What does a YES vote on City of Carson Measure CU mean?

Carson's charter would require campaign contribution transparency, match state law on referring measures to voters, update term limits and City Treasurer duties, and clean up outdated language.

What does a NO vote on City of Carson Measure CU mean?

Carson's charter would not be changed in these ways.

Does Measure CU remove term limits?

Yes. It repeals Charter Section 305, which limits Council members to three four-year terms, and states that elective officers are not subject to term limits. The ballot question describes this as updating term limits 'to increase voter options.'

No tax rate changes. It lowers the Council vote needed to put a tax on the ballot from two-thirds to a majority, but voters must still approve any new or increased tax. Repealing the refinery-related Section 907(4) would not by itself impose or increase a tax, according to the City Attorney.

Does it switch Carson to district elections?

Not directly. It amends Section 301 so Council members may be elected either at large or by district, as the City Council decides.

Do I vote on each change separately?

No. All of the Charter amendments are combined in one yes-or-no question.

How many votes does City of Carson Measure CU need to pass?

A simple majority: more than half of the YES and NO votes on this measure must be YES. Leaving it blank doesn't count either way.

Should I vote yes or no on City of Carson Measure CU?

SpectrumVote doesn't endorse anyone or tell you how to vote. Read what a YES and a NO vote each do, and the official text, then decide based on what you want to happen.

The general election was Tuesday, November 3, 2026. Counts are unofficial until each state certifies its results over the following weeks; your state or county election office has the official results.

City of Carson Measure CU (Los Angeles County)

Last updated Sat, Nov 7, 4:33 PM ET

Ballot measure · November 3, 2026 · Carson voters

What it does: Carson City Government Accountability, Charter Update, No Tax Increase Measure. Shall the measure amending the Carson City Charter require campaign contribution transparency; make the City Charter consistent with State law on referring ballot measures for voter approval; update term limits to increase voter options; update City Treasurer duties; clarify and clean up inconsistent or outdated language, be adopted?
A YES vote means: Carson's charter would require campaign contribution transparency, match state law on referring measures to voters, update term limits and City Treasurer duties, and clean up outdated language.
A NO vote means: Carson's charter would not be changed in these ways.
Needed to pass: A simple majority: more than half of the YES and NO votes on this measure must be YES. Leaving it blank doesn't count either way.
Left–right lean: Not a left–right issue: a procedural or local question that liberals and conservatives don't typically split on (AI read of the official ballot summary).

The YES and NO lines are SpectrumVote's plain-language reading of the official text above; the official text is what you vote on.

Official text: source

Explained

Today

Carson's City Charter (Section 305) limits City Council members to three four-year terms, a total of 12 years.
The Charter requires a two-thirds Council vote to place a general or special tax before voters (Section 907), and Section 907(4) places Charter-specific limits on additional taxes and certain environmental requirements for oil refineries and petroleum storage facilities that pay the city's Oil Industry Business License Tax.
The Council may delegate only limited, budgeted purchasing authority to the City Manager, up to a monetary limit. The Charter also assigns the City Treasurer duties over the city's investment policy, including chairing an investment committee.
Selling city land in fee requires a Planning Commission finding that the sale is consistent with the General Plan.

If it passes

Term limits: repeals Section 305 so the Mayor, Council members and other elected officers would have no limit on the number of terms they may serve.
Taxes: the Council could send a tax to voters by a simple majority instead of two-thirds. Voter approval would still be required (a majority for general taxes, two-thirds for special taxes). It also repeals Section 907(4)'s oil-refinery restrictions; the City Attorney says this would not by itself impose or increase any tax.
Campaign money: adds Section 320, requiring the Mayor and Council members to follow state campaign-donation disclosure law, with local rules no less strict than the state's.
Other changes: lets the Council choose at-large or district elections; lets the Council authorize the City Manager to approve contracts on any subject, subject to state law; replaces the Planning Commission finding on land sales with Council approval by resolution (the two-thirds vote for property worth over $2.5 million stays); removes the Treasurer's investment-policy and investment-committee duties; and removes fixed-year references.
If approved by a majority, the amendments take effect once accepted and filed by the California Secretary of State, which the city expects by the end of 2026. If it fails, the current Charter stays in place.

Who would notice

Carson voters and the people they elect, including current officeholders who would otherwise be term-limited, and the city's refinery and petroleum-storage businesses, whose Charter-specific tax protections would be removed. The measure sets no tax.

How it got here

The City Council placed the measure on the ballot on August 4, 2026 (Resolution No. 26-092) and revised it on August 12, 2026 (Resolution No. 26-098, adopted 4–0 with Council member Dear absent) to add the City Treasurer changes.

The city's August 4 staff report lists the goals as campaign contribution transparency, consistency with state law on referring measures to voters, updating term limits 'to increase voter options' and cleaning up inconsistent or outdated language.

What each side says

Supporters

The measure adds campaign-donation transparency, aligns the Charter with state law on sending tax measures to voters while keeping voter approval requirements, and lets voters decide each election who continues to serve rather than having a fixed term limit. The city says it does not impose or increase any tax. · City of Carson (official Measure CU information page)

Opponents

No published argument against Measure CU and no organized opposition campaign were found. The city's measure page lists an argument in favor but none against. · SpectrumVote review of city materials and news coverage

Written by SpectrumVote from 5 linked sources (1, 2, 3, 4, 5). Arguments are each side's own, not ours; the official text is what you vote on.

Background

The Carson City Council placed this charter amendment on the ballot through Resolution No. 26-092, considered with a staff report at its August 4, 2026 meeting; the measure would amend Charter Sections 301, 319 and 907 and add a new Section 320.

According to the city, the measure's term-limit change would remove term limits for elective officers; currently Council members may serve three four-year terms, for a total of 12 years.

The city states the measure would also require the Mayor and Council members to follow state campaign-contribution disclosure law (with local rules no less strict), allow tax measures to be referred to voters by a majority Council vote while keeping voter-approval requirements, and let the Council authorize the City Manager to sign agreements.

The city says no tax rates would change; if approved, the amendments take effect once accepted and filed by the California Secretary of State.

Put on the ballot by Carson City Council, August 2026 (Resolution No. 26-092; Resolutions 26-093 and 26-094 set arguments and impartial analysis).

From official source 1, official source 2.

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Quick answers

What does a YES vote on City of Carson Measure CU mean?: Carson's charter would require campaign contribution transparency, match state law on referring measures to voters, update term limits and City Treasurer duties, and clean up outdated language.
What does a NO vote on City of Carson Measure CU mean?: Carson's charter would not be changed in these ways.
Does Measure CU remove term limits?: Yes. It repeals Charter Section 305, which limits Council members to three four-year terms, and states that elective officers are not subject to term limits. The ballot question describes this as updating term limits 'to increase voter options.'
Does it raise taxes?: No tax rate changes. It lowers the Council vote needed to put a tax on the ballot from two-thirds to a majority, but voters must still approve any new or increased tax. Repealing the refinery-related Section 907(4) would not by itself impose or increase a tax, according to the City Attorney.
Does it switch Carson to district elections?: Not directly. It amends Section 301 so Council members may be elected either at large or by district, as the City Council decides.
Do I vote on each change separately?: No. All of the Charter amendments are combined in one yes-or-no question.
How many votes does City of Carson Measure CU need to pass?: A simple majority: more than half of the YES and NO votes on this measure must be YES. Leaving it blank doesn't count either way.
Should I vote yes or no on City of Carson Measure CU?: SpectrumVote doesn't endorse anyone or tell you how to vote. Read what a YES and a NO vote each do, and the official text, then decide based on what you want to happen.
When is the vote?: The general election was Tuesday, November 3, 2026. Counts are unofficial until each state certifies its results over the following weeks; your state or county election office has the official results.

Not sure how to decide? Read our nonpartisan guide to the Los Angeles County ballot.

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