Culver City faces a $21.7 million deficit, but instead of fixing the problem, the council pours money into pet projects, radical consultant contracts, and shady land deals -- and now they want to use our public tax dollars to build a church.

We are hiring a lawyer to fight this reckless behavior and financial malfeasance, and you can help. GoFundMe donation page to hire a lawyer: https://www.gofundme.com/f/fight-culver-citys-financial-mismanagement

They’re taxing you more, cutting services, and pushing ideological policies imported from failed cities.

*Homelessness is a Business, Not a Problem – The Culver City Edition*

The Grift Behind the Gift

In Culver City, homelessness isn’t being solved—it’s being monetized. Behind every “emergency” declaration and every teary-eyed speech about compassion lies a rigged system. Our tax dollars—your dollars—aren’t paying for solutions.

They’re padding the pockets of consultants, nonprofits, political insiders, and yes, even a church. The real tragedy? It’s the 40,000 residents of Culver City whose quality of life is eroding, while a loud, radical minority profits. Our city, our money, our future—sold out for political games.

A Crisis by Declaration—The Numbers Tell the Tale

In 2023, Culver City’s Point-in-Time homeless count dropped 31%—from 229 to 158—before any major services were rolled out. Yet city leaders declared a “homeless emergency” and shoveled $15 million into the problem. What happened? The count dropped only 27%—from 158 to 115—despite the extra spending. That’s $12 million wasted for a worse result.

The city’s General Fund is hemorrhaging cash, with a $21.7 million deficit projected for FY2025–26. They’re draining emergency reserves and even proposing a 0.25% sales tax increase this August. They say it’s to “save city services,” but that’s not the whole story.

Budgets That Bleed Red

Culver City’s fiscal meltdown wasn’t an accident—it was engineered. The city once maintained a Community Development fund of $10 million, dedicated to projects that uplifted the entire city: parks, infrastructure, recreation programs, and essential services that benefited all 40,000 residents. But political insiders, led by the Culver City Democratic Club (CCDC) and their council allies, systematically worked to dismantle that fund.

They redirected those resources into the Homelessness budget, ballooning it from a modest $2.7 million to a staggering $18.9 million in just one year. Now, the same insiders who drained the Community Development fund stand at the podium proclaiming, “We have to spend the homelessness budget because it’s allocated that way.” As if they didn’t orchestrate the very reallocation that eliminated citywide benefits in favor of a single, bloated category.

Meanwhile, the quality of life for the entire community suffers: parks and recreation programs face cuts or paywalls; infrastructure upgrades stall; staffing reductions loom—including Police and Fire.

The city’s Contingency Reserve—our emergency piggy bank—is projected to plummet from 30% to just 19% of the General Fund.

And while Culver City teeters on the edge of collapse, leaders approved a $1 million “A Frame for a Tree” vanity project, a literal metal structure around a Ficus tree, during a declared fiscal emergency. It’s a clear message: they care more about posturing than preserving the city we all call home.

The $20 Million Jubilo Village Shell Game

The Jubilo Village project is nothing short of a public tax heist cloaked in feel-good language. The city of Culver City is committing $20 million of public funds—but only $6 million of that is actually earmarked for housing. The other $13 million? It’s a direct payment to a church to rebuild its facilities.

The middleman orchestrating this scheme is the Community Corporation of Santa Monica (CCSM), a so-called nonprofit that has failed to secure funding from any other source. While they claim to be affordable housing champions, CCSM has instead become a high-salary machine for its executives, existing not to serve communities but to provide shell-game cover for what amounts to an illegal breaking of the Establishment Clause.

The U.S. Constitution explicitly prohibits public funds from subsidizing religious infrastructure—and yet here we are. CCSM’s role isn’t about housing; it’s about laundering taxpayer dollars through a nonprofit to hand a politically connected church a brand-new facility.

Adding insult to injury, a church board member who manages campaigns for two councilmembers has personally funneled over $17,000 in campaign donations between 2020 and 2024. This isn’t compassion or housing policy. This is pay-to-play, plain and simple.

This mess isn’t homegrown. It’s imported from Los Angeles and Santa Monica, where failed housing, parking, and equity-driven policies have already left communities in chaos. Instead of listening to the 40,000 residents who live here, our council listens to radical activists, consultants, and academics brought in to rewrite Culver City’s General Plan into an ideological blueprint for disaster.

Take the Move Culver City pilot plan: a so-called “progressive” initiative pushed through despite overwhelming resident opposition. 85% of surveyed residents demanded change. Instead, council ignored them, opting for gridlock and chaos. When residents pushed back, a few radical figures—Fish, Barba, and McMorrin—filed frivolous lawsuits, costing taxpayers over $200,000. The court called the case the “weakest petition ever seen” in environmental law. This isn’t resistance—it’s pure self-serving theater.

LAHSA and the Power Cartel

At the center of this power play is the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority (LAHSA), a bureaucratic black hole designed to siphon funds and consolidate control. Appointees shuttle between LA County, nonprofits, and local councils, creating an endless loop of contracts and consultations. Culver City has been roped into this scheme—paying millions into programs with no accountability, no transparency, and no measurable success.

Your Money, Their Playground

This isn’t just bad governance. This is your money—stolen under the guise of “compassion.” The sales tax hike? That’s them asking you to cover for their fiscal disaster. The $1 million art project? That’s them flaunting their mismanagement. The $13 million for a church? That’s a payoff dressed up as progress.

The reality is this: The homeless aren’t benefiting. The public isn’t benefiting. The 40,000 residents of Culver City are watching their quality of life degrade, while insiders and their political cronies cash in.

For the political insiders, this isn’t about saving Culver City. It’s about saving their grip on power and keeping the gravy train rolling.

The Bottom Line

Culver City faces a $21.7 million deficit, but instead of fixing the problem, the council pours money into pet projects, radical consultant contracts, and shady land deals. They’re taxing you more, cutting services, and pushing ideological policies imported from failed cities.

If homelessness were truly solved tomorrow, the money would stop flowing—and that’s the last thing these players want.

It’s not a tragedy. It’s not a problem. It’s a business. And it’s your money.

Please help us to hire a lawyer and file a lawsuit to stop this breach of the public trust.

GoFundMe donation page to hire a lawyer: https://www.gofundme.com/f/fight-culver-citys-financial-mismanagement