The Los Angeles police union is spending millions to kill Measure FD, a half-cent sales tax that would send $345 million a year to the fire department. The measure goes before voters Tuesday, Nov. 3.

The Los Angeles Police Protective League (LAPPL) announced Tuesday, Oct. 6 that it will fund an ad campaign urging voters to reject the measure, as first reported by the Westside Current. The United Firefighters of Los Angeles City (UFLAC) Local 112, which put the measure on the ballot through a citizen petition after the January 2025 wildfires, has already spent $2 million promoting it and is seeking $3 million more from members.

The measure would raise the city's retail sales tax from 10.25% to 10.75%. It has no sunset date. If a simple majority approves it, the tax could take effect April 1, 2027.

What the money would fund

Revenue would go to the Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD) for staffing, vehicles, equipment, fire stations, brush clearance and emergency communications, according to the city clerk's ballot description. Supporters say the money could pay for at least 1,000 new firefighter and paramedic positions, according to the official voter pamphlet.

The measure includes a maintenance-of-effort clause. The city would still have to fund LAFD at the same average share of the general fund it received over the prior decade, preventing the new tax from simply replacing existing dollars. A five-member citizens' oversight committee would monitor spending.

Why firefighters say they need it

UFLAC says LAFD has about 3,400 firefighters and 106 stations, the same station count as the 1960s. The city's population has grown by roughly 1.5 million people since then, and annual call volume has jumped from about 100,000 to more than 500,000, according to the International Association of Fire Fighters.

LAFD averages more than five minutes to reach structure fires and over 7½ minutes for EMS calls, ABC7 reported. The national target is under four minutes.

"We have five times the call load, six fewer stations than we had back in the 1960s, and 42 fewer fire fighters than we did during the Palisades fire," UFLAC Acting President Doug Coates told the IAFF.

Mayor Karen Bass, Councilmember Traci Park and LAFD Chief Jamie Moore all support the measure. Park, who represents District 11 including Pacific Palisades, signed the official ballot argument in favor.

Why the police union opposes it

LAPPL President Richard Mendoza argued in an interview with City News Service that a permanent tax with no spending plan is the wrong approach. He said the City Council should find money for LAFD within the city's nearly $15 billion budget.

"There's no spending plan in place on how that money is going to be used … It definitely isn't fair because there's other groups that definitely have needs," Mendoza said in that Oct. 6 interview.

The Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association also opposes the measure, calling it the third local sales tax hike since 2024, following L.A. County's Measure A for homelessness and Measure ER for healthcare. The group estimates the tax would cost a family of four about $345 a year, the Los Angeles Times reported.

Hitting the 10.75% rate would also put the city at the state sales tax cap. Mendoza warned that would leave Los Angeles unable to raise taxes further in a fiscal emergency without state approval.

Budget backdrop

The LAFD's adopted budget for fiscal year 2026 is $1.5 billion, up from $1.2 billion the prior year, LA City Controller Kenneth Mejia noted in May 2026. Yet as of Aug. 15, the city was proposing $11.1 million in LAFD reductions, including eliminating dozens of positions and taking Engine 14 out of service, NBC Los Angeles reported.

If approved, Measure FD would represent the largest investment in the fire department since voters passed Proposition F in 2000, a $532 million bond.

UFLAC has called a special meeting for Friday, Oct. 16 to discuss the campaign. Ballot information is available on the city clerk's elections page.