Election day is only about two weeks away, and elected officials aren’t the only thing on the ballot. Beyond voting for individuals and California statewide ballot measures, Los Angeles residents will also vote on eight city ballot measures in November. Here’s a breakdown for all eight. 

Measure EE: Ethics, Elections and Governance Charter Amendment

Measure EE, which focuses on the ethics of governance and elections, would amend the L.A. City Charter to make several changes to its elections and governance processes. The measure is a product of the City Charter Reform Commission, formed in 2024 and tasked with reviewing the City Charter, in an effort to increase government accountability and transparency. 

Highlights of Measure EE include barring members of the Ethics Commission from running for any office in the city or school district administration for five years after the end of their term and decreasing the number of minimum weekly city council meetings from three to one. It would also increase the independence of the L.A. Police Department inspector general and fire department independent assessor by removing the ability of their respective Boards of Commissioners to review their decision to launch an investigation.

Measure FD: Sales Tax for Fire Department Initiative

Measure FD would raise the L.A. sales tax from 10.25% to 10.75%, with the intention of using the extra 0.5% to fund the L.A. Fire Department. Currently, the LAFD draws the majority of its funds from the city’s general fund, which backs most public services in the city. 

The estimated additional $345 million collected would be placed in a special fund for LAFD, which would be used to hire more personnel, buy more equipment and update facilities. Measure FD is mainly aimed at shortening emergency response times and managing wildfires more effectively. 

Measure LA: Infrastructure, Budget, Finance and Contracting Charter Amendment

Measure LA would amend the city charter to shift from an annual budget plan to a two-year plan. The measure would also require the city to have a capital plan for city infrastructure projects like building construction or updating roads and parks. 

These two changes are expected to cost $4 million to $6 million from the general fund, according to the financial impact statement included in the voter information pamphlet. The amendment would also change the city’s contracting and mortgaging procedures, giving the director of public works more authority to manage projects.

Measure PL: City Planning Department Charter Amendment

Measure PL would consolidate the seven Area Planning Commissions, the regional boards in L.A. that review land use matters, into a single Neighborhood Appeals Commission, aiming to standardize appeals procedures across the city. This amendment to the city charter also changes city council protocol regarding planning and land use issues.

Measure PL would remove parts of the city charter governing certain land use entitlements, allowing them to be directed by individual ordinances rather than an overarching city code. If passed, the Neighborhood Appeals Commission is estimated to reduce staffing costs from $1.1 million to $740,000, according to the measure’s financial impact statement. 

Measure PRK: Department of Recreation and Parks Budget Charter Amendment

Measure PRK would double the minimum budget set aside for the Department of Recreation and Parks from 0.0325% to 0.065% of assessed value of all property as assessed for City taxes. This change would happen incrementally over 10 years as the city reallocates part of the general fund to Recreation and Parks. 

The additional money would fund beach and park maintenance, hiring staff and nature conservation. 

Measure PRT: Airports, Harbor, Water and Power Departments Charter Amendment

Measure PRT would require the Board of Harbor Commissioners to set aside part of its income each year toward public serving projects such as waterfront public access projects. This would formalize an ongoing annual practice, costing an estimated $28.6 million each year, 10% of its operating income. 

The measure would also require applicants for property development in the Harbor District to disclose projected workforce impacts, increase the maximum lease terms and change the distribution of residency requirements for Board of Airport Commissioners members. 

Measure SC: Board of Education Campaign Finance Rules Charter Amendment

Measure SC would amend the campaign finance rules for the L.A. Unified School District Board of Education candidates. Specifically, these changes would introduce campaign donor contribution limits, increase financial transparency requirements, impose time limits on fundraising windows and subject candidates to audits or investigations by the City Ethics Commission.

Measure TE: Transfer Tax Exemption Measure

Proposition TE would exempt sales of homes worth over $5 million that were damaged in the January 2025 Palisades Fire from the United to House LA tax.

Under the current tax, sales of properties worth more than $5.4 million are currently taxed 4%, and those worth more than $10.9 million are taxed 5.5%, with the thresholds being adjusted each year for inflation. 

The city uses money from this tax to fund affordable housing and homelessness prevention programs, and the reduction in revenue is estimated between $35 million and $66 million. This is between a 6% and 12% reduction in funding for these public services; the ULA tax raised nearly $548 million last fiscal year.