Los Angeles sales tax to rise to 10.75% to fund faster fire response

Los Angeles voters approved Measure FD in last week's election, which will raise the city's retail sales tax from 10.25% to 10.75%, according to the Los Angeles Times.

The half-cent sales tax increase is expected to generate about $345 million annually to strengthen the city’s fire department by hiring more personnel, opening additional stations, and improving response times.

This change means everyday expenses such as gas, dining out, and shopping will become more costly, with an estimated average increase of $86 per person, as reported by the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association, which opposed the measure.

The ordinance includes a 110-day waiting period after vote certification on November 27, so the tax increase will take effect no earlier than April 1 of the following year.

The measure was supported by the firefighters union and Councilmember Traci Park, whose district includes the Pacific Palisades area affected by a major fire in January 2025. Park emphasized that the fire department’s challenges were urgent even before recent fires highlighted the issue.

Fire union president Doug Coates described the sales tax hike as an unprecedented but necessary step to address the department’s crisis and improve response times, which currently average just under eight minutes, nearly twice the national standard.