If you were wandering around downtown Manhattan Beach on election night, you probably felt that weird, buzzy energy in the air. People weren't just checking the national numbers; they were glued to their phones for the local updates. Honestly, in a town where people argue passionately about bike lanes and outdoor dining decks, the stakes felt incredibly high this time around.
The dust has finally settled on the Manhattan Beach election results, and the picture it paints is one of a community trying to balance its "small-town" soul with some pretty massive fiscal and infrastructure pressures. You've got familiar faces staying put, brand-new voices joining the dais, and a clear message from voters about where they want their tax dollars to go (and where they definitely don't).
The City Council Shake-up: Incumbents and Fresh Faces
Basically, the biggest headline is that Joe Franklin is staying right where he is. He didn't just win; he dominated. He pulled in 11,599 votes, making him the top vote-getter. It’s a huge jump from back in 2020 when he barely squeaked by with a 160-vote margin. It seems like his "keep it local" vibe really resonated with people this time.
But he’s going to have some new company. Nina Tarnay and Steve Charelian are the two new names you’ll be hearing a lot more of. Tarnay came in strong with 9,961 votes, while Charelian—who’s basically a fixture in city government after working there for thirty years—secured the third seat with 7,658 votes.
It’s kinda interesting to look at who wasn't on the list. The community said goodbye to Steve Napolitano on the council, though he didn't go far. He actually set his sights on a judgeship. While he crushed it locally in Manhattan Beach with over 80% of the vote for Superior Court Office 39, he actually lost the county-wide race to George A. Turner Jr. It’s one of those classic "hometown hero" situations where the rest of L.A. County just didn't see things the same way we did.
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The Money Talk: Measure MMB and Measure RLS
Let’s talk about the taxes, because that’s usually where things get heated. Voters were asked to open their wallets twice, and surprisingly, they said yes both times.
Measure MMB, which is the local 0.5% sales tax increase, passed with about 57% of the vote. If you’re wondering why people would vote to pay more at the register, it’s mostly about control. The pitch was simple: this money stays here. It’s not going to Sacramento or the county; it’s for our potholes, our parks, and our police.
Then there was the school bond, Measure RLS. This was a big one—a $200 million bond for the Manhattan Beach Unified School District (MBUSD). It needed a 55% supermajority to pass, which is always a high bar, but it cleared it easily with nearly 67% of the vote. People here treat the schools like the crown jewels of the city, so even with the "tax fatigue" everyone talks about, the "Yes" side won the day.
How Manhattan Beach Broke from the Rest of L.A.
One of the most fascinating parts of the Manhattan Beach election results is seeing how the "Bubble" (as some call it) differed from the rest of Los Angeles County.
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Take County Measure A, the one about the homelessness sales tax. County-wide, it passed. In Manhattan Beach? A solid 57% of people said "No." It’s not that people don't care about the issue, but there’s a deep skepticism here about how the county spends money. We’d rather tax ourselves for our own streets (Measure MMB) than send more to the county for regional programs that feel disconnected from the Pier and the Strand.
We also saw a massive swing in the District Attorney race. While L.A. County as a whole moved away from George Gascón, Manhattan Beach practically sprinted away. Nathan Hochman received a staggering 74.5% of the local vote. Safety and "law and order" were huge talking points during the local campaign, and those numbers prove it wasn't just talk.
The High Stakes of Housing and "Mansionization"
While the names on the council change, the problems stay the same. You can’t talk about Manhattan Beach without talking about housing. The state is breathing down the city's neck to add more units—774 to be exact—and the council has been scrambling to find places to put them without ruining the "village feel."
A lot of the candidates talked about fighting "mansionization" and protecting neighborhoods from high-density builds. Now that the election is over, the new council has to actually figure out the math. Charelian’s experience in city finance and Tarnay’s legal background are probably going to be put to the test immediately as they navigate these mandates from Sacramento.
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What This Means for You (The Actionable Part)
So, the signs are down and the mailers have finally stopped clogging your mailbox. What now? If you live here or own a business, the Manhattan Beach election results actually change your day-to-day life more than you might think.
- Watch Your Receipts: Keep an eye out for that sales tax bump from Measure MMB. It’s a half-cent, which doesn't sound like much, but on a new car or a big furniture purchase at the village, it adds up.
- School Construction: With $200 million heading to MBUSD via Measure RLS, expect to see some dust. There will be upgrades to aging facilities, so if you live near a campus, pay attention to the school board meetings for construction schedules.
- New Council Dynamics: The first few meetings with the new lineup will be telling. Watch how Franklin, Tarnay, and Charelian interact. They have a lot of "general city services" to fund with that new MMB revenue, and everyone has a different idea of what "essential" means.
If you really want to stay in the loop, don't just wait for the next election. The City Council meets on the first and third Tuesdays of the month. You can show up in person at City Hall or just watch the livestream from your couch. It’s the best way to make sure that "local control" everyone voted for is actually being used the way you want it to be.
The most important thing to remember is that local government moves fast. Decisions on things like the Bruce’s Beach legacy, high-density housing on Sepulveda, and how to spend that new sales tax revenue are happening right now. Being an active part of the "aftermath" of the election is just as important as casting the ballot itself.
Stay engaged with the Manhattan Beach City Council agendas and the MBUSD Board of Trustees updates. The election gave them the mandate, but the community's voice is what keeps them on track. You can sign up for e-notifications on the city’s website to get the agendas sent straight to your inbox before the meetings happen.
Check the city's official calendar for the next public hearing on the 6th Cycle Housing Element. This is where the rubber meets the road on high-density housing, and your input on specific sites can actually shift the council's direction. Keep a close eye on the MB News and local updates to see how the Measure MMB funds are being allocated in the upcoming budget cycles.