The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors subsequent week will think about putting on the November poll an initiative that would repeal the county’s quarter-cent sales tax for homelessness-prevention measures and replace it with an indefinite half-cent sales tax for use for a similar goal.
On Tuesday, the county Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk’s Workplace introduced that backers of the Inexpensive Housing, Homelessness Options and Prevention Now measure had collected sufficient legitimate signatures to get the initiative on the poll.
Supporters of the measure mentioned final month they submitted greater than 410,000 petition signatures, nicely above the required 238,922.
With signatures verified, the problem will transfer to the Board of Supervisors on Tuesday. The board could have the selection of instantly putting the initiative on the November poll, or requesting a full report on the measure, which might be introduced again inside 30 days to the board, which can then place the measure on the poll.
The proposed poll measure would repeal Measure H, a quarter-cent gross sales tax accredited by county voters in 2017, and change it with a half-cent gross sales tax to create a devoted stream of income to handle homelessness. Measure H had a 10-year lifespan, that means it’s set to run out in 2027.
The brand new proposed measure, if accredited by voters, wouldn’t have a sundown date.
Backers say the brand new initiative can be a recreation changer for the county and its method to addressing the homelessness disaster. Proponents have mentioned the measure would produce $1.2 billion yearly.
The coalition of supporters contains greater than 80 organizations such because the L.A. County Federation of Labor, California Group Basis, United Approach of Larger Los Angeles, Los Angeles/Orange Counties Constructing and Building Trades Council, SEIU 721, amongst others.
They goal to focus extra funding generated by the half-cent gross sales tax to construct extra reasonably priced housing, improve entry to psychological well being and substance abuse therapy, and bolster accountability measures — together with a authorized requirement to ship outcomes.
The proposed poll measure notes that 60% of the income would cowl prices for homelessness companies and 15% of that may be distributed to cities primarily based on the annual point-in-time rely of homeless folks. One other 35.75% would assist the L.A. County Inexpensive Housing Options Company, which was created final yr by the state Legislature to supervise homeless options.
“We have to basically change how we method our homelessness and housing disaster, and this measure does that by specializing in psychological well being care, housing affordability and authorized necessities that we see outcomes,” Miguel Santana, CEO of the California Group Basis and a former Los Angeles metropolis administrative officer, mentioned in a press release.
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