Monica Violence Doubled Downtown, RAND Study Finds (smdp.com) — Santa Monica residents concerned about safety downtown will find RAND's new study shows aggravated assaults and robberies roughly doubled over the past decade, but the spike is heavily concentrated in the compact downtown core. Citywide, most other crimes remain near 20‑year lows, and researchers urge focusing patrols, services, and homelessness programs on the highest‑risk blocks while improving public tracking of trends.
   

5. Santa Monica Housing Approvals Reformed, But Construction Still Slow (smdp.com) — If you're wondering why new housing seems slow to appear in Santa Monica, a new RAND study finds projects still average more than six years from application to move‑in despite recent approval reforms. The report details coastal permitting delays, the impact of Measure GS's transfer tax, and recommends streamlining reviews, boosting inspection capacity, and offering more incentives to get already‑approved units actually built.
   

📸 Around Santa Monica

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💬 Chatter

What your neighbors are talking about on social media

  • Do not turn our downtown into a cement canyon! —Phil Brock Read on Patch
  • PEAKING Documentary Opens This Weekend in Santa Monica —Bob Bradley Read on Patch
  • Oct 28th, no cost pet vaccines at Venice Family Clinic on Rose Ave in Venice, courtesy of Annenberg PetSpace.
    Please share with those in need. https://annenbergpetspace.org/programs/community-clinics (Nextdoor Virginia Ave Park)
  • Always great to get a little more info.
    than "oh it/he she etc. has been adopted". The bird is going to an amazing space.Check out the latest, in a screenshot of the text received, 2nd… (Nextdoor Santa Monica Beach-NOMA)
  • IHG posted a job opening for Banquet Chef - Regent Santa Monica Beach in Santa Monica. Apply here.
  • Taco Bell posted a job opening for Shift Lead in Santa Monica. Apply here. You can search for other jobs near Santa Monica here.

Ok Santa Monica! So now you're in the loop about what's happening today. Thanks for reading, and see you in your inbox next time! Oh -- and if you like what you're reading, invite a friend to Patch AM!

-- The Patch AM Team

P.S. The answer to today's riddle: "Why did the girl pig break up with the boy pig?" — Because he was such a boar! (Thank you Theresa H. for sending it in!)
Got a good riddle for PatchAM? Submit it here!

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