Pasadena to Receive Update on County Measure ER Health Funding

The Pasadena Finance/Audit Committee is scheduled on Monday to receive an update on Los Angeles County’s Measure ER, a new sales tax that could direct roughly $10 million a year to public health services in Pasadena and Long Beach.

The update is an information-only item with no staff recommendation, though the committee may act within its authority. Any appropriation of the funds would require separate action, and staff say they will return to the City Council with a request for appropriations once an allocation method is adopted — a reminder that the committee is advisory and the City Council holds final authority.

Los Angeles County voters approved Measure ER, also known as the Essential Services Restoration Act, in June, according to the Pasadena Public Health Department. The measure imposes a half-percent general sales tax to support core healthcare and safety-net services across the county and is expected to generate about $1 billion a year for five years. The bulk of the funding would support hospitals, clinics and other healthcare services affected by federal cuts that are expected to result in $2.4 billion in revenue losses.

Under the measure, 1% of the funding is committed to supporting the Pasadena and Long Beach public health departments — an estimated $10 million annually to be shared between the Pasadena Public Health Department and the Long Beach Department of Health and Human Services. The county is seeking a recommendation on an allocation methodology from the two departments, and Pasadena is working with Long Beach to determine a fair and reasonable approach for both cities.

City staff contend the 1% commitment does not reflect the two cities’ contributions. Together, Pasadena and Long Beach generate approximately 6.2% of the county’s sales tax revenue and represent about 6% of its population while providing essential public health services, according to the report. A letter has been sent to the county Board of Supervisors requesting a review of the allocation methodology going forward.

The measure also establishes a nine-member advisory citizen oversight committee to review and recommend how the sales tax revenue is spent and to provide annual reporting on expenditures. The Pasadena Public Health Department is exploring opportunities to have at least one of the two public health departments represented on that committee, the report states.

For Pasadena residents and healthcare providers, the outcome could shape the level of local public health funding for years, particularly as the region braces for reductions in federal healthcare support. Because the item is informational, the committee is expected to receive and file the update.

The Finance/Audit Committee is scheduled to meet at 3 p.m. on Monday, Aug. 24, in the Council Chamber, Room S249, at Pasadena City Hall, 100 North Garfield Avenue, in Pasadena. For more information call (626) 744-7311 or visit https://www.cityofpasadena.net/commissions/agendas/.