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Los Angeles County, California, Parks and Open Space Parcel Tax, Measure A (November 2016)
| Measure A: Los Angeles County Parks and Open Space Parcel Tax |
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| The basics |
| Election date: |
| November 8, 2016 |
| Status: |
 ApprovedMajority required: 66.67% |
| Topic: |
| California parcel tax Expires in: Never |
| Related articles |
| California parcel tax on the ballot November 8, 2016 ballot measures in California Los Angeles County, California ballot measures County tax on the ballot Parcel tax elections in California |
| See also |
| Los Angeles County, California |
A parcel tax measure was on the ballot for Los Angeles County voters in Los Angeles County, California, on November 8, 2016. It was approved.
| A yes vote was a vote in favor of authorizing the county to impose an annual parcel tax—a kind of property tax based on units of property rather than assessed value—of 1.5 cents per square foot of structural improvements to property such as buildings. |
| A no vote was a vote against authorizing the county to impose an annual parcel tax of 1.5 cents per square foot of structural improvements to property such as buildings. |
A two-thirds (66.67%) vote was required for the approval of Measure A.
Election results
| Measure A | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Result | Votes | Percentage | ||
| Yes | 2,363,405 | 74.9% | ||
| No | 791,939 | 25.1% | ||
- Election results from Los Angeles County Elections Office
Text of measure
Ballot question
The following question appeared on the ballot:[1]
| “ |
Safe, Clean Neighborhood Parks, Open Space, Beaches, Rivers Protection, and Water Conservation Measure. To replace expiring local funding for safe, clean neighborhood/ city/ county parks; increase safe playgrounds, reduce gang activity; keep neighborhood recreation/ senior centers, drinking water safe; protect beaches, rivers, water resources, remaining natural areas/ open space; shall 1.5 cents be levied annually per square foot of improved property in Los Angeles County, with bond authority, requiring citizen oversight, independent audits, and funds used locally?[2] |
” |
Impartial analysis
The following impartial analysis of the measure was prepared by the office of the Los Angeles County Counsel:
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Approval of Measure A (“Measure”) would authorize the Los Angeles County Regional Park and Open Space District (“District”) to levy a special tax (“Tax”) annually on improved parcels within the District which encompasses the entire County, including all cities and the unincorporated areas of the County, commencing with fiscal year 2017-18. The Tax shall be levied at a rate of 1.5 cents per square foot of structural improvements to property, excluding the square footage of improvements used for parking. The rate may be adjusted by cumulative increases, if any, to the Western Urban Consumer Price Index. The Tax has no expiration date. This Measure was placed on the ballot by resolution (“Resolution”) of the County Board of Supervisors (“Board”). Proceeds from the Tax will be used to replace an expired 1992 assessment, and a 1996 assessment expiring in 2019. Tax proceeds shall be allocated, as designated by the Resolution and Expenditure Plan (“Expenditure Plan”), to develop or implement programs with projects consistent with the 2016 Countywide Park Needs Assessment (“Needs Assessment”) including, but not limited to, projects protecting, developing, enhancing, and preserving parks, play areas, beaches, open space lands, natural areas, waterways, water resources, and equestrian facilities, promoting health and encouraging community use including for seniors and youth, investing in areas with high-needs for parks, developing and improving local and regional recreational facilities, maintaining and improving park safety, healthiness, and accessibility, and providing and facilitating safe places to play, afterschool programs, career development, job training, educational and cultural resources. The annual allocation of the Tax, and any allocation adjustments, as provided by the Resolution are: up to 77.8 percent (77.8%) for grant programs throughout the entire County; up to 15 percent (15%) for maintenance and servicing to eligible entities; and up to 7.2 percent (7.2%) for strategic planning, updates to the Needs Assessment, and for District operations, management, and administration of programs. All laws and procedures regarding exemptions, dues dates, installment payments, corrections, cancellations, refunds, late payments, liens, penalties and collection of ad valorem property taxes on the secured roll shall apply to the Tax, which shall be placed on the secured roll by the Auditor-Controller and collected by the Treasurer and Tax Collector. The District shall establish and administer an appeals process for the Tax.
All Tax funds shall be deposited into the Regional Parks and Open Space District Park Fund. If approved, the Measure creates a Citizens Oversight Advisory Board composed of five members appointed by the Board which shall review quarterly expenditures from the Tax, ensure that the program is integrated in the annual independent audit of the District, publish a complete accounting of all allocations each year, and submit to the County periodic evaluations of the program. The Measure authorizes the District to issue bonds payable from and secured by the Tax to fund all or a portion of the authorized programs.
This Measure requires a two-thirds (2/3) vote for passage. [2] |
” |
| —Los Angeles County Counsel[3] | ||
Full text
The full text of the measure is available here.
Support
Supporters
The following individuals signed the official argument in favor of the measure:[3]
- Jackie Lacey, L.A. County District Attorney
- Tom Eisenhauer, President, Los Angeles League of Conservation Voters
- Steve Soboroff, Business Leader/Member, L.A. Police Commission
- Cindy Montanez, Executive Director, Tree People
- Alex Johnson, Executive Director, Children’s Defense Fund
Arguments in favor
Official argument
The following official argument was submitted in favor of the measure:[3]
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Here are the facts about Measure A the Safe, Clean Neighborhood Parks, Open Space, Local Beaches, Rivers, and Water Conservation Protection Measure: – Measure A provides necessary safety repairs and upgrades for parks, beaches and recreational areas in every section of Los Angeles County to keep our kids, seniors and all residents safe. The ongoing lack of funding for parks has meant staff are unable to upgrade outdated and unsafe playground equipment, recreation centers, senior centers, drinking fountains and restrooms, which are suffering from termite damage, mold, leaky roofs, decaying walls, poor drainage, unsafe lighting, and often lack accessibility for the disabled. Measure A will replace expiring local funding for safe, clean neighborhood parks. – Measure A provides safe places to play and participate in after-school programs in neighborhood parks — which receive over 41 million visits by kids each year. – Measure A helps protect undeveloped natural areas so future generations can enjoy them. Most remaining local undeveloped natural areas are near creeks and lakes. – Measure A funds water conservation efforts including drought-tolerant plants, recycled water for ball fields, landscapes and green spaces, and capturing and cleaning more rainwater. These efforts to reduce waste will save money AND help protect our drinking water supplies. Your “YES” Vote on Measure A will help provide safe, clean neighborhood parks, beaches and open spaces, and help protect these places that make our communities special. We need Measure A to provide safe places for kids to play, keeping them out of trouble and away from gangs. Permanent protection of our remaining natural areas near creeks and lakes will preserve them for future generations and conserve local water resources. That is why a coalition of more than 100 local community organizations, children’s advocates, educators, advocates for seniors, business and environmental leaders say “Vote YES on Measure A.” [2] |
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Opposition
Opponents
The following individuals signed the official argument against the measure:[3]
- Teresa Casazza, California Taxpayers Association – President
- Tracy Hernandez, LA County Business Federation – Founding CEO
- Bill Lamarr, California Small Business Alliance – Executive Director
- Stuart Waldman, Valley Industry and Commerce Association – President
- Herbert Molano, Apartment Association of Greater Los Angeles – Executive Director
Arguments against
Official argument
The following official argument was submitted in opposition to the measure:[3]
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This is a flawed tax that will make all of our housing more expensive. The politicians chose a tax that WORSENS INCOME INEQUALITY – ocean -side estates and your home would be taxed at the same rate. Whether you are rich or poor, this tax does not take into account your family’s budget and how much you can afford to pay. And, this tax offers NO GUARANTEE that your local area will receive additional park funds. THIS IS NOT THE RIGHT TAX, NOR THE TIME We have many pressing issues in our community – like fully funding schools, housing and helping the homeless, solving the drought, reducing violent crime, and fixing our roads. If we are going to raise taxes, we should spend money on these problems. This tax fails to address our most critical problems. Politicians have money in their budget to fund parks, but instead are asking you to pay even higher taxes, while ignoring our communities’ real needs. TAXES SENIORS AND VETERANS Los Angeles County is an expensive place to live! Already, renters and homeowners pay a higher percentage of their income on housing than elsewhere in the nation. To make matters worse, this tax has no exemptions and provides no relief for seniors or disabled veterans. KILLS JOBS This is a tax on jobs, too. The politicians chose an unfair tax that will hit many of our communities’ struggling small businesses, as they will pay a per square-footage tax as well. We are competing in a global economy for quality, high-wage jobs – this tax makes it more difficult for our communities to compete for good jobs. We support our parks, but this FUNDING SCHEME comes at the WRONG TIME using the WRONG FORMULA. VOTE NO on Measure A! [2] |
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Path to the ballot
This measure was put on the ballot through a vote of the governing officials of Los Angeles County, California.
Recent news
The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the terms Los Angeles County California parcel tax Measure A. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.
See also
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Los Angeles County Elections, "November 8, 2016: Measures Appearing on the Ballot," accessed October 29, 2016
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 Voters Edge, "Los Angeles County Ballot Measures," accessed October 29, 2016
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