Voters in the city of Los Angeles will decide eight local measures on Nov. 3, from a one-time tax exemption to a half-cent sales tax for the Fire Department. Vote centers begin opening Oct. 24. However, online registration already closed on Oct. 19.
The summaries below follow the City Clerk’s voter information pamphlet. That document also has the full text and the arguments for and against.
The eight measures
- Proposition TE: exempts sales of residential properties over $5 million that were damaged or destroyed by the Palisades Fire from the Proposition ULA transfer tax. As a result, it may reduce ULA revenue.
- Charter Amendment LA: sets a two-year budget cycle and a capital infrastructure plan. It also expands the Public Works director’s authority, allows changes to the Board of Public Works by ordinance, and changes contracting rules.
- Charter Amendment PL: replaces the seven Area Planning Commissions with one Neighborhood Appeals Commission and changes land use review rules.
- Charter Amendment EE: requires the City Council to meet at least weekly instead of three days a week. It also raises campaign finance penalties, bars some Ethics Commissioners from running for city office for five years, and raises the signature requirement for referendum petitions.
- Charter Amendment PRK: doubles the minimum General Fund share for Recreation and Parks, from 0.0325% to 0.065% of assessed property value, phased in over ten years. Still, it creates no new tax.
- Charter Amendment PRT: allows leases of up to 66 years for the airport and DWP, and changes the makeup of the Board of Airport Commissioners.
- Charter Amendment SC: applies the mayoral campaign finance rules to Board of Education candidates and allows changes by ordinance.
- Initiative Ordinance FD: a 0.5% sales tax for the Fire Department, estimated at about $345 million a year, with annual audits and a Citizens’ Oversight Committee.
Arguments on both sides
The pamphlet includes arguments from supporters and opponents. For example, supporters of Measure LA argue it would make City Hall plan ahead for streets and infrastructure. On EE, opponents quoted by CityHallPass say the weekly meeting change is buried in an ethics measure. The Council, however, voted to place it on the ballot. Meanwhile, the pamphlet lists an argument in favor of TE and says nobody submitted an argument against it.
Key dates and how to vote
According to the California Secretary of State, the first vote centers open Oct. 24 in Voter’s Choice Act counties, and early in-person voting is available statewide on Oct. 31. Then, on Nov. 3, polls are open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Mailed ballots must be postmarked on or before Nov. 3. In addition, ballots can go in a drop box or to a county elections office by 8 p.m. on Election Day. If you missed the Oct. 19 online deadline, you can still use same-day registration at a county elections office or in-person voting location.
Note that the pamphlet covers only city and LAUSD ballot measures. For vote center locations, contact the County Registrar at (800) 815-2666 or lavote.gov. For more local coverage, see our Los Angeles and California guide.
This article is a neutral summary and not legal advice.