Overview
- The Los Angeles City Council voted 14-0 to put the union-backed half-cent sales tax on the Nov. 3 ballot after weeks of coverage of a major Boyle Heights warehouse blaze.
- Backers, led by United Firefighters of Los Angeles City Local 112, say the levy would generate about $345 million in year one and must be used only for hiring firefighters and paramedics, building and repairing stations, and modernizing equipment with annual audits and a Citizens Oversight Committee.
- Supporters argue the LAFD has roughly the same number of firefighters as in the 1960s and response times are nearly double the four-minute guideline, and they propose using the revenue to grow staffing toward a 5,000-firefighter target by 2050.
- A separate county half-cent sales tax passed last month has already raised the city rate to 10.25 percent and officials warn that if voters approve the city measure the combined rate would reach 10.75 percent, a factor that could shape voter decisions.
- Critics note sales taxes hit lower-income residents hardest and some fiscal groups say the city should reallocate general-fund dollars; the campaign will also face questions about recent union leadership controversies that backers say will not affect how the revenue is spent.