Los Angeles County voters will head to the polls this June to decide whether to approve a temporary half-cent sales tax increase aimed at supporting the county's struggling health care system.
The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors voted 4-1 on Tuesday to place the measure on the June ballot. If approved, the tax would raise the county's sales tax rate from 9.75% to 10.25%, making it among the highest in the nation.
Called the Essential Services Restoration Act, the tax would remain in effect for five years through October 1, 2031, and is projected to generate approximately $1 billion annually.
If approved by voters, the tax revenue would be allocated across the health care system, with up to 47% going to the Department of Health Services to fund nonprofit health care providers offering no-cost or reduced-cost care to low-income uninsured residents.
Another 22% would support the county's Department of Health Services to maintain public hospital and clinic services, while 10% would go to the Department of Public Health. A last-minute amendment set aside 5% for Planned Parenthood.
The measure would establish a nine-member citizens' oversight committee to ensure fiscal accountability through annual independent audits and recommendations on funding allocation.
County officials claim the federal budget bill, known as the "One Big Beautiful Bill Act," will cut $2.4 billion from county health programs over the next three years. These cuts, combined with state funding reductions, have created what health officials describe as a dire situation that could lead to clinic closures and reduced services.
Supervisor Kathryn Barger cast the lone dissenting vote, arguing the tax increase would place an unfair burden on residents already struggling with high costs of living.
More than 700 people attended Tuesday's meeting to speak on the proposal. Healthcare providers urged supervisors to place the measure on the ballot, while opponents characterized it as a regressive tax that would further burden residents and small businesses.
According to preliminary polling cited in the supervisors' motion, nearly 60% of L.A. County residents would support the temporary tax increase to preserve health care services.