Sales Tax Hike Likely to Be on Fall Ballot

Prodded by a vocal coalition led by Sheriff Lee Baca, the Los Angeles County supervisors appear likely to put a half-cent sales tax measure on the November ballot that would generate about $560 million a year for law enforcement.

The proposal, which would boost the county’s sales tax to 8.75%, would also require local governments to increase their spending on law enforcement each year to match inflation, up to 3% annually.

The board’s vote could come as early as today, when Baca’s sales-tax proposal -- which was revised to ease various lawmakers’ concerns -- comes before the supervisors.

If approved by two-thirds of the county’s voters, the increase would raise $164 million for the city of Los Angeles and $256 million for 87 other cities, 40 of which contract with the Sheriff’s Department for police services.

The rest would go to the county, with $50.4 million for the jails, $45 million for sheriff’s patrols in unincorporated areas, $19.6 million for the district attorney, $14 million for the public defender and $11.2 million for regional communications systems.

Baca sought board approval after his effort to collect enough signatures to put the measure on the ballot faltered.

Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky then took up the cause. Supervisor Gloria Molina said Monday that she intends to campaign for the measure. Supervisor Don Knabe said he was “leaning toward” putting it on the ballot.

An aide to Supervisor Yvonne Brathwaite Burke indicated that she was also moving in that direction.

“I think we’re there,” Yaroslavsky said. “The issues that have been raised have largely been addressed.”

Four of the five supervisors must agree to place the measure on the ballot.

Supervisor Michael Antonovich opposes the measure, said spokesman Tony Bell. Antonovich is promoting a quarter-cent sales tax increase that requires cities to match that money.

Baca has amassed a powerful coalition of supporters that includes Los Angeles Mayor James K. Hahn and leaders from more than 30 cities. Police chiefs from Los Angeles, Long Beach, Santa Monica and other cities also have endorsed the measure.

Los Angeles City Council President Alex Padilla, who helped spur the supervisors by suggesting that the city would sponsor its own public-safety ballot measure if the county failed to act, said that the latest proposal had been carefully drafted with an eye toward consensus.

It now includes a provision to fund youth crime prevention programs. It also links public-safety spending to the consumer price index to ensure spending would rise with inflation rather than fall prey to budget cuts.

“It’s a consensus result,” Baca said. “It isn’t me alone setting the conditions for this initiative. It’s everyone now.”