Half-Cent Tax Hike Would Add $345 Million to LAFD Budget

The proposed half-cent sales tax increase for the Los Angeles Fire Department would generate an additional $345 million annually if approved by voters. This funding stream is designed to support new construction, hiring, and equipment upgrades. The city’s current sales tax rate of 10.25% would rise to 10.75% under Measure FD.

The proposal follows the January 2025 fires in Pacific Palisades, which destroyed thousands of homes and killed 12 people. The United Firefighters of Los Angeles City Local 112 stated that the department needs more money to maintain operations. The union noted that the LAFD has operated with roughly 3,400 firefighters across 106 stations since the 1960s. Mayor Karen Bass and city council members support the measure, as do several local and state firefighter associations.

Opponents include the Los Angeles Police Protective League and the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association. These groups argue the tax would place an additional burden on residents. They contend the city should fund the department through general revenue rather than asking voters for a new tax.

Voters will also consider Measure TE, which offers a five-year exemption from the mansion tax for Pacific Palisades property owners. The exemption applies to sales of properties valued above $5.4 million. Owners must sell within five years of the Palisades fire to qualify. Councilwoman Traci Park and Council President Marqueece Harris-Dawson support the measure. Councilwoman Eunisses Hernandez raised concerns earlier this year about potential abuse by investors or private companies.

Six other measures appear on the city ballot. Measure EE proposes ethics and governance changes, including raising the maximum fine for campaign finance violations to $15,000. It would also prohibit ethics commissioners from running for city office or LAUSD board seats for five years after leaving their post. Measure LA aims to create a capital infrastructure plan and shift the city budget cycle from one year to two. Measure PL would give the Department of Planning more authority over permits and replace seven regional area commissions with a single appeals board.

Measure PRK proposes increasing funding for the Department of Recreation and Parks from 0.00325% to 0.065% over a decade. Measure PRT seeks changes to proprietary departments, including the Harbor Department, LAWA, and the Department of Water and Power. It would require the Harbor Department to allocate more income to waterfront public access projects. It would also authorize LAWA and DWP to issue lease terms of up to 66 years. Measure SC clarifies that city election campaign rules apply to LAUSD Board of Education elections.

County voters will decide on two charter amendments. Measure A proposes banning labor strikes for public safety personnel, including firefighters and sheriff’s deputies. It mandates binding arbitration for unresolved disputes. Unions including the L.A. County Firefighters Local 1014 and the Association for Los Angeles Deputy Sheriffs endorse the measure. Critics say it removes the Board of Supervisors’ ability to make a final offer, leaving negotiations to a three-person arbitration board.

Measure E would codify the creation of an independent ethics commission in Los Angeles County. The commission would enforce campaign finance laws and oversee conflicts of interest. It would also reinstate funding requirements from the 2020 Measure J. Those requirements mandate that at least 10% of funding go toward youth development, job training, and alternatives to incarceration. County voters approved a similar ethics commission in 2024 via Measure G, which also created a county CEO position effective in 2028 and expanded the Board of Supervisors to nine seats by 2032.