Santa Monica

The City Council has voted to deny funding to a neighborhood organization that would have represented the Wilshire Boulevard-Montana Avenue area.

Several neighborhood organizations receive funding from the city, including groups in Ocean Park, the Pico neighborhood and the mid-city area.

In June, the council turned down funding for the Wilshire-Montana organization because the staff concluded that its grant proposal was insufficient. But the council set aside $11,400 to hire a consultant to organize the group and another $39,050 for start-up funds.

This week, however, the four members of the All Santa Monica Coalition voted against spending the start-up funds.

Councilman Herb Katz Jr. said that the community group does not have enough support from the neighborhood. Officials said the group has 40 active members.

Councilman James P. Conn said that the council’s rejection of funding represents “the first step in the dismantling of community participation in the city and indicates a demise of the democratic process (in the city).”