Palmdale Agrees to Let Voters Decide Tax Hike

The Palmdale City Council voted, 3 to 2, Thursday to support putting before Los Angeles County voters a proposed half-cent sales tax hike for street and other traffic improvements, even though voters in Santa Clarita and Orange County rejected two similar measures earlier this week.

The proposal to increase the sales tax to 7% is being sponsored by the Los Angeles County Transportation Commission, which wants to put it before voters next November. The measure, requiring a majority vote, would raise about $7.5 billion over its 20-year term for transportation projects countywide.

The commission needs the backing of at least 44 of the county’s 87 cities, including Los Angeles, to get its measure on the ballot. With the addition of Palmdale, the commission now has the support of 28 cities. Los Angeles has yet to consider the plan.

The Palmdale decision came just two days after voters in nearby Santa Clarita overwhelmingly rejected a proposed property-tax increase to pay for $285 million in street improvements, and Orange County voters more narrowly defeated a half-cent sales tax hike.

Palmdale council members stressed that their vote was in favor only of placing the measure before the voters, and was not an endorsement of the tax increase. “I approve the idea of voting on it,” Councilman Joe Davies said. “I’m not sure whether I’d vote for it.”

Under the Transportation Commission’s plan, 30% of the money raised by the tax would go directly to Los Angeles County cities and unincorporated areas for road needs. County officials would spend the rest for freeway improvements, anti-gridlock efforts and other programs.