PACIFIC PALISADES, CA — A measure to provide Pacific Palisades fire survivors with relief from Los Angeles' so-called mansion tax had nearly 64% support Wednesday morning, while a separate proposal to raise the city's sales tax to fund the Fire Department held a narrower lead.
Measure TE would provide a one-time exemption from the city's Measure ULA tax for original owners selling residential properties damaged or destroyed in the January 2025 Palisades Fire.
The exemption would apply to qualifying sales within five years of the fire. Measure ULA, approved by voters in 2022, imposes a 4% to 5.5% tax on high-value property sales to fund affordable housing and homelessness prevention programs.
Councilwoman Traci Park, who represents Pacific Palisades, championed the exemption as a way to help fire survivors who cannot afford to rebuild. Councilwoman Eunisses Hernandez opposed the proposal, warning that it could benefit wealthy investors while reducing funding for housing programs.
All 10 city and county measures on Tuesday's ballot had majority support as of Wednesday morning, according to the latest results released at 3:11 a.m. by the Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk.
Measure FD, which would generate an estimated $345 million annually for the Los Angeles Fire Department, had 53.63% support, compared with 46.37% opposition.
If approved, the measure would raise the city's sales tax from 10.25% to 10.75%, with revenue going toward new fire stations, additional firefighters and equipment upgrades.
The measure was proposed in the wake of the Palisades Fire. It was backed by firefighter unions and Mayor Karen Bass but opposed by the Los Angeles Police Protective League and Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association.
Six other city measures were also leading. They would make changes to government ethics and oversight, infrastructure spending, planning and development rules, parks funding, city-owned utilities and school board campaign regulations.
Countywide, Measure E had 73% support. It would establish the county's independent ethics commission in the County Charter and restore funding requirements for community programs and alternatives to incarceration.
Measure A, which would prohibit certain county public safety employees from striking and require binding arbitration in labor disputes, had nearly 65% support.
The results remained preliminary Wednesday, with additional ballots still to be counted. The next ballot-count update is scheduled to be released between 4 and 5 p.m. Wednesday.
City News Service contributed to this report.
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