The Housing for People Civic Initiative (Measure M) aims to put changes in the height and floor area ratio of buildings in the city to a vote of citizens. The concept is a response to the city's proposed downtown expansion plan, which would allow for buildings approximately twice as tall as new developments at Pacific Avenue and Laurel Street. (Aric Sleeper/Santa Cruz Sentinel)
SANTA CRUZ — Campaign finance disclosure statements for policies and offices included on the City of Santa Cruz's March ballot were recently released, revealing that real estate developers and contractors are the largest contributors to the campaign against Policy M. On the other hand, it was shown that the group supporting Policy M accounted for the majority. Of the donations from Santa Cruz residents.
If passed with a majority vote in March, Measure M would do two things. The initiative would allow “the Santa Cruz City Council, without prior vote, to increase the city's overall Any City of Santa Cruz resident who approved the proposed increase shall be prohibited from amending any planning or zoning ordinance. ”
This initiative will increase the inclusion rate for affordable housing in Santa Cruz construction developments with 30 or more housing units from 20% to 25%.
“No on M” campaign
The “Measure M” counter-movement, called “Affordable Housing Advocates Santa Cruz,” has raised just over $18,000 from Oct. 1, 2023 to Jan. 20, 2023.
Some of the larger donations during this period were local real estate firm RedTree Properties, which donated $5,000 to the campaign in November, and Milpitas, which also donated $9,000 to the opposition campaign last November. It was from Devcon Construction, which is based there.
Also during the same period, former Santa Cruz Mayor Don Lane donated $700 and former Santa Cruz City Council member Cynthia Matthews donated $500 to oppose Measure M. Carol Fuller and the Democratic Women's Club of Santa Cruz County donated $1,000 to the protests during this period. period.
Although the next campaign finance disclosure statement for donations made between January 21 and February 17 will not be officially filed until February 22, individual donations over $1,000 will still be made within 24 hours of being made. donations that meet the criteria have been made. Starting January 20th at Affordable Housing Advocates in Santa Cruz.
On January 23, local development company Workbench and affiliated nonprofit New Way Homes donated $1,000 to the anti-Measure M movement. On January 29, San Luis Obispo-based affordable housing developer For the Future Housing donated $5,000 to the campaign against Measure M.
On January 31, the local political action committee Santa Cruz Together offered a $5,000 donation to Measure M opponents. On Feb. 7, San Jose-based Green Valley Corporation, owned by Barry Swenson, donated his $5,000. On February 8, Santa Cruz Seaside Inc. donated $5,000 to affordable housing advocacy groups in Santa Cruz.
The only major expenditure Afforable Housing Advocates Santa Cruz has reported so far is just over $1,100 to an Iowa-based campaign supplies company called VictoryStore.com.
Santa Cruz Together also made its own expenditures to support Santa Cruz in supporting affordable housing. On January 26, Santa Cruz Together reported that he had $5,000 spent independently for the “No on M” campaign. An independent expenditure is a payment that is not made to or at the request of an affected candidate or campaign.
“Housing for the People” Campaign
A campaign to support Measure M, called “Yes on M,” raised approximately $21,500 from July 1, 2023 to January 20, 2023.
Measure M is primarily financially supported by numerous small individual donations ranging from approximately $100 to $300 from Santa Cruz residents. But Eleanor Newman, an environmental activist and founder of Newman's Own, made a larger donation of $7,000, giving $2,000 last year and $5,000 in January.
Early Measure M organizer and former state water administrator Susan Monheit donated $1,000 to the campaign in January, and retired civil engineer James Sandoval also donated to support the “Yes on M” campaign. donated $1,500 to
Retired Santa Cruz resident Steve Baer donated $1,230 to support the Measure M campaign, and New York City resident Zach Turner donated $1,750 to the campaign. A group called “Save Santa Cruz” donated just under $1,200 of his money to the campaign.
Since January 20, Santa Cruz resident Joseph Quigg has donated $1,000 to support Measure M, and Zach Turner has donated an additional $1,250 to the campaign. San Luis Obispo-based environmental nonprofit Environment in the Public Interest donated $5,000 to the Yes on M campaign in February.
In terms of campaign spending so far, the “Yes on M” campaign hired National Stock Sign, a Santa Cruz-based company, to create yard signs for the campaign and spent about $2,200 on the signs. A total of approximately $1,800 will be awarded to those who distributed petitions to get their grassroots initiatives on the ballot, and Measure M organizer Kelesha Durham will be given funding to create a campaign website and submit petitions. Approximately $855 was paid in printing costs.
To view the campaign finance disclosure statement, please visit cityofsantacruz.com.
