Los Angeles County Supervisor Kathryn Barger issued the following statement today after casting her “no” vote on placing a Countywide general sales tax increase for healthcare on the ballot:
“Backfilling federal funding cuts on the backs of County taxpayers is not acceptable. Los Angeles County residents are already stretched thin. Last year, Bloomberg News reported that Los Angeles now has the highest sales tax rates of any major metropolitan region in the nation. This proposed half-cent increase would push us even higher, making our County less affordable for families and less appealing for consumers to shop and businesses to operate. We are risking imposing higher everyday costs and small businesses and employers choosing to leave Los Angeles County altogether.
The healthcare challenges our County faces are real. This is a serious issue that demands serious solutions. We should be demanding stronger commitments from our state’s legislators. Making things more expensive—especially for those who can least afford it—without real guarantees or accountability is not the answer. Placing a burden on taxpayers, with no certainty that the dollars will be spent as intended, is not responsible fiscal policy.
If the County is going to ask voters to approve a tax, it should be a special tax that provides clear purpose, enforceable accountability, and real transparency—not a general tax which can be used for other County needs. My vote reflects a commitment to affordability and doing right by the taxpayers of Los Angeles County.”