Los Angeles Voters Approve Fire Sales Tax

Los Angeles voters approved Measure FD on November 3, 2026, raising the city retail sales tax from 10.25% to 10.75%.

The measure passed with 54% of the vote, according to the latest tally, while some mail-in ballots remained uncounted. The tax increase represents a 5 cent rise for every 10 dollars spent on retail goods.

City officials estimate the new tax will generate 345 million dollars annually for the Los Angeles Fire Department. The revenue is designated to fund additional staffing, equipment repairs, and new fire stations.

The tax will not take effect immediately. An ordinance requires a 110-day waiting period after vote certification on November 27. The earliest the new rate applies is April 1, 2027, the first day of the next calendar quarter.

Councilmember Traci Park, whose district includes the Pacific Palisades area damaged by the January 2025 fire, led the campaign for the measure. Park stated that the department faced a crisis before the recent fires, but the Palisades incident made the need for investment clear.

Doug Coates, president of the fire department union, described the sales tax as a last resort after years of requests to the City Council. He said the measure is the third sales tax increase affecting Los Angeles residents since 2024, with the other two being countywide.

The Fire Department currently averages a response time of just under eight minutes. This figure is nearly double the national standard set by the National Fire Protection Association. The number of firefighters in the department has remained largely stagnant since the 1960s, even as the city population has grown.

Fire Chief Jaime Moore presented a plan to the City Council last month outlining how the funds will be used. Priorities include recruiting new personnel, repairing equipment, which could cost more than 9 million dollars, and fixing station infrastructure. The department currently operates 106 active stations, which allow firefighters to reach just under half the city within four minutes.

The Police Protective League, the union representing L.A. police officers, opposed the measure. Sergeant Chris Wecker, the union’s vice president, argued that the tax was permanent and limited to one department. He claimed the funding would be used to increase firefighter pensions, a point Coates disputed, stating that a related city motion only sought a study on overtime pension costs.

The measure requires the department to track Measure FD revenue separately from general funds. The department must create dashboards to monitor expenditures and provide quarterly reports to the City Council. A citizen oversight committee will also review how the money is spent.

The Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association, which opposed the measure, estimated the tax increase would cost the average person 86 dollars annually. The measure was one of eight on the November 3 ballot that received voter approval.