The board of directors of the Pasadena Chamber of Commerce and Civic Association is urging voters to reject Los Angeles County Measure ER, a proposed half-cent sales tax increase on the June ballot intended to fund healthcare services.
The chamber’s board voted to “strongly oppose” the measure at a recent meeting, citing concerns about rising costs for consumers and businesses, as well as what it described as insufficient oversight and ineffective use of existing county funds.
Measure ER was placed on the ballot by a majority of the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors, who pointed to anticipated reductions in federal healthcare funding as a key reason for seeking additional local revenue.
In a statement, Chamber President and CEO Paul Little said the proposed increase would add to the financial strain already facing residents.
“Measure ER would result in increased costs of most consumer goods, essential as well as discretionary purchases,” Little said. “That will further erode the spending power of consumers in Los Angeles County and make everything from cars to prepared food to paper clips more expensive.”
The chamber also raised concerns about the county’s management of existing programs, pointing to oversight issues in areas such as homelessness services and child welfare. The board noted that previous measures, including Measures H and A, increased the county’s sales tax and generated funding aimed at addressing homelessness, yet tens of thousands of people remain unhoused across the region.
“We are all struggling to understand how L.A. County could fail so miserably at protecting children in their care, on such an enormous scale, and throw so much money at project after project with little tangible result,” Little said.
Los Angeles County operates with an annual budget of nearly $49 billion. The chamber’s board called on county officials to prioritize spending, improve efficiencies and reduce waste before seeking additional tax revenue.
“The supervisors need to understand that their job includes fiscal responsibility and oversight of county programs and projects,” Little said. “Measure ER deserves to fail and fail by a wide margin.”
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