The Santa Clarita City Council voted Tuesday night to formally oppose Proposition 50, a statewide ballot measure that would redraw congressional districts and split the Santa Clarita Valley into multiple districts.  

This is a move councilmembers and residents warned could weaken the community’s political voice.

Proposition 50 Draws Heated Debate

On the November 4 special election ballot, Proposition 50 would immediately redraw California’s 52 congressional districts. Under the proposal, neighborhoods east of State Route 14, including Placerita Canyon, Sand Canyon, Acton and Agua Dulce, would be moved into the 30th District, while Castaic would shift into the 26th. Stevenson Ranch and the rest of the valley would remain in the 27th.

City staff explained the proposed changes and noted they would remain in place until the next redistricting in 2030.

Several residents and community leaders spoke out against the measure. Councilmember Jason Gibbs said splitting Santa Clarita among three districts would dilute representation, pointing to past examples where communities on the “edges” of districts were overlooked.

“It does not benefit Santa Clarita. It does not benefit the valley to have three different congressional districts… just doesn’t work,” said Gibbs. “It doesn’t matter if it was a Democrat or Republican. It doesn’t work.”

Patsy Ayala recalled her experience during the pandemic when Santa Clarita was divided between two districts. “People were desperate, calling from Newhall and Stevenson Ranch, and we couldn’t help them because they were in another senator’s district,” she said. “That’s what could happen again if we’re split.”

Others, including Valeria Bradford, President of the NAACP Santa Clarita Chapter, argued the City Council should remain neutral. “This is a political issue that has our state highly divided,” Bradford said. “Our nonpartisan City Council represents Republicans, Democrats and independents. To take sides risks alienating part of our community.”

Councilmember Marsha McLean pushed back, saying Prop 50 would undo the transparency gained through California’s independent redistricting commission. “Do you want to change the innovative way we voted for to have transparency and inclusiveness of voter participation, or do you want to obliterate it?” she asked.

After more than an hour of discussion, the Council voted unanimously to oppose Proposition 50.

Motion passed by all members.

Citywide Fiber Internet Project Moves Forward

In other action, the Council advanced a citywide high-speed fiber internet project in partnership with Aspire Broadband.

Aspire plans an $80 million buildout of nearly 1,000 miles of fiber optic cable across Santa Clarita, offering symmetrical speeds up to 5 gigabits per second with no data caps.

The agreement grants Aspire non-exclusive access to the City’s right-of-way and a lease of 675 miles of City-owned fiber strands. In return, Santa Clarita would receive:

• A 10 percent revenue share from Aspire’s local income.
• Two free 10 Gbps internet connections for City operations.
• 50 future fiber connection points for traffic signals and City facilities.
• $50,000 annually in sponsorships for City programs.

Residents would also see discounts of $30 per month for low-income households and 10% off for seniors.

Landscape Maintenance Fee Increases

The Council also held a public hearing on proposed assessment increases in three Landscape Maintenance Districts (LMDs): T44 (Bouquet Canyon), T48 (Shadow Hills) and T62 (Canyon Heights).

Fees in these districts have not increased in more than 25 years, leaving them with serious budget shortfalls. Shadow Hills is more than $385,000 in the red and losing about $28,000 annually.

The proposed changes would raise annual fees from $300 to $600 in Bouquet Canyon, from $455 to $1,125 in Shadow Hills, and from $600 to $875 in Canyon Heights, bringing in an estimated $224,700 each year to cover tree trimming, brush clearance, slope stabilization and irrigation repairs.

Officials stressed that without the increases, residents could see further reductions in landscaping services or even be left responsible for maintenance themselves.

“With 51% of ballots in favor in Zone T48, 58% in Zone T44, and 56% in Zone T62, none of the Landscape Maintenance Districts reached a majority protest threshold, allowing the proposed assessment increases to move forward,” said city officials.

The next scheduled Santa Clarita City Council meeting is October 28.

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