Manhattan Beach, CAVoter Guide 2026 · not a ballot

Voter guide · Nov 3, 2026

Manhattan Beach City Council Election 2026

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council seats up

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4 candidates

Updated Oct 5, 2026. Every claim links to its source. How we check →

The candidates

Listed alphabetically by last name. Every position links to its source.

City Council · Vote for up to 2

Four candidates are on the November 3, 2026 ballot for two City Council seats.

2 notes on these statements

Amy Howorth is the only incumbent on the ballot; Richard Montgomery and Mark Burton are former council members and Joseph Ungoco is a Planning Commission member. MB News · Aug 19, 2026

Candidates for the November 3, 2026 ballot are Richard P. Montgomery, Amy Howorth, Mark Burton and Joseph Ungoco, as listed by the City Clerk. City of Manhattan Beach

Already on the council, not on the ballot

Whoever you elect will govern alongside these members.

Steve S. CharelianCity Councilmember; council term expires December 20288sourcedJoe FranklinMayor (mayoral term May 19, 2026 to March 2, 2027); council term expires December 20287sourcedNina Trieu TarnayMayor Pro Tem; council term expires December 20287sourced

Officeholders' pages compare what they've said with how they've voted, with sources.

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Match quiz5 questions · answers stay on your phoneSeat the CouncilPick winners, see the councilWhat council decidesSepulveda Boulevard safety and speed cameras, Downtown city-owned sites, Business license tax overhaulKey datesDeadlines and vote centers

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Next date

Vote-by-mail ballots mailed by

Mon, Oct 5, 2026

TodayAll key dates

What the next council decides

Sepulveda Boulevard safety and speed cameras

Where it standsIn May 2026 the council accepted a Sepulveda Boulevard traffic safety study and agreed to keep advocating for speed enforcement cameras.

What's on the tableWhich Sepulveda safety projects get funded, and whether Manhattan Beach seeks speed cameras on the corridor.

Downtown city-owned sites

Where it standsThe council is weighing redevelopment of Parking Lot 3 and the former US Bank building at 400 Manhattan Beach Boulevard under Project Pulse.

What's on the tableWhat gets built at the two sites, including height, parking and any partnership, and what interim use the 400 Manhattan Beach Boulevard building gets.

Business license tax overhaul

Where it standsThe council chose a revised tax model in July 2026 but did not put a measure on the November ballot.

What's on the tableWhether and when to bring a revised business license tax to voters.

City budget and staffing

Where it standsThe council adopted the Fiscal Year 2027 budget on June 2, 2026 after a split vote on new positions.

What's on the tableStaffing levels, further spending reductions and how capital projects such as the Senior and Scout House are funded.

Housing and state law

Where it standsThe council is carrying out its Housing Element programs and joined a regional housing trust effort, while a state density bonus project proceeds on Sepulveda.

What's on the tableHow the city implements Housing Element programs and responds to projects that state law lets proceed.

Who matches you?

Answer any of these questions. We compare your answers with each person's sourced record, and nothing is stored. Questions where no one has a sourced record yet are left out. Tap a selected answer again to skip it.

  1. 1. Should Manhattan Beach seek automated speed cameras on Sepulveda Boulevard?

  2. 2. What should the city do with its license plate reader cameras?

  3. 3. How should the city treat building height and density?

  4. 4. Should the city take part in regional housing trusts such as the South Bay Regional Housing Trust?

  5. 5. When the council adopts the budget, should it add new city staff positions?

Seat the Council →

Pick a winner for each open seat and see where the resulting council stands on each issue.

Key dates

The seat math

3 stay (not up this year): Steve S. Charelian, Joe Franklin, Nina Trieu Tarnay2 on this ballot

5 council seats. The council decides by a 3-vote majority.

  • The City Council's current members are Mayor Joe Franklin, Mayor Pro Tem Nina Trieu Tarnay, and Councilmembers Steve S. Charelian, Amy Thomas Howorth and David Lesser. City of Manhattan Beach
  • The city lists mayoral terms by member: Joe Franklin's runs May 19, 2026 to March 2, 2027, and Nina Trieu Tarnay's is expected to run March 2, 2027 to December 21, 2027. City of Manhattan Beach
  • The terms of Amy Howorth and David Lesser end in December 2026; those of Joe Franklin, Nina Trieu Tarnay and Steve Charelian end in December 2028. City of Manhattan Beach
  • The two candidates elected will take the oath of office at the City Council meeting on December 15, 2026. City of Manhattan Beach
  • Council member David Lesser wrote that a City Council term is four years. MB News · Aug 5, 2026

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