A proposal for a local parcel tax meant to raise money for firefighters, street repairs and housing has failed to secure enough signatures to qualify for the November ballot, city officials said Tuesday.
Representatives with the Long Beach firefighters union, as well as affordable housing advocates with Long Beach Residents Empowered and Los Angeles Alliance for a New Economy, had hoped to persuade voters to rally behind a tax that, if approved, would have been levied by the square foot on qualifying homes and industrial parcels, ultimately raising $70 million annually to bolster the city budget.
The measure, dubbed “Block the Cuts and Build Long Beach,” needed about 28,000 signatures from registered voters to qualify for a citywide vote this November. Proponents gathered 39,56 signatures, but the Los Angeles Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk’s office rejected more than 14,000, meaning the proposal fell short by about 3,100, according to a letter from Long Beach City Clerk Monique De La Garza.
Signatures can be tossed out if signers were not registered inside city limits, filled out more than one entry or gave incorrect information.
Announced in March, the tax measure campaign was led by a coalition that warned the money was needed to shore up the city’s fraying network of fire stations, ambulance crews, streets and alleyways, and juice the local production of affordable homes.
In a statement Wednesday, Executive Director Andre Donado of Long Beach Residents Empowered, which helped canvas for signatures, said he was “deeply disappointed” but ultimately not discouraged by the results.
“Although we did not qualify for the ballot, the needs that inspired this campaign remain,” Donado said. “Our communities still need more affordable and social housing, stronger investments in critical infrastructure, public health, and essential public services that help neighborhoods thrive. While this campaign comes to a close, our commitment to building a stronger Long Beach continues.”
The measure also had strong financial backing from the center-left California Community Foundation, Long Beach Firefighters Association and the Opportunity Beach Fund–Rex Richardson Ballot Measure Committee. Richardson’s committee contributed at least $80,000 to the effort, according to the most recent campaign finance disclosure for the committee behind Block the Cuts and Build Long Beach.
Even if it qualified for the ballot, getting a new tax measure passed likely would have been an uphill battle, as a high cost of living has outpaced homelessness and crime to become top of mind for Long Beach voters.
A countywide sales tax, Measure ER, passed by a narrow margin in June.
The city of Long Beach had already ruled out proposing its own tax measure after a poll found that 80% of respondents rejected the idea of an eight-cent parcel tax, even if the money was needed to cover services — street repairs, police and fire — that might otherwise be lost.
Despite summoning a formidable backing of legislators, activists and doctors, the health care-focused countywide sales tax, Measure ER, passed by a narrow margin in June.
This comes as the city faces a $61 million deficit in 2027 after climbing costs combined with declining revenues have forced department administrators to draw down reserves and defer hiring.
Officials have since said cuts in the coming fiscal year are virtually inevitable.