Close margins define a consequential vote
Inglewood’s election remained unsettled Tuesday night as county officials continued counting ballots on two measures tied to the city’s economic relationship with its major sports and entertainment properties. Results posted shortly after 10:30 p.m. Pacific time showed both measures trailing, but by margins narrow enough to keep the outcome in question. Measure AT was behind with 51.9% opposed to 48.1% in favor, a difference of 583 votes. Measure BB was also losing, with 51% opposed to 49% in favor, a margin of 307 votes.
The measures concern two different sources of public policy and revenue: taxes charged on tickets for large events and advertising placed on public property. Measure AT would increase ticket taxes on major events held in Inglewood, a city that is home to SoFi Stadium, Intuit Dome and the Forum. City officials support the measure. Measure BB would restrict the city’s ability to permit billboard advertising on sidewalks, medians and similar public spaces. The venues’ owners support that restriction, citing their own sponsorship arrangements.
A dispute extending beyond the ballot
The measures grew out of a dispute between Inglewood and Hollywood Park, the nearly 300-acre development anchored by SoFi Stadium and owned by Rams owner Stan Kroenke. The disagreement began last year over a city agreement with Wow Media for a network of 60 digital signs containing 108 screens. The planned displays include kiosks comparable in size to bus shelters and other street installations reaching as high as 22 feet on sidewalks and medians.
SoFi Stadium, Intuit Dome and the Forum sued to stop the arrangement, arguing that the signs could weaken the value of exclusive sponsorship deals sold by the venues. A judge ruled in the city’s favor, and an appeal remains underway. Measure BB qualified for the ballot after receiving nearly 13,000 signatures, placing the advertising agreement before voters as a question about the use and appearance of public space as well as the competing commercial interests surrounding Inglewood’s event economy.
“It’s biblical in length,” said John Shallman, the political strategist managing the Yes on BB campaign.
Shallman was referring to the duration of the Wow Media agreement, which runs for 20 years and includes two additional 10-year options. If all options are exercised, the arrangement could remain in place for as long as 40 years. His argument focuses on the long-term consequences of a decision that would shape the city’s streetscape well beyond the current election cycle. The city’s lead attorney, Skip Miller, has defended the displays as installations that blend with their surroundings and connect to a system providing traffic and safety information.
Mayoral contest also points toward a runoff
The same early results showed a separate contest developing in the mayoral race. City Councilmember Gloria D. Gray led incumbent Mayor James T. Butts Jr. 34.6% to 29.8%, according to the results available Tuesday night. Those figures placed the two candidates on an early path toward a runoff election in March. Because the count is not complete, the preliminary standings do not establish the final result or determine how the ballot-measure margins will resolve.
For residents, the vote connects immediate municipal decisions with longer-term questions about how Inglewood manages growth around its entertainment venues. A higher event ticket tax could affect the city’s revenue policy for large gatherings, while the billboard measure could determine whether public corridors become part of a long-running digital advertising network. The venues, the city and Hollywood Park are pursuing interests that overlap in the same compact area, making the ballot results significant for taxation, advertising control, sponsorship rights and the visual character of public spaces.
- Measure AT: Would increase ticket taxes for major events in Inglewood; early results showed it trailing by 583 votes.
- Measure BB: Would restrict billboard advertising on public property; early results showed it trailing by 307 votes.
- Mayor’s race: Gloria D. Gray held an early lead over James T. Butts Jr., with a March runoff appearing possible.
| Contest | Early result | Margin |
|---|---|---|
| Measure AT | 51.9% opposed, 48.1% in favor | 583 votes |
| Measure BB | 51% opposed, 49% in favor | 307 votes |
| Mayor | Gray 34.6%, Butts 29.8% | Early count |
Los Angeles County is not expected to finalize the election results until the end of November. Until then, the provisional numbers offer a snapshot rather than a final verdict on the city’s approach to event taxation, public advertising and its continuing negotiations with the powerful development surrounding Inglewood’s stadium district.
