L.A. voters favoring sales tax hike for fire department and other city ballot measures

Los Angeles voters were giving thumbs up to eight city ballot measures in this election, including one that would funnel more money to the Los Angeles city Fire Department by raising sales taxes by a half-cent.

“I’m humbled by the support of the voters,” said Doug Coates, president of United Firefighters of Los Angeles City Local 112, which spearheaded Measure FD, the sales tax hike. “We showed up and we did what we needed to do … Thank you to the voters.”

The other ballot measures would make various changes to city government functions. Votes still were being tallied Wednesday, but the measures — including one that would allow the City Council to meet just once a week — were ahead by comfortable margins.

“I’m pleased that they seem to be doing well,” City Councilmember Tim McOsker said. “I am not surprised because I think they were all carefully considered and there was real benefits to each proposal.”

Measure FD would increase the city’s retail sales tax from 10.25 cents to 10.75 cents per dollar spent, with all of the extra revenue going to the Fire Department. The city still would be required to fund firefighters at its normal rate, meaning the measure would add an estimated $345 million annually to the department’s budget.

Proponents of the measure include the union representing rank-and-file firefighters, who say the department is underfunded. The tax fund is needed to lower response times across the city and increase the number of firefighters, according to the union.

The Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Assn., a nonprofit that advocates for lower taxes, opposed the measure. The organization raised concerns that this would be the third sales tax hike since 2024, costing an average of $86 per person and $345 for a family of four in additional sales taxes each year.

It also was opposed by the union representing Los Angeles Police Department officers, which objected to limiting the revenue to one city department.

The measure that would allow the City Council to meet just once a week was included in Charter Amendment EE. Most City Council members supported it, with McOsker noting his time is better spent working in his district. Currently the council is required to meet three times a week.

Councilmember Monica Rodriguez opposed the measure, arguing that having fewer public forums is a disservice to constituents, who would have less time to meaningfully engage with their representatives. She also worried fewer meetings would mean council members would rush through deliberations.

The amendment also would make smaller changes to how the city governs, including giving more power to independent inspectors to conduct audits of the L.A. Police and Fire Departments, and increase the penalties for campaign finance violations.

The number of signatures needed for a ballot referendum also would rise, and ethics commissioners would be barred from running for City Council or the L.A. Unified Board of Education for five years after leaving their posts.

Six other city ballot measures appeared headed for approval:

• Proposition TE would give Palisades fire victims who own homes in the area an exemption from Measure ULA, also known as the “mansion tax,” that imposes additional taxes on L.A. property sales above $5.4 million.
• Charter Amendment LA, which aims to streamline how the city delivers basic services for infrastructure in need of repair. The measure would reduce the power of the city Board of Public Works and possibly lead to eliminating it.
• Charter Amendment PL folds in five proposals, including to consolidate the city’s planning department, to facilitate building and opening businesses in the city.
• Charter Amendment PRK, which would double the minimum amount of money earmarked for the Department of Recreation and Parks. If it passes, the department could receive a minimum of $986 million annually by 2036, up from the current rate that would generate $493 million by that year. Proponents including Councilmembers Rodriguez and Ysabel Jurado and the nonprofit L.A. Neighborhood Land Trust declared victory in an Instagram post late Tuesday.
• Charter Amendment PRT would require the Los Angeles World Airport’s board of commissioners to include two members who live in Van Nuys and three who live around LAX.
• Charter Amendment SC, which makes small clarifying changes to language surrounding campaign finance rules for the LAUSD Board of Education, also led in early results. Those changes would affect campaign contribution limits, filing deadlines, public disclosures and fundraising windows.