Voters across Los Angeles County are about to decide the fate of a heated tax fight that could reshape the region’s struggling healthcare system, with a June 2 ballot measure proposing a 0.5% sales tax increase for five years.
Known as Measure ER, the proposal would raise roughly $1 billion annually if approved.
Supporters say the money is urgently needed to keep county healthcare services from slipping further into crisis and to protect essential programs already under pressure.
Warning signs are already stacking up.
Six of the county’s 13 health clinics have closed, fueling fears that more shutdowns could follow.
Officials also warn that without new funding, even a county hospital could eventually be at risk.
About 5.8 million registered voters will decide the issue in the June 2 primary, turning it into one of the most closely watched local tax battles in California.
Supporters argue the system is being squeezed from every direction, pointing to federal healthcare cuts and what they describe as insufficient relief from state leaders.
They warn that without intervention, emergency rooms will face longer waits, heavier patient loads, and rising costs that ripple through the entire system, including for privately insured patients.
Jim Mangia, President of St. John’s Community Health, said conditions are already deteriorating rapidly.
“The healthcare cuts that have come from the federal government as a result of the Big Beautiful Bill, President Trump, are having devastating impacts on the healthcare of Angelenos.”
Critics note the tax increase would land on already stretched households and could push Los Angeles County into one of the highest-taxed regions in the nation.
They also warn it could push shoppers and businesses to nearby counties where costs are lower, adding new strain to local economies.
Opponents further argue that the healthcare crisis is not unique to Los Angeles County and should not be addressed through a local tax hike.
